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Suspected illegal school gets warning found operating in Bilston

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A suspected illegal school in Bilston is one of seven across the country to have received a formal warning from Ofsted.

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Bosses at Wolverhampton council said the school had been working with a small number of pupils with behavioural needs but was not registered with the schools watchdog.

The authority confirmed all pupils affected had been offered alternative provision in the city while the school's status is 'resolved.'

Details of the school, which has not been named, emerged after a new report revealed that many more youngsters are hidden from authorities in unregistered schools across the country than previously thought.

Inspectors have identified 100 suspected unregistered schools since a team was set up in January to investigate the problem.

Last month they issued seven warning notices to suspected illegal schools including the one in Bilston and others in Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent, London and Luton. A total of 350 children were found on the schools' premises. Unregistered schools are those that operate outside the supervision of the Department for Education, local authorities or Ofsted inspections.

Wolverhampton council's Director of Education, Julien Kramer, said: "We are aware that Ofsted has issued a warning notice to an independently-run school which has been working with a small number of pupils with behavioural needs in Bilston.

"The provider was inspected by Ofsted in 2015 when it received a Good rating, but the school itself was not registered with Ofsted. Any school offering 20 hours of lessons a week must be registered.

"It should be stressed that the council has no safeguarding concerns in relation to the school."

The council has also issued advice to school leaders in the city asking staff to remain vigilant and to alert the authority to any informal school operating in their local area.

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