School Standards and Framework Act 1998

Part I — Measures to raise standards of school education

Chapter I — Limit on infant class sizes

Notice by governing body to discontinue foundation or voluntary school.

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• (1) The Secretary of State shall by regulations—

• (a) impose a limit on class sizes for infant classes at maintained schools; and

• (b) specify the school years in relation to which any such limit is to have effect.

• (2) Any limit imposed under this section shall specify the maximum number of pupils that a class to which the limit applies may contain while an ordinary teaching session is conducted by a single school teacher.

• (3) Subject to subsections (4) and (5), regulations under this section shall be so framed that—

• (a) the maximum number specified in pursuance of subsection (2) is 30, and

• (b) that limit has effect in relation to the 2001-02 school year and any subsequent year.

• (4) Regulations under this section may—

• (a) provide for any limit imposed under this section to take effect—

• (i) at the same time in the case of each of the age groups into which the pupils in infant classes fall, or

• (ii) at different times (which may be earlier than the beginning of the school year mentioned in subsection (3)) in the case of different such age groups;

• (b) provide that, in any circumstances specified in the regulations, any such limit either is not to apply or is to operate in such manner as is so specified.

• (5) The Secretary of State may by order amend subsection (3)—

• (a) by substituting for “30” such other number as is specified in the order; or

• (b) by substituting for the reference to the 2001-02 school year a reference to such other school year as is so specified.

• (6) Where any limit imposed under this section applies to an infant class at a maintained school, the local authority and the governing body shall exercise their functions with a view to securing that that limit is complied with in relation to that class.

Plans by LEAs for reducing infant class sizes

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Payment of grant in connection with reductions in infant class sizes

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• (1) Regulations shall make provision for the payment by the Secretary of State of grants to local authorities in respect of expenditure incurred or to be incurred by them for the purpose of securing that any limit imposed under section 1 is complied with in relation to infant classes at schools maintained by them.

• (2) Regulations under this section shall provide for the Secretary of State—

• (a) to withhold grants under the regulations from a local authority where no proposed arrangements by that authority have been approved by him under section 2; and

• (b) when determining whether any grant (and, if so, what amount) should be paid by him under the regulations to a local authority, to have regard to their proposed arrangements as so approved.

• (3) Regulations under this section may provide—

• (a) for the payment of grant under the regulations to be dependent on the fulfilment of such conditions as may be determined by or in accordance with the regulations, and

• (b) for requiring local authorities to whom payments have been made under the regulations to comply with such requirements as may be so determined.

Interpretation of Chapter I

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In this Chapter—

• “class” means a group in which pupils are taught in an ordinary teaching session;

• “infant class” means a class containing pupils the majority of whom will attain the age of five, six or seven during the course of the school year;

• “ordinary teaching session” does not include a school assembly or other school activity usually conducted with large groups of pupils;

• “school teacher” means a person who is a school teacher for the purposes of section 122 of the Education Act 2002 (determination of school teachers’ pay and conditions)

Chapter II — General responsibilities of local authorities

Duty to promote high standards of education

Disposal of land by governing body of foundation, voluntary or foundation special school

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Education development plans

Preparation of education development plans

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Stamp duty.

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Intervention by Secretary of State

Appeal arrangements: general.

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After section 497 of the Education Act 1996 there shall be inserted—

(497A) (1) This section applies to a local education authority’s functions (of whatever nature) which relate to the provision of education— (a) for persons of compulsory school age (whether at school or otherwise), or (b) for persons of any age above or below that age who are registered as pupils at schools maintained by the authority. (2) If the Secretary of State is satisfied (either on a complaint by any person interested or otherwise) that a local education authority are failing in any respect to perform any function to which this section applies to an adequate standard (or at all), he may exercise his powers under subsection (3) or (4). (3) The Secretary of State may under this subsection direct an officer of the authority to secure that that function is performed in such a way as to achieve such objectives as are specified in the direction. (4) The Secretary of State may under this subsection give an officer of the authority such directions as the Secretary of State thinks expedient for the purpose of securing that the function— (a) is performed, on behalf of the authority and at their expense, by such person as is specified in the direction, and (b) is so performed in such a way as to achieve such objectives as are so specified; and such directions may require that any contract or other arrangement made by the authority with that person contains such terms and conditions as may be so specified. (5) Where the Secretary of State considers it expedient that the person specified in directions under subsection (4) should perform other functions to which this section applies in addition to the function to which subsection (2) applies, the directions under subsection (4) may relate to the performance of those other functions as well; and in considering whether it is expedient that that person should perform any such additional functions, the Secretary of State may have regard to financial considerations. (6) Any direction under this section may either— (a) have effect for an indefinite period until revoked by the Secretary of State, or (b) have effect until any objectives specified in the direction have been achieved (as determined in accordance with the direction). (7) Any direction given under subsection (3) or (4) shall be enforceable, on an application made on behalf of the Secretary of State, by an order of mandamus. (497B) (1) Where the Secretary of State gives directions under section 497A(4) to an officer of a local education authority, the person specified in those directions shall, in the performance of the function or functions specified in the directions, be entitled to exercise the powers conferred by this section. (2) The specified person shall have at all reasonable times— (a) a right of entry to the premises of the authority, and (b) a right to inspect, and take copies of, any records or other documents kept by the authority, and any other documents containing information relating to the authority, which he considers relevant to the performance of the specified function or functions. (3) In exercising the right to inspect records or other documents under subsection (2), the specified person— (a) shall be entitled at any reasonable time to have access to, and inspect and check the operation of, any computer and any associated apparatus or material which is or has been in use in connection with the records or other documents in question, and (b) may require— (i) the person by whom or on whose behalf the computer is or has been so used, or (ii) any person having charge of, or otherwise concerned with the operation of, the computer, apparatus or material, to afford him such assistance as he may reasonably require (including, in particular, the making of information available for inspection or copying in a legible form). (4) Without prejudice to subsection (2), the authority shall give the specified person all assistance in connection with the performance of the specified function or functions which they are reasonably able to give. (5) Subsection (2) shall apply in relation to any school maintained by the authority as it applies in relation to the authority; and without prejudice to that subsection (as it so applies)— (a) the governing body of any such school shall give the specified person all assistance in connection with the exercise of his functions which they are reasonably able to give; and (b) the governing body of any such school and the authority shall secure that all such assistance is also given by persons who work at the school. (6) Any reference in this section to the specified person includes a reference to any person assisting him in the performance of the specified function or functions. (7) In this section “document” and “records” each include information recorded in any form.

Parent governor representatives on education committees

Education committees to include representatives of parent governors

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At the end of section 499 of the Education Act 1996 (power of Secretary of State to direct appointment of members of education committees) there shall be added—

(6) Regulations may require— (a) any such committee as is mentioned in subsection (1) or (3), and (b) any sub-committee appointed by any authorities within subsection (1) or (3), or by any committee within paragraph (a) of this subsection, for the purpose mentioned in subsection (5)(b), to include one or more persons elected, in accordance with the regulations, as representatives of parent governors at maintained schools in relation to which the committee or sub-committee acts. (7) Regulations may make provision for— (a) the number of persons who are to be elected for the purposes of subsection (6) in the case of any local education authority; (b) the procedure to be followed in connection with the election of such persons and the persons who are entitled to vote at such an election; (c) the circumstances in which persons are qualified or disqualified for being so elected or for holding office once elected; (d) the term of office of persons so elected and their voting rights; (e) the application to any such committee or sub-committee, with or without any modification, of any provision made by or under any other enactment and relating to committees or (as the case may be) sub-committees of a local authority; (f) such other matters connected with such elections or persons so elected as the Secretary of State considers appropriate. (8) Regulations may also make provision— (a) enabling the Secretary of State to determine, where he considers it expedient to do so in view of the small number of maintained schools in relation to which a committee or sub-committee acts, that the requirement imposed on the committee or sub-committee by virtue of subsection (6) is to have effect as if it referred to representatives of parents of registered pupils (rather than representatives of parent governors) at those schools; (b) for any regulations under subsection (7) to have effect, where the Secretary of State makes any such determination, with such modifications as may be prescribed. (9) In subsections (6) and (8) “maintained school” and “parent governor” have the same meaning as in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

Chapter III — Education action zones

Establishment of education action zones

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• (1) If the Secretary of State considers that it is expedient to do so with a view to improving standards in the provision of education at any particular eligible schools, he may by order provide for those schools to constitute collectively an education action zone for the purposes of this Chapter.

• (1A) For the purposes of subsection (1) “eligible school” means—

• (a) a maintained school;

• (b) a nursery school;

• (c) a pupil referral unit; or

• (d) an independent school.

• (2) An education action zone shall be established in the first instance for three years; but the Secretary of State may, by an order made before the end of that period, provide for the zone to continue in existence for a further two years.

• (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• (4) No order shall be made by the Secretary of State under subsection (1) or (2) except on an application made for the purpose with the consent of the governing body of every school which it is proposed should be a participating school.

• (5) Any school which ceases to be a participating school by virtue of subsection (2) may nevertheless be included in a further order under subsection (1).

• (6) In this Chapter—

• (a) references to a governing body—

• (i) in relation to an independent school (other than an Academy, city technology college or city college for the technology of the arts), are to the proprietor of the school, and

• (ii) in relation to a new school, include the temporary governing body of the school;

• (b) “participating school”, in relation to an education action zone, means one of the schools that—

• (i) for the time being is included in the order under subsection (1), or

• (ii) has been added to the zone by virtue of section 11B,

other than a school that has been removed from the zone in accordance with section 11C;

• (c) “pupil referral unit” has the same meaning as in section 19 of the Education Act 1996 (c. 56);

• (d) “new school” has the meaning given in section 72(3).

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• (8) Unless the Secretary of State by order otherwise provides, nothing in this Chapter applies in relation to Wales.

Establishment of Education Action Forum for zone

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• (1) An order establishing an education action zone under section 10(1) shall provide for the establishment of an Education Action Forum for the zone.

• (2) An Education Action Forum shall be a body corporate ... .

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• (4) Schedule 1 has effect in relation to an Education Action Forum.

• (5) The Forum established for an education action zone shall be dissolved by order of the Secretary of State with effect from the time when the zone ceases to exist in accordance with section 10(2).

• (6) An order under subsection (5) may make provision for the transfer of property, staff, rights and liabilities of the Forum and for the preparation of a final statement of accounts.

Procedure for giving direction under section 97A

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• (1) An Education Action Forum shall have as its main object the improvement of standards in the provision of education at each of the participating schools.

• (1A) With the consent of the Secretary of State, a Forum may also carry on any other activities which it considers will promote the provision of, or access to, education whether in a participating school or otherwise.

• (2) A Forum may, under arrangements made by the governing body of a participating school in respect of any prescribed function of that body relating to the conduct of the school, either—

• (a) discharge that function on behalf of the governing body until such time as they may specify in a request to the Forum to cease discharging the function on their behalf; or

• (b) assume full responsibility for the discharge of that function during the whole of the period for which the Forum remains in existence.

• (3) Regulations may make provision—

• (a) as to the circumstances in which the governing body of a participating school may make arrangements under subsection (2);

• (b) for the procedure to be followed by such a governing body in connection with the making of any such arrangements;

• (c) for the procedure to be followed by an Education Action Forum when discharging any function by virtue of that subsection;

• (d) for statutory provisions relating to governing bodies of maintained schools to apply, with any prescribed modifications, to an Education Action Forum when discharging any function by virtue of paragraph (b) of that subsection.

• (4) Regulations may, in relation to the discharge by an Education Action Forum of any function of a governing body under sections 35 to 37 of, or Schedule 2 to, the Education Act 2002 or under regulations made under those sections, make any such provision as may be made by an order under section 81 (application of employment law during financial delegation).

• (5) The Secretary of State may by a direction provide for any scheme under Chapter IV of Part II of this Act which relates to a participating school to have effect with such modifications as he considers appropriate in a case where an Education Action Forum is discharging any function in relation to the school by virtue of subsection (2)(b).

• (6) Before giving a direction under subsection (5) the Secretary of State shall consult the local authority.

Disapplication of pay and conditions order in relation to teachers at participating schools

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Chapter IV — Intervention in schools in Wales causing concern

Intervention by local authorities

Powers of intervention exercisable by LEAs

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Cases where LEA may exercise powers of intervention

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Power of LEA to appoint additional governors

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Power of LEA to suspend right to delegated budget

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Intervention by Assembly

Power of Secretary of State to appoint additional governors

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Power of Secretary of State to direct closure of school

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