Grouping of grant-maintained special schools
346Groups including grant-maintained special schools
(1)Regulations may modify the provisions of Chapter IX of Part III (groups of grant-maintained schools) for the purpose of securing that—
(a)two or more grant-maintained special schools, or one or more grant-maintained special schools together with one or more grant-maintained schools, may be conducted as a group by a single governing body,
(b)a special school maintained by a local education authority may cease to be so maintained and may be conducted by a governing body incorporated under that Chapter, and
(c)a grant-maintained special school may become a member of a group of schools conducted by such a governing body,
and that, where a group of schools including one or more special schools is conducted by such a governing body, the governing body are appropriately constituted.
(2)Regulations made for the purpose mentioned in subsection (1) may modify sections 338 to 342 and Schedule 28.
(3)Where that Chapter applies to special schools by virtue of regulations—
(a)section 183(1) shall not be read as applying to such schools,
(b)a special school conducted by a governing body incorporated under that Chapter shall be known as a grant-maintained special school, and
(c)in Chapter II of Part I of the [1996 c. 57.] School Inspections Act 1996 (procedure for school inspections) references to a group of grant-maintained schools include a group of one or more grant-maintained special schools together with one or more grant-maintained schools.