The
Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (
Ofsted) is a
non-ministerial department of the
UK government. The official position of
Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills (HMCI) is appointed by an
Order in Council and thus becomes an office holder under the Crown. The current office holder is
Sir Michael Wilshaw. Provision for the inspections of schools by teams of inspectors, and direct reports to schools, parents, and government, was made in the
Education (Schools) Act 1992. Schedule 11 of the
Education and Inspections Act 2006 changed the way in which Ofsted works without significantly changing the provision. Since 2006 the structure of Ofsted has derived elements from business models, with a Chair, an executive board, regional officers, and a formal annual report to Parliament in the light of concerns about schools, and local authority children's services. From September 2014 the Chair of Ofsted has been David Hoare.