§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, by education authority area, the independent schools which have not yet received full recognition, indicating the reasons for this and the action being taken to deal with each school affected. [29288]
§ Mr. RichardsIndependent schools are placed on the provisional register of independent schools in Wales when they are providing full-time education to five or more pupils of statutory school age and when they have provided specified information about the school, such as details about staff, to the Welsh Office. Full registration is considered by the Welsh Office in the light of advice provided by the Office of Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools who visit all provisionally registered schools at least annually. Of the 62 independent schools in Wales, eight are provisionally registered. These are as follows:
School Local education authority Bethany Christian School Neath Port Talbot Emmanuel Christian School Caerphilly Frontline Christian School Bridgend Mayflower Christian School Torfaen Hendre House Pembrokeshire Prospects Centre for Young People Wrexham Thaibah Muslim School Cardiff Welsh Centre for Conductive Education Cardiff The reasons why full registration has not yet been granted varies between the schools but can include concern about the breadth and balance of the curriculum, school structures and organisation or that the school has recently started and needs time to become established. In all cases, where the inspectors have identified shortcomings, the Welsh Office has written to the school concerned asking for these matters to be addressed.
If my right hon. Friend is satisfied that an independent school, whether provisionally or fully registered, is objectionable on certain grounds, including the suitability of the accommodation or instruction, the fitness of staff or the proprietor or concern about the welfare of children, he may issue a notice of complaint seeking remedies to the concerns.