Board of Education and successors: HM Inspectorate: Reports on Secondary Institutions

By local education authorities, which mainly reflect the old administrative counties that were in existence when the reports where written. They do not reflect the current county boundary lines.

The Regulations for Secondary Schools 1906 introduced rules under which secondary schools not eligible for, or not applying for, grant could apply to be recognised as efficient, no charge being made for the resultant inspection. This measure was designed to encourage more schools to raise their standards to those of grant-aided schools.

The regulations also provided for the establishment of a periodic list of efficient secondary schools which was first published in 1908. This list included, together with schools on the grant list, schools recognised as efficient either by virtue of an inspection in the exercise of the Board of Education's jurisdiction under the Charitable Trusts Acts or on application as provided by the regulations.

Full inspections of secondary institutions were required to show that they had an adequate staff, provided a suitable curriculum and efficient instruction, as well as possessing suitable premises and equipment.

Schools in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, public schools and other secondary institutions such as the Royal Military College, although not subject to the jurisdiction of the Board of Education, also applied for inspection by the board.

Secondary education in Wales, originating mainly from the Welsh Intermediate Education Act 1889, was the subject of separate inspections by both the Board of Education and the Central Welsh Board; the latter's administration produced many short subsidiary reports on a school at almost annual intervals.