The Designation of Rural Primary Schools (England) Order 2025

Made: 17th December 2025

Coming into force: 18th December 2025

The Secretary of State makes this Order in exercise of the power conferred by section 15(7)(b) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006[^f00001].

Citation, commencement and extent

1

• (1) This Order may be cited as the Designation of Rural Primary Schools (England) Order 2025.

• (2) This Order comes into force on 18th December 2025.

• (3) This Order extends to England and Wales.

Designation of rural primary schools

2

The schools named in the list called “List of local authority maintained rural primary schools 2025”, published on the Gov.uk website on 16th December 2025, are designated as rural primary schools in England.

Revocation

3

The Designation of Rural Primary Schools (England) Order 2024[^f00002] is revoked.

Signed

For and on behalf of the Secretary of State

Matt Collins — Deputy Director — Department for Education — 17th December 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Explanatory Note

This Order designates certain primary schools in England as rural primary schools for the purposes of section 15 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”). It also revokes the Designation of Rural Primary Schools (England) Order 2024.

Section 15 of the 2006 Act requires that when either a local authority or, for certain schools, the governing body formulates proposals for the discontinuance of a rural primary school, it must have regard to specific factors. These factors include the likely effect of discontinuance on the local community and any alternatives to the discontinuance of the school. Before publishing proposals for discontinuance, section 16 of the 2006 Act requires that the local authority or governing body must consult certain persons, including parents, any parish council, and where the local authority is a county council, any district council. Where it is a governing body making the proposals, the local authority must also be consulted.

This Order designates rural primary schools by reference to a list of schools published on 16th December 2025 on the Gov.uk website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rural-primary-schools-designation. When considering proposals to discontinue schools, local authorities and governing bodies should refer to this list. A copy may also be obtained by writing to the Department for Education at the following address: School Organisation Policy Unit, Department for Education, Third Floor, Bishopsgate House, Darlington, DL1 5QE.

A full regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2006 c. 40.

[^f00002]: S.I. 2024/1354.