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<p>Any education institution which provides full-time provision to 5 or more pupils
of compulsory school age (or one or more pupils of compulsory school age who is ‘looked
after’ or who has an education, health and care plan) is required to register with
the Secretary of State for Education. It is a criminal offence under section 96 of
the Education and Skills Act 2008 to conduct an independent educational institution
unless it is registered.</p><p>Since those conducting an unregistered school are committing
a criminal offence, they do not generally inform the Department for Education about
the school’s operation. It is not therefore possible to accurately estimate the number
of unregistered schools operating in (a) West Dorset constituency, (b) Dorset, and
(c) England.</p><p>The Department for Education and Ofsted continue to investigate
any institution where intelligence or evidence suggest the operation of an unregistered
school. Section 97 of the 2008 Act permits the Chief Inspector to investigate, and
conduct no-notice inspections of, institutions believed to be operating in breach
of the registration requirement.</p><p>Ofsted publishes statistics on the number and
outcomes of investigations carried out into unregistered schools. Statistics have
been published online for the period 1 January 2016 to 31 August 2021. The statistics
up to 31 August 2021 showing the investigations and inspections which have taken place
both nationally and in the south-west are in the table attached.</p>
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