(1)A parent or young person who has made a reference to an appeal committee under section 63(1)(c) or (d) or 2(b) or (c) of this Act may appeal to the sheriff against the decision of the appeal committee on that reference.
(2)Subsections (2), (3), (4), (8) and (9) of section 28F of this Act shall apply to an appeal under this section.
(3)Where the sheriff considers that, without having the decision of the Secretary of State on the question whether or not the child should be recorded or on the matters specified in section 65D(2)(a) or (b) of this Act in relation to the child or young person, he cannot deal with an appeal under this section against the decision of an appeal committee confirming the decision of an education authority as to the nomination of a school to be attended by the child or young person, he may, subject to subsection (5) below, on the motion of a party to the appeal, refer that question or those matters to the Secretary of State.
(4)The Secretary of State shall deal with a reference made to him under subsection (3) above as if it were a reference made to him under section 64(1) of this Act.
(5)The sheriff shall not make a reference to the Secretary of State under subsection (3) above if the appeal committee, in reaching the decision appealed against, have already referred the reference to them to the Secretary of State under section 64(1) of this Act.
(6)Subject to subsection (3) above, the sheriff may, on an appeal made to him under this section, confirm the education authority’s decision if he is satisfied that—
(a)in relation to the placing request, one or more of the grounds of refusal specified in section 28A(3) of this Act, as it applies to recorded children, or as the case may be, recorded young persons, exists or exist; and
(b)it is, in all the circumstances, appropriate to do so
but otherwise shall refuse to confirm the authority’s decision and shall, where he so refuses, require the education authority to place the child or young person in the specified school and to amend accordingly any nomination in the Record of the child or young person of a school to be attended by him.
In this subsection, the reference to the placing request includes a reference to the placing request the making of which enabled, by virtue of section 63(3) of this Act, the reference to the appeal committee whose decision thereon has been appealed to the sheriff, to be made; and the reference to the specified school includes a reference to the school specified in such a placing request.
(7)Where, in the case of a recorded child or recorded young person—
(a)the sheriff refuses to confirm the education authority’s decision as to the nomination of a school to be attended by him or refusing the placing request made in respect of him; and
(b)the specified school is an independent or grant-aided school,
the sheriff shall require the authority to meet the fees and other necessary costs of the child’s or young person’s attendance at the specified school.
In this subsection the references to the placing request and the specified school shall be construed in the same way as in subsection (6) above.
(8)The sheriff shall dispose of—
(a)any appeal against the decision of an appeal committee on a reference which was, in turn, referred to the Secretary of State under section 64(1) of this Act;
(b)any appeal in relation to which he has referred any matter or question to the Secretary of State under subsection (3) above
in the light of the Secretary of State’s decision on the reference to him.
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 65 excluded (during period of 3 years beginning with 1.1.1983) by Education (Scotland) Act 1981 (c. 58), Sch. 8 para. 4(d)