(1)The admission authority for a county or voluntary school shall not fix as the admission number for any relevant age group and any school year a number which is less than the relevant standard number.
(2)Despite any provision of the articles of government of the school (but subject to section 412), the admission authority may fix as the admission number for any relevant age group and any school year a number which exceeds the relevant standard number.
(3)A proposal may be made to the admission authority in accordance with subsections (4) and (5) for fixing as the admission number for any relevant age group and any school year a number which exceeds both—
(a)the relevant standard number, and
(b)any admission number fixed, or proposed to be fixed, for that age group and year by the admission authority.
(4)The proposal may be made—
(a)where the local education authority are the admission authority, by the governing body, or
(b)where the governing body are the admission authority, by the local education authority.
(5)Any such proposal—
(a)shall be made in writing,
(b)may relate to one or more relevant age groups, and
(c)may relate to a particular school year or to each school year falling within any period specified in the proposal.
(6)If the admission authority do not give the authority making the proposal notice in writing rejecting the proposal within the period of two months beginning with the day after that on which the proposal was received by the admission authority, the admission authority shall give effect to the proposal.
(7)Where the admission authority give such notice within that period, the authority making the proposal may, within 28 days of receiving the notice, make an application to the Secretary of State for an order under section 420(2) increasing the relevant standard number.
(8)In this section references, in relation to a school, to the “admission number” for any relevant age group and any school year are references to the number of pupils in that age group it is intended to admit to the school in that school year.