Education Act 1996

Admission arrangements for county and voluntary schools

412 Consultation as to admission arrangements

(1) Where the governing body of a county or voluntary school are responsible for determining the arrangements for the admission of pupils to the school, they shall—

(a) consult the local education authority before determining, or varying, any of those arrangements, and

(b) at least once in every school year, consult the local education authority as to whether those arrangements are satisfactory.

(2) Where the local education authority are responsible for determining the arrangements for the admission of pupils to a county or voluntary school, they shall—

(a) consult the governing body before determining, or varying, any of those arrangements, and

(b) at least once in every school year, consult the governing body as to whether those arrangements are satisfactory.

413 Admission arrangements to preserve character of aided or special agreement school

(1) If the governing body of an aided or special agreement school so request, the local education authority shall make with the governing body arrangements in respect of the admission of pupils to the school for preserving the character of the school; and, in default of agreement between the authority and the governing body, the terms of any such arrangements shall be determined by the Secretary of State.

(2) If one of the parties to arrangements under subsection (1) proposes that the arrangements should be modified or replaced by substitute arrangements but the other party does not agree, the party making the proposal may refer the matter to the Secretary of State.

(3) On a reference under subsection (2), the Secretary of State may direct—

(a) that the arrangements shall remain as they are;

(b) that they shall be modified or replaced as proposed; or

(c) that they shall be modified in such other manner, or replaced by such other substitute arrangements, as may be specified in the direction.

(4) Where the Secretary of State directs as mentioned in subsection (3)(b) or (c), the modification or, as the case may be, the substitute arrangements shall have effect, from such date as may be specified in the direction, as if agreed between the parties.

414 Information as to schools and admission arrangements

(1) A local education authority shall, for each school year, publish particulars of—

(a) the arrangements for the admission of pupils to schools maintained by the authority other than aided or special agreement schools,

(b) the authority’s arrangements for the provision of education at schools maintained by another local education authority or not maintained by a local education authority, and

(c) the arrangements made by the authority under sections 411(1) and 423(1) (admission appeals).

(2) The governing body of an aided or a special agreement school shall, for each school year, publish particulars of—

(a) the arrangements for the admission of pupils to the school, and

(b) the arrangements made by them under section 423(2) (admission appeals).

(3) The particulars to be published under subsections (1)(a) and (2)(a) shall include particulars of—

(a) in the case of each school to which the arrangements relate, the admission number applicable in each school year in relation to the age group in which pupils are normally admitted (or, if there is more than one such group, the admission number so applicable in relation to each such group),

(b) the respective admission functions of the local education authority and the governing body,

(c) the policy followed in deciding admissions, and

(d) the arrangements made in respect of pupils not belonging to the area of the local education authority.

(4) In subsection (3)(a) references to the admission number applicable in a school year in relation to an age group are to—

(a) the standard number applying under sections 417 to 420 to the school in question in relation to that age group and year, or

(b) the admission number fixed in relation to the school in accordance with section 416 for that age group and year,

whichever is the greater.

(5) The particulars to be published under subsection (1)(b) shall include particulars of—

(a) the criteria for offering places at schools not maintained by a local education authority, and

(b) the names of, and number of places at, any such schools in respect of which the authority have standing arrangements.

(6) The governing body of a school maintained by a local education authority—

(a) shall publish such information as respects that school as may be required by regulations; and

(b) may publish such other information with respect to the school as they think fit.

(7) 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.

(8) A local education authority may, with the agreement of the governing body of any school maintained by the authority, publish on behalf of the governing body the particulars or information referred to in subsection (2) or (6) above.

(9) References in this section to publication are references to publication at such time or times and in such manner as may be required by regulations.