School Standards and Framework Act 1998

116 Transfer of LEA functions concerning school lunches, etc. to governing bodies

After section 512 of the Education Act 1996 there shall be inserted—

“512A Transfer of functions under section 512 to governing bodies

(1) The Secretary of State may by order make provision for imposing on the governing body of any school to which the order applies a duty or duties corresponding to one or more of the duties of the local education authority which are mentioned in subsection (2).

(2) Those duties are—

(a) the duty to provide school lunches in accordance with section 512(1A) and (1B);

(b) the duty to provide school lunches free of charge in accordance with section 512(3)(a); and

(c) the duty to provide milk free of charge in accordance with section 512(3)(b).

(3) An order under this section may (subject to subsection (6)) apply to—

(a) all maintained schools; or

(b) any specified class of such schools; or

(c) all such schools, or any specified class of such schools, maintained by specified local education authorities.

(4) Where any duty falls to be performed by the governing body of a school by virtue of an order under this section—

(a) the corresponding duty mentioned in subsection (2) shall no longer fall to be performed by the local education authority in relation to the school; and

(b) if the duty corresponds to the one mentioned in subsection (2)(b) or (c), section 533(3) shall not apply to any school lunches or milk provided by the governing body in pursuance of the order.

(5) An order under this section may provide for section 513(2) not to apply—

(a) to local education authorities generally, or

(b) to any specified local education authority,

either in relation to all pupils for whom provision is made by the authority under section 513 or in relation to all such pupils who are of such ages as may be specified.

(6) An order under this section shall not operate to—

(a) impose any duty on the governing body of a school, or

(b) relieve a local education authority of any duty in relation to a school,

at any time when the school does not have a delegated budget; and such an order may provide for section 512(2)(b) above to have effect, in relation to any provision made at any such time by the local education authority for pupils at the school, with such modifications as may be specified.

(7) In this section—

• “delegated budget” and “maintained school” have the same meaning as in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998;

• “school lunch” has the same meaning as in section 512 above;

• “specified” means specified in an order under this section.”