Education Act 1996

7 (1) In this paragraph “the appropriate authority”—

(a) in relation to a county, controlled or maintained special school, means the local education authority, and

(b) in relation to an aided or special agreement school, means the governing body.

(2) The appropriate authority in relation to a school shall determine—

(a) for the purposes of an election of parent governors, any question whether a person is a parent of a registered pupil at the school, and

(b) for the purposes of an election of teacher governors, any question whether a person is a teacher at the school.

(3) The appropriate authority shall make all necessary arrangements for, and determine all other matters relating to, an election of parent governors or teacher governors.

(4) The power conferred by sub-paragraph (3)—

(a) includes power to make provision as to qualifying dates, but

(b) does not include power to impose any requirement as to the minimum number of votes required to be cast for a candidate to be elected.

(5) Any election of parent governors or teacher governors which is contested shall be held by secret ballot.

(6) The arrangements made under sub-paragraph (3) shall, in the case of any election of a parent governor, provide for every person who is entitled to vote in the election to have an opportunity to do so by post or, if he prefers, by having his ballot paper returned to the school by a registered pupil at the school.

(7) Where a vacancy for a parent governor is required to be filled by election, the appropriate authority shall take such steps as are reasonably practicable to secure that every person who is known to them to be a parent of a registered pupil at the school is—

(a) informed of the vacancy and that it is required to be filled by election;

(b) informed that he is entitled to stand as a candidate, and vote, at the election; and

(c) given an opportunity to do so.