Education Reform Act 1988

218 School and further and higher education regulations. E+W

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision—

(a) for requiring persons employed as teachers at schools, subject to such exceptions as may be provided for by or under the regulations, to be qualified teachers;

(b) for requiring persons employed as teachers at institutions falling within subsection (10) below to possess such qualifications as may be determined by or under the regulations;

(c) for requiring persons employed as teachers at F1 . . . such institutions to serve probationary periods;

(d) with respect to the teaching staff to be provided in schools and such institutions;

(e) for requiring the approval of the Secretary of State to be obtained for the use in F2 . . . such institutions of such materials or apparatus as may be specified in the regulations, being materials or apparatus which could or might involve a serious risk to health;

(f) with respect to the keeping, disclosure and transfer of educational records about [F3 persons receiving education] at F2 . . . such institutions and the supply of copies of such records to such persons, and in such circumstances, as may be determined by or under the regulations;

F4 (g) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) In subsection (1) above “qualified teacher” means a person who—

(a) is a qualified teacher in accordance with any provision made by or under the regulations; or

(b) is determined to be a qualified teacher by the Secretary of State in accordance with any provision so made;

and the regulations may provide for any determination by the Secretary of State under the regulations with respect to a person’s status as a qualified teacher to be made so as to have effect, in such cases or circumstances as may be specified in the regulations, from a date earlier than the determination.

[F5 (2A) Regulations under subsection (2)(a) above may make provision—

(a) by reference to the successful completion of a course of initial training for teachers in schools at an accredited institution; and

(b) conferring on the Teacher Training Agency or the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales such functions in relation to accreditation or otherwise as may be prescribed.]

[F6 (2B) Regulations under subsection (2) above may impose requirements on persons carrying on city technology colleges or city colleges for the technology of the arts as to the training and teaching experience of persons employed as teachers at such colleges who seek to become (in relation to schools) qualified teachers.]

(3) The provision authorised by paragraph (a) of subsection (1) above with respect to exceptions from any requirement imposed by virtue of that paragraph includes in particular provision permitting the employment as there mentioned, in such cases or circumstances and subject to such conditions as may be specified in or determined under the regulations, of [F7 persons licensed or otherwise authorised to teach by the Secretary of State or the Teacher Training Agency] in accordance with any provision made by or under the regulations.

(4) Regulations made by virtue of subsection (1)(f) above may authorise persons who in pursuance of the regulations supply copies of any such records as are there mentioned to charge such fee as they think fit (not exceeding the cost of supply) in respect of each copy so supplied.

(5) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for imposing requirements as to the health and physical capacity of—

(a) teachers at schools and institutions falling within subsection (10) or (11) below;

(b) teachers employed by local education authorities otherwise than at schools or such institutions; and

(c) persons employed—

(i) by local education authorities; or

(ii) by the governing bodies of schools or such institutions;

in work otherwise than as teachers which brings them regularly into contact with persons who have not attained the age of nineteen years.

(6) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for prohibiting or restricting the employment or further employment of persons—

(a) as teachers at schools and institutions falling within subsection (10) or (11) below;

(b) by local education authorities as teachers otherwise than at schools or such institutions; F8 . . .

(c) by local education authorities or by the governing bodies of schools or such institutions in such work as is mentioned in subsection (5)(c) above; [F9 or]

[F10 (d) by the proprietors of independent schools or at such schools as teachers or in any such work]

on medical grounds, in cases of misconduct and, as respects employment or further employment as a teacher, on educational grounds.

[F11 (6A) The Secretary of State may by regulations impose requirements on—

(a) local education authorities,

(b) the governing bodies of schools or institutions falling within subsection (10) below, or

(c) the proprietors of independent schools,

for the purpose of prohibiting or restricting, on medical grounds or in cases of misconduct, access to persons who have not attained the age of nineteen years by persons (not falling within subsection (6) above) who provide services falling within subsection (6B).

(6B) Those services are services provided in relation to the school or institution or persons attending it which—

(a) are provided by whatever means and whether under contract or otherwise, and

(b) bring the persons providing them regularly into contact with persons who have not attained the age of nineteen years.]

(7) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision requiring his approval F12 . . .to be obtained for the provision of new premises for, or the alteration of the premises of—

(a) any F13 . . . institution falling within subsection (10) below; or

(b) any boarding hostel provided by a local education authority for [F14 persons receiving education at]. . .any such institution;

and for the inspection of any such hostel.

F15 (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(9) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision—

(a) with respect to the fees to be charged for courses of further education at institutions falling within subsection (10) or (11) below;

(b) for requiring his approval to be obtained for the provision at such institutions of courses designated by or under the regulations as courses of initial teacher training;

(c) for enabling him to give directions for the discontinuance of any such course at such an institution or as to the number and categories of students to be admitted to such courses at such institutions; and

(d) with respect to institutions in Wales falling within subsection (10) below—

(i) for requiring his approval to be obtained for the provision at such institutions of courses of higher education; and

(ii) for enabling him to give directions for the discontinuance of any such course at such an institution or as to the number and categories of students to be admitted to such courses at such institutions.

(10) An institution falls within this subsection if it provides higher education or futher education (or both) and either—

(a) it is maintained by a local education authority; or[F16 (aa) it is within the further education sector]

F17 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(11) An institution falls within this subsection if it is an institution within [F18 the higher education sector in receipt of financial support under section 65 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992].

[F19 (12) In this section (except in subsection (6)(d)or (6A) above) “school” means any school maintained by a local education authority or any special school not so maintained.]

[F20 (13) For the purposes of this section—

(a) any reference to persons employed as teachers includes a reference to persons engaged to provide their services as teachers otherwise than under contracts of employment; and

(b) any reference to teachers or other persons employed by local education authorities or by any description of governing bodies or proprietors includes a reference to teachers or other persons engaged to provide their services for such authorities, governing bodies or proprietors (as the case may be) otherwise than under contracts of employment;

and any reference to employment (or further employment) shall be construed accordingly.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 218(1)(c) repealed (1.10.1998) by 1998 c. 30, s. 44(2), Sch. 4 (with s. 42(8)); S.I. 1998/2215, art. 2.

F2 Words in s. 218(1)(e)(f) repealed (1.11.1996) by 1996 c. 56, ss. 582(2)(3), 583, Sch. 37 Pt. I para. 76(2)(a), Sch. 38 Pt. I (with ss. 1(4), 561, 562, Sch. 39).

F3 Words in s. 218(1)(f) substituted (1. 4. 1993) by Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (c. 13), s. 93(1), Sch. 8 Pt. I para. 49(a); S.I. 1992/831, art. 2, Sch. 3.

F4 S. 218(1)(g) repealed (1.11.1996) by 1996 c. 56, ss. 582(2)(3), 583, Sch. 37 Pt. I para. 76(2)(b), Sch. 38 Pt. I (with ss. 1(4), 561, 562, Sch. 39).

F5 S. 218(2A) inserted (21.9.1994) by 1994 c. 30, s. 14(1); S.I. 1994/2204, art. 2(1).

F6 S. 218(2B) substituted (1.11.1996) by 1996 c. 56, ss. 582(1), 583, Sch. 37 Pt. I para. 76(3) (with ss. 1(4), 561, 562, Sch. 39).

F7 Words in s. 218(3) substituted (21.9.1994) by 1994 c. 30, s. 14(3); S.I. 1994/2204, art. 2(1).

F8 Word in s. 218(6)(b) omitted by virtue of s. 290(3)(a); S.I. 1993/3106, art. 9, Sch. 1 (amended by S.I. 1994/436, art. 2).

F9 Word in s. 218(6)(c) inserted (1.1.1994) by 1993 c. 35, s. 290(3)(b); S.I. 1993/3106, art. 9, Sch. 1 (amended by S.I. 1994/436, art. 2) (which insertion is continued after the repeal of 1993 c. 35 (1.11.1996) by 1996 c. 56, ss. 582(2), 583, Sch. 38 Pt. I (with ss. 1(4), 561, 562, Sch. 39).

F10 S. 218(6)(d) inserted (1.1.1994) by 1993 c. 35, s. 290(3)(b); S.I. 1993/3106, art. 9, Sch. 1 (amended by S.I. 1994/436, art. 2); (which insertion is continued after the repeal of 1993 c. 35 (1.11.1996) by 1996 c. 56, ss. 582(2), 583, Sch. 38 Pt. I (with ss. 1(4), 561, 562, Sch. 39).

F11 S. 218(6A)(6B) inserted (1.10.1997) by 1997 c. 44, s. 49(2); S.I. 1997/1468, art. 2(3), Sch. Pt. III.

F12 Words in s. 218(7) repealed (1.11.1996) by virtue of 1996 c. 56, ss. 582(2)(3), 583, Sch. 38 Pt. I (with ss. 1(4), 561, 562, Sch. 39).

F13 Words in s. 218(7) repealed (1.11.1996) by 1996 c. 56, ss. 582(1)(2), 583, Sch. 37 Pt. I para. 76(4), Sch. 38 Pt. I (with ss. 1(4), 561, 562, Sch. 39).

F14 Words in s. 218(7)(b) substituted (1. 4. 1993) by Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (c. 13), s. 93(1), Sch. 8 Pt. I para. 49(b); S.I. 1992/831, art. 2, Sch. 3.

F15 S. 218(8) repealed (1.11.1996) by 1996 c. 56, ss. 582(1)(2), 583, Sch. 37 Pt. I para. 76(5), Sch. 38 Pt. I (with ss. 1(4), 561, 562, Sch. 39).

F16 S. 218(10)(aa) inserted (1. 4. 1993) by Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (c. 13), s. 93(1), Sch. 8 Pt. I para. 49(c)(i); S.I. 1992/831, art. 2, Sch. 3.

F17 S. 218(10)(b) repealed (1. 4. 1993) by Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (c. 13), s. 93, Sch. 8 Pt. I para. 49(c)(ii), Sch. 9; S.I. 1992/831, art. 2, Sch. 3.

F18 Words in s. 218(11) substituted (1. 4. 1993) by Further and Higher Education Act 1992 (c. 13), s. 93, Sch. 8 Pt. I para. 49(d); S.I. 1992/831, art. 2, Sch. 3.

F19 S. 218(12) substituted (1.9.1999) by 1998 c. 31, s. 140, Sch. 30 para. 17 (with ss. 138(9), 144(6)); S.I. 1999/2323, art. 2(1), Sch. 1.

F20 S. 218(13) inserted (1.3.1998) by 1997 c. 44, s. 49(4); S.I. 1998/386, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 Pt. I.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 218(2)(3) modified (prosp.) by 1998 c. 30 ,ss. 10(1), 42(8) (with s. 42(8))

C2 S. 218(2B) modified (1.11.1996) by 1996 c. 56, ss. 482(5), 583 (with ss. 1(4), 561, 562, Sch. 39).

C3 S. 218(6) extended (prosp.) by 1999 c. 14, ss. 6, 14(2)

C4 S. 218(13) applied (prosp.) by 1997 c. 50, s. 113(3A) (as inserted (prosp.) by 1999 c. 14, ss. 8(1), 14(2))