Education Act 1996, Section 440 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 05 March 2025. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
(1)This section applies where a school attendance order is in force in respect of a child, other than a child for whom the [F3local authority] maintain [F4an EHC plan (in the case of a local authority in England) or] [F5a statement under section 324] [F5a child for whom an individual development plan is maintained in which a particular school is named] [F6(in the case of a local authority in Wales)].
(2)If at any time—
(a)the parent applies for the child to be admitted to a school maintained by a [F3local authority] F7. . . which is different from the school named in the order,
(b)the child is offered a place at the school as a result of the application, and
(c)the parent requests the [F3local authority] by whom the order was served to amend it by substituting that school for the one currently named,
the authority shall comply with the request.
(3)If at any time—
[F8(a)the parent applies to the authority for education to be provided for the child at a school which is not a school maintained by a [F3local authority] and which is different from the school named in the order,
(b)the child is offered a place at the school and the authority are required by virtue of regulations under section 18(3) to pay the fees payable in respect of the education provided for him at the school, and]
(c)the parent requests the authority to amend the order by substituting that school for the one currently named,
the authority shall comply with the request.
(4)If at any time—
(a)the parent applies for the child to be admitted to a school which is not maintained by a [F3local authority] F9. . . , which is different from the school named in the order and in respect of which no application is made under subsection (3),
(b)as a result of the application, the child is offered a place at the school, being a school which is suitable to his age, ability and aptitude and [F10to any special educational needs he may have] [F10—
(i)(in the case of a local authority in England) any special educational needs the child may have, or
(ii)(in the case of a local authority in Wales) any additional learning needs the child may have], and
(c)the parent requests the authority to amend the order by substituting that school for the one currently named,
the authority shall comply with the request.
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 440 title inserted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 40(3); S.I. 2014/889, art. 7(a) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/2270 (as amended (1.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/505)
F2Words in s. 440 heading substituted (1.9.2021 for specified purposes, 1.1.2022 for specified purposes, 1.9.2022 for specified purposes) by Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (anaw 2), s. 100(3), Sch. 1 para. 4(15)(c); S.I. 2021/373, arts. 3, 4, 6, 7 (as amended by S.I. 2021/938, art. 2); S.I. 2021/1243, art. 3 (with arts. 4-23) (as amended by S.I. 2021/1428, art. 2); S.I. 2021/1244, art. 3 (with arts. 4-21) (as amended by S.I. 2021/1428, art. 3); S.I. 2021/1245, arts. 3, 4 (with art. 1(4)); S.I. 2022/891, art. 3 (with arts. 4-25); S.I. 2022/892, arts. 2, 3 (with arts. 4-18); S.I. 2022/893, art. 4; S.I. 2022/894, art. 3; S.I. 2022/895, arts. 3, 4; S.I. 2022/896, art. 3 (with arts. 1(7), 4-22); S.I. 2022/897, art. 3 (with arts. 1(8), 4-21); S.I. 2022/898, arts. 2, 3
F3Words in Act substituted (5.5.2010) by The Local Education Authorities and Children’s Services Authorities (Integration of Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1158), Sch. 2 para. 7(2) (with Sch. 2 para. 7(4)(5))
F4Words in s. 440(1) inserted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 40(2)(a); S.I. 2014/889, art. 7(a) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/2270 (as amended (1.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/505)
F5Words in s. 440(1) substituted (1.9.2021 for specified purposes, 1.1.2022 for specified purposes, 1.9.2022 for specified purposes) by Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (anaw 2), s. 100(3), Sch. 1 para. 4(15)(a); S.I. 2021/373, arts. 3, 4, 6, 7 (as amended by S.I. 2021/938, art. 2); S.I. 2021/1243, art. 3 (with arts. 4-23) (as amended by S.I. 2021/1428, art. 2); S.I. 2021/1244, art. 3 (with arts. 4-21) (as amended by S.I. 2021/1428, art. 3); S.I. 2021/1245, arts. 3, 4 (with art. 1(4)); S.I. 2022/891, art. 3 (with arts. 4-25); S.I. 2022/892, arts. 2, 3 (with arts. 4-18); S.I. 2022/893, art. 4; S.I. 2022/894, art. 3; S.I. 2022/895, arts. 3, 4; S.I. 2022/896, art. 3 (with arts. 1(7), 4-22); S.I. 2022/897, art. 3 (with arts. 1(8), 4-21); S.I. 2022/898, arts. 2, 3
F6Words in s. 440(1) inserted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 40(2)(b); S.I. 2014/889, art. 7(a) (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2014/2270 (as amended (1.4.2015) by S.I. 2015/505)
F7Words in S. 440(2)(a) repealed (1.9.1999) by 1998 c. 31, s. 140(1)(3), Sch. 30 para. 116(a), Sch.31 (with ss. 138(9), 144(6)); S.I. 1999/2323, art. 2(1), Sch. 1.
F8S. 440(3)(a)(b) substituted (1.9.1999 for certain purposes, otherwise prosp.) by 1998 c. 31, ss. 140(1), 145(3), Sch. 30 para. 116(b) (with ss. 138(9), 144(6)); S.I. 1999/2323, art. 2(1), Sch. 1
F9Words in S. 440(4)(a) repealed (1.9.1999) by 1998 c. 31, s. 140(1)(3), Sch. 30 para. 116(c), Sch.31 (with ss. 138(9), 144(6)); S.I. 1999/2323, art. 2(1), Sch. 1
F10S. 440(4)(i)(ii) substituted for words (1.9.2021 for specified purposes, 1.1.2022 for specified purposes, 1.9.2022 for specified purposes) by Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (anaw 2), s. 100(3), Sch. 1 para. 4(15)(b); S.I. 2021/373, arts. 3, 4, 6, 7 (as amended by S.I. 2021/938, art. 2); S.I. 2021/1243, art. 3 (with arts. 4-23) (as amended by S.I. 2021/1428, art. 2); S.I. 2021/1244, art. 3 (with arts. 4-21) (as amended by S.I. 2021/1428, art. 3); S.I. 2021/1245, arts. 3, 4 (with art. 1(4)); S.I. 2022/891, art. 3 (with arts. 4-25); S.I. 2022/892, arts. 2, 3 (with arts. 4-18); S.I. 2022/893, art. 4; S.I. 2022/894, art. 3; S.I. 2022/895, arts. 3, 4; S.I. 2022/896, art. 3 (with arts. 1(7), 4-22); S.I. 2022/897, art. 3 (with arts. 1(8), 4-21); S.I. 2022/898, arts. 2, 3
The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.
Would you like to continue?
The Whole Act without Schedules you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.
Would you like to continue?
All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. This site additionally contains content derived from EUR-Lex, reused under the terms of the Commission Decision 2011/833/EU on the reuse of documents from the EU institutions. For more information see the EUR-Lex public statement on re-use.
