Education Act 1996

[F1 15ZA Duty in respect of education and training for persons over compulsory school age: England E+W

(1) A [F2 local authority] in England must secure that enough suitable education and training is provided to meet the reasonable needs of—

(a) persons in their area who are over compulsory school age but under 19, and

(b) persons in their area who are aged 19 or over [F3 and for whom an EHC plan is maintained].

(2) A [F2 local authority] may comply with subsection (1) by securing the provision of education or training outside as well as within their area.

(3) In deciding for the purposes of subsection (1) whether education or training is suitable to meet persons' reasonable needs, a [F2 local authority] must (in particular) have regard to—

(a) the persons' ages, abilities and aptitudes;

(b) any learning difficulties [F4 or disabilities] the persons may have;

(c) the quality of the education or training;

(d) the locations and times at which the education or training is provided.

(4) In performing the duty imposed by subsection (1) a [F2 local authority] must—

(a) act with a view to encouraging diversity in the education and training available to persons;

(b) act with a view to increasing opportunities for persons to exercise choice;

(c) act with a view to enabling persons to whom Part 1 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 applies to fulfil the duty imposed by section 2 of that Act;

(d) take account of education and training whose provision the authority think might reasonably be secured by other persons.

(5) A [F2 local authority] must, in—

(a) making any determination as to the provision of apprenticeship training that should be secured under subsection (1), or

(b) securing the provision of any apprenticeship training under that subsection,

co-operate with [F5 the Secretary of State].

(6) For the purposes of this section a person has a learning difficulty [F6 or disability] if—

(a) the person has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of persons of the same age, or

(b) the person has a disability which either prevents or hinders the person from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided by institutions providing education or training for persons who are over compulsory school age.

(7) But a person is not to be taken to have a learning difficulty [F7 or disability] solely because the language (or form of language) in which the person is or will be taught is different from a language (or form of language) which has at any time been spoken in the person's home.

(8) In this section—

• “apprenticeship training” means training provided in connection with—

  (aa)

  [F8 an approved English apprenticeship agreement (within the meaning given in section A1(3) of that Act),]

  (a)

  an apprenticeship agreement (within the meaning given in section 32 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009),

  (b)

  any other contract of employment, F9 ...

  (c)

  any other kind of working in relation to which alternative English completion conditions apply under section 1(5) of that Act (meaning of “completing an English apprenticeship”);

  (d)

  [F10 an alternative English apprenticeship (within the meaning given in section A1(4) of that Act);]

• “education” includes full-time and part-time education;

• “training” includes—

  (a)

  full-time and part-time training;

  (b)

  vocational, social, physical and recreational training;

  (c)

  apprenticeship training.

[F11 (9) The duty in subsection (1) does not apply in relation to persons in a local authority's area who are subject to a detention order.]]

Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 15ZA, 15ZB inserted (1.4.2010) by Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (c. 22), ss. 41, 269(4); S.I. 2010/303, art. 3, Sch. 2

F2 Words 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))

F3 Words in s. 15ZA(1) substituted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 5(2); 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)

F4 Words in s. 15ZA(3)(b) inserted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 5(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)

F5 Words in s. 15ZA(5) substituted (26.5.2015) by Deregulation Act 2015 (c. 20), s. 115(3)(g), Sch. 14 para. 44

F6 Words in s. 15ZA(6) inserted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 5(4); 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)

F7 Words in s. 15ZA(7) inserted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 5(4); 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)

F8 Words in s. 15ZA(8) inserted (24.11.2015) by The English Apprenticeships (Consequential Amendments to Primary Legislation) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/1852), arts. 1, 2(2)(a)

F9 Word in s. 15ZA(8) omitted (24.11.2015) by virtue of The English Apprenticeships (Consequential Amendments to Primary Legislation) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/1852), arts. 1, 2(2)(b)

F10 Words in s. 15ZA(8) inserted (24.11.2015) by The English Apprenticeships (Consequential Amendments to Primary Legislation) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/1852), arts. 1, 2(2)(b)

F11 S. 15ZA(9) substituted (1.9.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), s. 139(6), Sch. 3 para. 5(5); 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)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 15ZA(6)(7) applied (1.4.2010) by Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 (c. 22), ss. 83(4), 269(4); S.I. 2010/303, art. 3, Sch. 2

C2 S. 15ZA functions made exercisable concurrently (1.4.2011) by The Greater Manchester Combined Authority Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/908), arts. 1, 10, Sch. 3 para. 6

C3 S. 15ZA functions made exercisable concurrently (1.4.2014) by The Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield Combined Authority Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/863), art. 1, Sch. 2 para. 4

C4 S. 15ZA functions made exercisable concurrently (1.4.2014) by The Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral Combined Authority Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/865), art. 1, Sch. 2 para. 3 (with art. 8(4))

C5 S. 15ZA functions made exercisable concurrently (15.4.2014) by The Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland Combined Authority Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/1012), arts. 1, 12(1), Sch. 2 para. 3

C6 S. 15ZA functions made exercisable concurrently (1.4.2016) by The Tees Valley Combined Authority Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/449), arts. 1(a), 7, Sch. 2 para. 3

C7 Ss. 15ZA-15ZC functions made exercisable concurrently (17.6.2016) by The West Midlands Combined Authority Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/653), art. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 3

C8 S. 15ZA functions made exercisable concurrently (9.2.2017) by The West of England Combined Authority Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/126), arts. 1(3), 25(1), Sch. 5 paras. 1, 3

C9 S. 15ZA functions made exercisable (3.3.2017) by The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Order 2017 (S.I. 2017/251), arts. 1(2)(b), 10(b)

C10 S. 15ZA functions made exercisable concurrently (2.11.2018) by The Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland Combined Authority (Establishment and Functions) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/1133), arts. 1, 18 (with art. 28)

C11 S. 15ZA: functions made exercisable concurrently (7.5.2024) by The North East Mayoral Combined Authority (Establishment and Functions) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/402), arts. 1(3), 33 (with art. 9)