Education Act 1996

Control of school premises E+W

149 County and maintained special schools: control of use of premises outside school hours. E+W

(1) The articles of government for every county and maintained special school shall provide—

(a) for the use of the school premises outside school hours to be under the control of the governing body except to the extent provided by any transfer of control agreement into which they may enter by virtue of paragraph (c);

(b) for the governing body in exercising control of the use of the school premises outside school hours—

(i) to comply with any directions given to them by the local education authority by virtue of this sub-paragraph; and

(ii) to have regard to the desirability of the premises being made available for community use;

(c) for the governing body to have power to enter into a transfer of control agreement if their purpose, or one of their purposes, in doing so is to promote community use of the school premises outside school hours; and

(d) for the governing body, where they enter into a transfer of control agreement, to secure so far as reasonably practicable that the controlling body exercises control in accordance with any directions given to the governing body by virtue of paragraph (b)(i).

(2) A transfer of control agreement shall be taken to include the following terms, namely—

(a) that the governing body shall notify the controlling body of any directions given to the governing body by virtue of subsection (1)(b)(i);

(b) that the controlling body, in exercising control of the use of any premises subject to the agreement—

(i) shall do so in accordance with any directions from time to time notified to that body in pursuance of paragraph (a) above; and

(ii) shall have regard to the desirability of the premises being made available for community use outside school hours; and

(c) that, if reasonable notice is given in writing by the governing body to the controlling body that such of the premises subject to the agreement as may be specified in the notice are reasonably required for use by or in connection with the school at such times as may be so specified, then—

(i) the use of the specified premises at those times shall be under the control of the governing body, and

(ii) accordingly, those premises may be used at those times by or in connection with the school for such purposes as may be specified in the notice,

even though their use at those times would, apart from this paragraph, be under the control of the controlling body.

(3) Subsection (4) applies where a transfer of control agreement makes express provision for the use of any school premises which are subject to the agreement to be occasionally under the control of the governing body, instead of the controlling body, in such circumstances, at such times or for such purposes as may be provided by or under the agreement.

(4) In such a case paragraph (c) of subsection (2) shall not have effect in relation to the transfer of control agreement if, at the time of entering into it, the governing body were of the opinion that the express provision would be more favourable to the interests of the school than the term that would otherwise be included by virtue of that paragraph.

(5) In this section—

• “community use” means the use of school premises (when not required by or in connection with the school) by members of the local community;

• “the controlling body” means the body or person (other than the governing body) which has control of the use of the whole or any part of the school premises under the transfer of control agreement in question;

• “school hours” means any time during a school session or during a break between sessions on the same day, and “outside school hours” shall be construed accordingly;

• “school session”, in relation to any school, means a school session beginning and ending at such times as may from time to time be determined for that school in accordance with sections 147 and 148; and

• “transfer of control agreement” means an agreement which (subject to subsection (2) above) provides for the use of so much of the school premises as may be specified in the agreement to be under the control, at such times outside school hours as may be so specified, of such body or person as may be so specified.

150 Voluntary schools: control of use of premises. E+W

(1) The occupation and use of the premises of a voluntary school shall be under the control of the governing body, subject to—

(a) any directions given by the local education authority under subsection (2) (in the case of a controlled school) or section 152(3) (in the case of an aided or special agreement school);

(b) any transfer of control agreement entered into by the governing body under section 151; and

(c) any requirements of an enactment other than this Act or regulations made under it.

(2) The local education authority may give such directions as to the occupation and use of the premises of a controlled school as they think fit, subject to section 152(1) and (2).

(3) Where the trust deed for a voluntary school provides for any person other than the governing body to be entitled to control the occupation and use of the school premises to any extent, then, if and to the extent that (disregarding any transfer of control agreement made under section 151) the use of those premises is or would be under the control of such a person—

(a) this section, and

(b) sections 151 and 152,

shall have effect in relation to the school with the substitution of references to that person for references to the governing body.

151 Voluntary schools: transfer of control agreements. E+W

(1) Subject to subsection (2), the governing body of any voluntary school shall have power to enter into a transfer of control agreement with any body or person if their purpose, or one of their purposes, in doing so is to promote community use of the whole or any part of the school premises; and—

(a) they may do so even though the trust deed for the school would, apart from this subsection, expressly or impliedly preclude them from entering into such an agreement with that body or person or from conferring control on the controlling body in question; but

(b) they shall not enter into a transfer of control agreement unless the use to which the premises may be put under the agreement is in all other respects in conformity with any such requirements, prohibitions or restrictions imposed by the trust deed as would apply if control were being exercised by the governing body.

(2) The governing body shall not enter into any transfer of control agreement which makes or includes provision for the use of the whole or any part of the school premises during school hours unless they have first obtained the local education authority’s consent to the agreement in so far as it makes such provision.

(3) A transfer of control agreement shall be taken to include the following terms, namely—

(a) that the governing body shall notify the controlling body of—

(i) any directions given to the governing body under section 150(2) (in the case of a controlled school) or section 152(3) (in the case of an aided or special agreement school); and

(ii) any determination made by the foundation governors under section 152(2) (in the case of a controlled school);

(b) that the controlling body, in exercising control of the use of any premises subject to the agreement—

(i) shall do so in accordance with any directions or determinations from time to time notified to that body in pursuance of paragraph (a); and

(ii) shall have regard to the desirability of the premises being made available for community use; and

(c) that, if reasonable notice is given in writing by the governing body to the controlling body that such of the premises subject to the agreement as may be specified in the notice are reasonably required for use by or in connection with the school at such times as may be so specified, then—

(i) the use of the specified premises at those times shall be under the control of the governing body, and

(ii) accordingly, those premises may be used at those times by or in connection with the school for such purposes as may be specified in the notice,

even though their use at those times would, apart from this paragraph, be under the control of the controlling body.

(4) Subsection (5) applies where a transfer of control agreement makes express provision for the use of any school premises which are subject to the agreement to be occasionally under the control of the governing body, instead of the controlling body, in such circumstances, at such times or for such purposes as may be provided by or under the agreement.

(5) In such a case paragraph (c) of subsection (3) shall not have effect in relation to the transfer of control agreement if, at the time of entering into it, the governing body were of the opinion that the express provision would be more favourable to the interests of the school than the term that would otherwise be included by virtue of that paragraph.

(6) Where the governing body enter into a transfer of control agreement, they shall so far as reasonably practicable secure that the controlling body exercises control in accordance with any such directions or determinations as are notified to that body in pursuance of subsection (3)(a).

(7) In this section—

• “community use” means the use of school premises (when not required by or in connection with the school) by members of the local community;

• “the controlling body” means the body or person (other than the governing body) which has control of the use of the whole or any part of the school premises under the transfer of control agreement in question;

• “school hours” means any time during a school session or during a break between sessions on the same day;

• “school session”, in relation to any school, means a school session beginning and ending at such times as may from time to time be determined for that school in accordance with sections 147 and 148; and

• “transfer of control agreement” means an agreement which (subject to subsection (3) above) provides for the use of so much of the school premises as may be specified in the agreement to be under the control, at such times as may be so specified, of such body or person as may be so specified.

(8) Section 150(3) applies for the purposes of this section.

152 Voluntary schools: use of premises outside school hours. E+W

(1) The governing body may determine the use to which the premises of a controlled school (or any part of them) are put on Saturdays when not required—

(a) for the purposes of the school, or

(b) for any purpose connected with education or with the welfare of the young for which the local education authority desire to provide accommodation on the premises (or on the part in question).

(2) The foundation governors may determine the use to which the premises of a controlled school (or any part of them) are put on Sundays.

(3) If the local education authority—

(a) desire to provide accommodation for any purpose connected with education or with the welfare of the young, and

(b) are satisfied that there is no suitable alternative accommodation in their area for that purpose,

they may direct the governing body of an aided or special agreement school to provide accommodation free of charge for that purpose on the school premises (or any part of them) on any weekday when not needed for the purposes of the school.

(4) The local education authority shall not exercise their power under subsection (3) so as to direct the governing body to provide accommodation on more than three days in any week.

(5) Section 150(3) applies for the purposes of this section.