The children’s commissioner is calling for a greater focus from Ofsted on school safeguarding in its “light-touch” inspections after Easter.

Dame Rachel de Souza said the watchdog should “explore what more can be done” to ensure best practice is followed as ministers and school leaders face growing calls to tackle sexual harassment and violence against young people.

The calls come amid “rape culture” concerns after thousands of allegations of peer-to-peer sex abuse were received by the Everyone’s Invited website, many of them involving students who attend private schools.

Dame Rachel said there were “questions to be asked” about whether there should be a role for Ofsted in checking up on safeguarding standards at private schools.

‘Rape culture’: No need for Ofsted, say private schools

Ofsted: Call to deal with school ‘rape culture’ firmly

Background: Ofsted ‘needs more access’ to private school inspections

The news follows a report from The Guardian that Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman previously asked the Department for Education for greater powers to monitor “potential safeguarding issues” at independent schools.

Ofsted ‘should focus on safeguarding’ after Everyone’s Invited allegations

The report referred to correspondence from November 2018, reported by Tes at the time, in which Ms Spielman told former education secretary Damian Hinds that Ofsted needed more access to check on private school inspections.

But her concerns, repeated in July 2019, were ignored by ministers, The Guardian reported.

In a blog, Dame Rachel has written: “Ofsted should already place a very strong emphasis on safeguarding and can make on-the-spot inspections of schools where there are concerns.

“I would like to see a focus on these issues in their forthcoming light-touch plans for inspection after Easter, and for Ofsted to explore what more can be done to ensure schools and local safeguarding partners are following best practice.”

She added: “There are also questions to be asked about whether there should be a role for Ofsted in inspecting safeguarding standards at independent schools.”

Yesterday leading figures in the private school sector said it was not necessary for all independent schools to be inspected by Ofsted.

The comments followed a suggestion made by Robert Halfon, chair of the Commons Education Select Committee, that private schools should be inspected by Ofsted rather than the Independent Schools Inspectorate.

Ofsted has been approached for comment.