EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations revoke and re-enact with modifications and additions the Education (Information About Individual Pupils) (England) Regulations 2001 and subsequent amending Regulations.
The principal modification relates to the courses undertaken by all pupils at maintained schools (which are not special schools) providing secondary education to pupils in or above the school year after Key Stage 4. The information on such courses will no longer be provided by reference to the number of GCSEs, GCE ‘A’ Level examinations, etc. for which the pupil is studying, and the relevant provisions and definitions have been removed from the Regulations. Instead, the information is to be provided by reference to the pupil’s ‘learning aims’, which are courses of study leading to a qualification accredited, and allocated a qualification accreditation number, by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. The information which schools are required to provide are, in respect of each learning aim of each pupil (Regulation 4 and Schedule 2)—
(a)the qualification accreditation number;
(b)the start date;
(c)the planned end date;
(d)the actual end date (where appropriate),
(e)information of the pupil’s progress or status in respect of the learning aim, and
(f)information identifying the syllabus, subject and the awarding body.
Further modifications include—
(a)a re-ordering of the items of information listed in Schedules 1 and 2;
(b)some drafting amendments to achieve greater clarity; and
(c)a requirement to provide the full home address in all cases, as it will not be possible to provide (as previously) only the number and name relating to the sub-dwelling and dwelling (Schedule 1, Part 1, paragraph 4).
Additional information which must be provided in relation to all pupils on the school register under Part 1 of Schedule 1 to these Regulations includes the pupil’s usual mode of travel to school (paragraph 2(k)).
Additional information which must be provided in relation to pupils (whether on the school register or no longer so) includes the reason (if known) for the pupil’s authorised and unauthorised absences (Schedule 1, Part 1, paragraph 18 and Part 3, paragraph 5).
Further, information as to whether the pupil has been a child looked after by the local authority whilst he was on the school’s register must be provided in relation to permanently excluded pupils (Schedule 1, Part 2, paragraph 5).
Regulation 6 provides for the collection of information on permanent exclusions in respect of primary, middle deemed primary, and special schools. These schools will be required to submit information by reference to the “permanent exclusion date”, that is, the date on which the name of a permanently excluded pupil is deleted from the register during the academic year ending on 31 August 2006. After 1 March 2007 these schools will be required to submit information on all exclusions by reference to “the exclusion start date”, that is, the date set by a head teacher for the exclusion to take effect.