Education Act 1996

556 Content of orders under section 554. E+W

(1) An order under section 554—

(a) may require or authorise the disposal by sale or otherwise of any land or other property forming part of an endowment affected by the order, including the premises of the school and any teacher’s dwelling-house; and

(b) may consolidate any endowments to be dealt with by the scheme.

(2) Subject to subsection (1), and to any provision affecting the endowments which is a provision of a public general Act of Parliament, an order under section 554 shall establish and give effect, with a view to enabling the religion or denomination concerned to participate more effectively in the administration of the statutory system of public education, to a scheme or schemes for the endowments dealt with by the order to be used for appropriate educational purposes either—

(a) in connection with schools which are [F1 foundation schools or voluntary schools]; or

(b) partly in connection with such schools (or either description of such schools) and partly in other ways related to the locality served by the [F2 school at the premises referred to in section 554(1).].

(3) In subsection (2) “use for appropriate educational purposes” means use for educational purposes in connection with the provision of religious education [F3 or teaching and learning in Religion, Values and Ethics] in accordance with the tenets of the religion or denomination concerned (including in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, use for any purpose specified in Schedule 36).

(4) A scheme given effect under section 554—

(a) may provide for the retention of the capital of any endowment and application of the accruing income; or

(b) may authorise the application or expenditure of capital to such extent and subject to such conditions as may be determined by or in accordance with the scheme;

and any such scheme may provide for the endowments dealt with by the scheme or any part of them to be added to any existing endowment applicable for any such purpose as is authorised for the scheme by subsection (2).

(5) Where a scheme given effect under section 554 provides for the endowments dealt with by the order or any part of them to be used for the purposes specified in Schedule 36, any such scheme may provide for the endowments thereby dealt with or any part of them to be added to any existing endowment applicable for those purposes (whether it is so applicable by virtue of a scheme given effect to under that section or otherwise).

(6) Section 568(5) does not apply to an order under section 554, but such an order may include such incidental or supplementary provisions as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient either for the bringing into force or for the operation of any scheme established by it, including in particular provisions—

(a) for the appointment and powers of trustees of the property comprised in the scheme or, if the property is not all applicable for the same purposes, of any part of that property; and

(b) for the property or any part of it to vest by virtue of the scheme in the first trustees under the scheme or trustees of any endowment to which it is to be added or, if not so vested, to be transferred to them.

(7) Any order under section 554 shall have effect despite any Act of Parliament (other than a public general Act), letters patent or other instrument relating to, or trust affecting, the endowments dealt with by the order.

(8) In this section “endowment” has the same meaning as in section 554.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 556(2)(a) substituted (1.9.1999) by 1998 c. 31, s. 140(1), Sch. 30 para. 169(a) (with ss. 138(9), 144(6))

F2 Words in s. 556(2)(b) substituted (1.9.1999) by 1998 c. 31, s. 140(1), Sch. 30 para. 169(b) (with s. 138(9), 144(6))

F3 Words in s. 556(3) inserted (1.9.2022 for specified purposes, 1.9.2023 for specified purposes, 1.9.2024 for specified purposes) by The Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 (Consequential Amendments) (Primary Legislation) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/744), reg. 1(3), Sch. 2 para. 2(11)