Education Act 1996

Chapter IV Provision of information by governing bodies etc.

537 Power of Secretary of State to require information from governing bodies etc

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision requiring—

(a) the governing body of every school which is—

(i) maintained by a local education authority, or

(ii) a grant-maintained school, or

(iii) a special school which is not maintained by a local education authority, and

(b) the proprietor of each independent school,

to provide such information about the school as may be prescribed.

(2) For the purposes of this section information about the continuing education of pupils leaving a school, or the employment or training taken up by such pupils on leaving, is to be treated as information about the school.

(3) Where the Secretary of State exercises his power to make regulations under this section he shall do so with a view to making available information which is likely to—

(a) assist parents in choosing schools for their children;

(b) increase public awareness of the quality of the education provided by the schools concerned and of the educational standards achieved in those schools; or

(c) assist in assessing the degree of efficiency with which the financial resources of those schools are managed.

(4) Information which is required by virtue of regulations under this section shall be provided—

(a) in such form and manner,

(b) on such occasions, and

(c) to such person or persons, in addition to or in place of the Secretary of State,

as may be prescribed.

(5) No information provided in accordance with regulations under this section shall name any pupil to whom it relates.

(6) The Secretary of State may—

(a) publish information provided in accordance with regulations under this section in such form and manner as he considers appropriate;

(b) make arrangements for such information to be published in such form and manner, and by such persons, as he may specify for the purposes of this section;

(c) make regulations requiring local education authorities to publish prescribed categories of such information, together with such supplementary information as may be prescribed, in such form and manner as may be prescribed.

(7) The Secretary of State may make regulations requiring—

(a) the governing body of any school which is maintained by a local education authority or which is a grant-maintained school,

(b) the proprietor of any city technology college or city college for the technology of the arts, or

(c) any local education authority,

to provide prescribed persons with prescribed categories of information published under subsection (6).

(8) Information provided under subsection (7) shall be provided in such form and manner as may be prescribed.

(9) Regulations under this section may make provision enabling the Secretary of State, in such circumstances as may be prescribed, to order the deletion from the register of independent schools of the name of any independent school the proprietor of which fails to comply with any requirement imposed by or under the regulations.

(10) In subsection (9) “the register of independent schools” means—

(a) in relation to any school in England, the register of independent schools kept under section 464 by the Registrar of Independent Schools for England; and

(b) in relation to any school in Wales, the equivalent register kept by the Registrar of Independent Schools for Wales.

(11) Without prejudice to the generality of section 569(4), regulations under this section may make provision for the designation by the Secretary of State, in accordance with the regulations, of particular schools or classes of schools for the purposes of the application of particular provisions of the regulations in relation to such schools.

(12) This section is not to be taken as restricting, or otherwise affecting, any other powers that the Secretary of State may have to make regulations with respect to, or otherwise to require, the provision of information by any person.

(13) This section does not apply to nursery schools.

538 Provision of information to Secretary of State by governing bodies of maintained schools

The governing body or temporary governing body of a county, voluntary or maintained special school shall make such reports and returns, and give such information, to the Secretary of State as he may require for the purpose of the exercise of his functions in relation to education.

539 Provision of information by governing body of grant-maintained schools

(1) The governing body of a grant-maintained school shall publish, at such times and in such manner as may be required by regulations made by the Secretary of State, such information in respect of the school as may be so required.

(2) The governing body shall make such reports and returns, and give such information, to the Secretary of State as he may require for the purpose of his functions in relation to education.

(3) The governing body shall make such reports and returns, and give such information, to the funding authority as they may require for the purpose of the exercise of their functions.

(4) The governing body shall make such reports and returns, and give such information, to any local education authority by whom any functions are exercisable—

(a) in relation to the school, or

(b) in relation to registered pupils at the school,

as the authority may require for the purpose of the exercise of those functions.

(5) The governing body shall make such reports and returns, and give such information, in relation to registered pupils at the school aged five or under as any local education authority may require for the purpose of exercising their functions under section 19(1)(a) of the [1989 c. 41.] Children Act 1989 (review of provision for day care).

540 Distribution of information about schools providing secondary education

(1) Where the governing body of any school providing primary education receive a request which—

(a) is made by the governing body of any school providing secondary education, and

(b) relates to the distribution of information about the school providing secondary education to parents of pupils at the school providing primary education without charge to those parents,

the governing body of that school shall secure that the request is treated no less favourably (whether as to services provided or as to the terms on which they are provided) than any such request made by the governing body of any other school providing secondary education.

(2) In this section “school” means—

(a) any county or voluntary school or any maintained special school which is not established in a hospital, or

(b) any grant-maintained school or any grant-maintained special school.

541 Distribution of information about further education institutions

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations require—

(a) the governing body of any school providing secondary education, and

(b) the proprietor of any city technology college or city college for the technology of the arts,

to provide such persons as may be prescribed with such categories of information falling within subsection (2) as may be prescribed.

(2) Information falls within this subsection if it is—

(a) published under section 50 of the [1992 c. 13.] Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (information with respect to institutions within the further education sector), and

(b) made available to governing bodies and proprietors for distribution.

(3) Information provided under subsection (1) shall be provided in such form and manner as may be prescribed.

(4) In this section “school” means—

(a) any county or voluntary school or any maintained special school which is not established in a hospital, or

(b) any grant-maintained school or any grant-maintained special school.