Education Reform Act 1988

32 Interpretation of Chapter II

(1) For the purposes of this Chapter, a school’s capacity to accommodate pupils is changed if—

(a) as a result of changes in the availability or use of accommodation at the school, there is any change in the amount of accommodation available for use by pupils at the school; or

(b) as a result of changes in the requirements applicable to the school under regulations made under section 10 of the 1944 Act (requirements as to school premises), there is any change in the number of pupils for whom accommodation may lawfully be provided at the school;

and a school’s capacity to accommodate pupils is reduced if the result of the changes is, in a case within paragraph (a) above, less accommodation or, in a case within paragraph (b) above, a reduction in the number there mentioned.

(2) Any reference in this Chapter to a relevant age group, in relation to a school, is a reference to an age group in which pupils are normally admitted to the school.

(3) In this Chapter “the commencement year” has the meaning given by section 27(2).

(4) If by virtue of any orders made under section 236 of this Act subsection (1) of section 26 of this Act comes into force on different dates in relation to schools of different categories, the reference to the coming into force of that subsection—

(a) in subsection (2) of that section; and

(b) in subsection (2) of section 27 of this Act;

shall be read, for the purposes of the application of those sections in relation to schools of any category, as a reference to its coming into force in relation to schools of that category.