Book excerpt: This document contains details of the national minimum standards applicable to residential special schools, which are either 1) listed as a special school under the Education Act 1996 or 2) an independent school for pupils with special educational needs or who are in public care. There is a separate set of national minimum standards for other boarding schools which provide accommodation for children (ISBN 0113225415). These standards are published under section 87C (1) of the Children Act 1989 as amended by section 23 (1) of the Care Standards Act 2000, and are to be used by the National Care Standards Commission which has responsibility for welfare inspection from April 2002. The standards are grouped under a number of subject headings including: children's rights; child protection; care and control; premises; staffing; organisation and management.