Special provision for rural schools

F112APreliminary requirements in relation to rural school closure

(1)

This section applies where an education authority is formulating a closure proposal as respects a rural school.

(2)

The authority must—

(a)

identify its reasons for formulating the proposal,

(b)

consider whether there are any reasonable alternatives to the proposal as a response to those reasons,

(c)

assess, for the proposal and each of the alternatives to the proposal identified under paragraph (b) (if any)—

(i)

the likely educational benefits in consequence of the implementation of the proposal, or as the case may be, alternative,

(ii)

the likely effect on the local community (assessed in accordance with section 12(4)) in consequence of such implementation,

(iii)

the likely effect that would be caused by any different travelling arrangements that may be required (assessed in accordance with section 12(5)) in consequence of such implementation.

(3)

For the purposes of this section and section 13, reasonable alternatives to the proposal include (but are not limited to) steps which would not result in the school or a stage of education in the school (within the meaning of paragraph 12 of schedule 1) being discontinued.

(4)

The authority may not publish a proposal paper in relation to the proposal unless, having complied with subsection (2), it considers that implementation of the closure proposal would be the most appropriate response to the reasons for the proposal.

(5)

In this section and section 13, the references to the reasons for the proposal are references to the reasons identified by the education authority under subsection (2)(a).