Education Act 1996

4 Schools: general

(1) In this Act “school” means an educational institution which is outside the further education sector and the higher education sector and is an institution for providing any one or more of the following—

(a) primary education,

(b) education which is secondary education by virtue of section 2(2)(a), or

(c) full-time education suitable to the requirements of persons who are over compulsory school age but under the age of 19,

whether or not the institution also provides part-time education suitable to the requirements of junior pupils, further education or secondary education not within paragraph (b).

(2) For the purposes of this Act an educational institution that would fall within subsection (1) but for the fact that it provides part-time rather than full-time education shall nevertheless be treated as a school if that part-time education is provided under arrangements made under section 19(1) (pupil referral units).

(3) For the purposes of this Act an institution is outside the further education sector if it is not—

(a) an institution conducted by a further education corporation established under section 15 or 16 of the [1992 c. 13.] Further and Higher Education Act 1992, or

(b) a designated institution for the purposes of Part I of that Act (defined in section 28(4) of that Act);

and references to institutions within that sector shall be construed accordingly.

(4) For the purposes of this Act an institution is outside the higher education sector if it is not—

(a) a university receiving financial support under section 65 of that Act,

(b) an institution conducted by a higher education corporation within the meaning of that Act, or

(c) a designated institution for the purposes of Part II of that Act (defined in section 72(3) of that Act);

and references to institutions within that sector shall be construed accordingly.