Figures from its departmental report, presented to Parliament last week, show its total regulation and inspection budget will drop from 220m in 2005/06 to 204m in 2006/07 and 2007/08, despite the expansion of childcare and the creation of a single children's inspectorate in 2008, which Ofsted will oversee.
A spokeswoman for Ofsted said that since details of the new inspectorate had not been formally ratified, there was no way of assessing the budgetary impact until nearer the time.
New school inspection arrangements would involve smaller teams and shorter reports, she added.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, said: "The planned expansion of childcare and extended schools inspections and the forthcoming introduction of the single framework will have a clear impact on staffing, resources and inspection response times. We look forward to hearing how Ofsted will manage the extra workload and responsibilities."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
