Education Reform Act 1988

62 Proposals for acquisition of grant-maintained status. E+W

(1) This section applies where in the case of any school which is eligible for grant-maintained status the result of a ballot held in accordance with section 61 of this Act shows a simple majority of votes cast in the ballot by persons eligible to vote in the ballot (within the meaning of that section) in favour of seeking grant-maintained status for the school.

(2) It shall be the duty of the governing body of the school, before the end of the period of six months beginning with the date on which the result of the ballot is determined, to—

(a) publish proposals for acquisition of grant-maintained status for the school in accordance with section 63 of this Act or regulations made under that section and any notice with respect to the proposals for the time being required by that section or by such regulations; and

(b) submit to the Secretary of State a copy of the published proposals.

(3) Without prejudice to any specific duty imposed on them under any other provision of this Chapter, it shall be the duty of the governing body, within that period, to take such preparatory steps as may be reasonably required with a view to discharging their duty under subsection (2) above.

(4) Proposals published under this section may not be withdrawn except with the consent of the Secretary of State and subject to such conditions as he may impose (which may, in particular, require further proposals to be published under this section within such period as the Secretary of State may specify).

(5) There shall be annexed to the proposals a statement which shall—

(a) state the result of the ballot, giving the number of votes cast in favour of seeking grant-maintained status for the school and the number of votes cast against;

(b) state whether the school is a county, controlled, aided or special agreement school;

(c) briefly describe the existing character of the school;

(d) state the number of pupils for whom accommodation can be provided at the school; and

(e) give such other information as may be prescribed;

and the statement so annexed shall be treated for the purposes of subsection (2) above as forming part of the proposals.

(6) The published proposals shall be accompanied by a statement which shall—

(a) describe the requirements of this Chapter with respect to the membership of the governing body of a grant-maintained school;

(b) if the determination of an initial governor of any elected category is pending on the date of publication of the proposals, explain the requirements applicable under this Chapter in any such case;

(c) state that the head teacher will be a governor of the school ex officio if the school becomes a grant-maintained school;

(d) explain—

(i) the circumstances in which a person named in the proposals in accordance with section 66 of this Act as a proposed initial governor may be replaced under section 68 of this Act; and

(ii) the procedure applicable under this Chapter in each case in which such a replacement is required;

(e) explain the effect of subsection (10) below; and

(f) give such other information as may be prescribed.

(7) The proposals shall—

(a) specify the number of initial teacher and first or foundation governors proposed for the initial governing body in accordance with section 64 of this Act;

(b) give the relevant particulars with respect to the persons required by section 66 of this Act to be named in the proposals as proposed initial governors;

(c) if the determination of an initial governor of any elected category is pending on the date of publication of the proposals, state that fact and refer to the explanation given in the statement accompanying the proposals in accordance with subsection (6)(b) above;

(d) give the name of the person who is the head teacher of the school on the date of publication of the proposals;

(e) give the name under which it is proposed that the initial governing body should be incorporated under this section (referred to below in this section as the proposed corporate name);

(f) describe the arrangements it is proposed to adopt, if the school becomes a grant-maintained school, with respect to—

(i) the admission of pupils to the school;

(ii) the provision to be made at the school for pupils who have special educational needs; and

(iii) the induction of newly qualified teachers at the school and the in-service training and professional development of teachers at the school; and

(g) specify the proposed date of implementation of the proposals.

(8) In giving the information required by subsection (7)(f)(i) above with respect to proposed admission arrangements, the proposals shall in particular specify the number of pupils intended to be admitted to the school in each relevant age group in the first school year beginning on or after the proposed date of implementation of the proposals.

(9) For the purposes of subsection (8) above—

(a) pupils intended to be admitted to the school for nursery education shall be disregarded; and

(b) pupils already so admitted intended to be transferred to a reception class at the school shall be treated as intended to be admitted to the school on their transfer.

(10) Before the end of the period of two months beginning with the date of publication of the proposals, any of the following may submit objections to the proposals to the Secretary of State—

(a) any ten or more local government electors;

(b) the trustees (if any) of the school concerned;

(c) the governing body of any school affected by the proposals; and

(d) any local education authority concerned.

(11) The Secretary of State—

(a) may reject any proposals under this section; or

(b) where a school in respect of which such proposals are made is eligible for grant-maintained status on the date of publication of the proposals, may approve them without modification or, after consultation with the existing governing body, approve them with such modifications as he thinks desirable.

(12) Where the Secretary of State rejects any proposals under this section in the case of a school which is eligible for grant-maintained status on the date of his determination, he may require the governing body of the school to publish further proposals under this section within such period as he may specify.

(13) Where the Secretary of State imposes any requirement under subsection (4) or (12) above the provisions of this section (with the exception of subsection (1)) shall apply as they apply in the case mentioned in subsection (1), but subject to the following modifications, that is to say—

(a) the reference in subsection (2) above to the period of six months beginning with the date on which the result of the ballot is determined shall be taken as a reference to the period specified by the Secretary of State for submission of the further proposals required; and

(b) the reference in subsection (5)(a) above to the ballot shall be read as referring to the last ballot held in accordance with section 61 of this Act in relation to the school before that requirement was imposed.

(14) If proposals in respect of any school published under this section are approved by the Secretary of State, the initial governing body constituted in accordance with the proposals shall on the proposed date of implementation of the proposals become a body corporate under the proposed corporate name.

(15) For the purposes of this section, the determination of an initial governor of an elected category is pending on the date of publication of any proposals under this section with respect to a school if—

(a) an election required under section 66 of this Act for determining a governor of any such category for the initial governing body; or

(b) an election or appointment required for filling any outstanding vacancy for a governor of any such category on the existing governing body which falls under that section to be taken into account in determining whether an election such as is mentioned in paragraph (a) above is required;

has not been held or made by that date.

(16) In this Chapter, “the relevant particulars” means, in relation to any person named as a proposed initial governor in any proposals under this section—

(a) his name and address;

(b) whether he is to be a parent, teacher, first or foundation governor;

(c) if he is to be a parent or teacher governor, the term of office that applies in his case under section 65 of this Act; and

(d) if he is to be a first or foundation governor, the term of office proposed for him in accordance with subsection (4) of that section or, in the case of a foundation governor who is to hold office ex officio, the fact that he is to do so.