ABSTRACT
In 1840 Kay-Shuttleworth gave the early inspectors very precise instructions on the limitation of their powers in inspecting schools. The 1902 Education Act enabled the new Local Education Authorities to finance secondary schools through the rates and the number and relative complexity of these schools meant that the Inspectorate had to find a new mode of inspection. After 1944 the nature of school inspection varied according to the way in which Her (or His) Majesty's Inspectorate (HMI) interpreted its role. The centrality of the inspection function of HMI was emphasised throughout the Rayner report. The legitimacy of HMI advice rested upon the knowledge acquired during inspections of educational institutions. The HMI report praised many aspects of the work of the school: the attendance rate, involvement in decision making, good staff-pupil relations, excellent home-school links, the range of extra-curricular activities and some of the examination results.
