Education Act 1996

579 General interpretation. E+W

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

• “the appropriate further education funding council” has the meaning given by section 1(6) of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992;

• “boarder” includes a pupil who boards during the week but not at weekends;

• “child” means a person who is not over compulsory school age;

• “clothing” includes footwear;

• “exclude”, in relation to the exclusion of a pupil from a school (otherwise than under section 524), means exclude on disciplinary grounds (and “exclusion” shall be construed accordingly);

• “financial year” means a period of twelve months ending with 31st March;

• “functions” includes powers and duties;

• “governing body” or “governors” (without more), in relation to a voluntary school and any function conferred or imposed by this Act exclusively on the foundation governors of such a school, means the foundation governors of the school;

• “head teacher” includes acting head teacher;

• “higher education” means education provided by means of a course of any description mentioned in Schedule 6 to the Education Reform Act 1988;

• “land” includes buildings and other structures, land covered with water, and any interest in land;

• “liability” includes obligation;

• “local authority” means a county council, a county borough council, a district council, a London borough council or the Common Council of the City of London;

• “the local education authority”—

  (a)

  in relation to a school maintained (or proposed to be maintained) by a local authority, means (in accordance with section 34(1)) that authority; and

  (b)

  in relation to a grant-maintained school, means the local education authority for the area in which the school is situated;

• “local government elector” has the meaning given by section 270(1) of the M1 Local Government Act 1972;

• “medical officer”, in relation to a local education authority, means a registered medical practitioner who is employed or engaged (whether regularly or for the purposes of any particular case) by the authority or whose services are made available to the authority by the Secretary of State;

• “modifications” includes additions, alterations and omissions and “modify” shall be construed accordingly;

• “premises”, in relation to a school, includes any detached playing fields but, except where otherwise expressly provided, does not include a teacher’s dwelling-house;

• “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations;

• “proprietor”, in relation to a school, means the person or body of persons responsible for the management of the school (so that, in relation to a county, voluntary or grant-maintained school, it means the governing body);

• “reception class” means a class in which education is provided which is suitable to the requirements of pupils aged five and any pupils under or over that age whom it is expedient to educate with pupils of that age;

• “regulations” means regulations made by the Secretary of State;

• “relevant age group”, in relation to a school, means an age group in which pupils are normally admitted (or, as the case may be, will normally be admitted) to the school;

• “school buildings”, in relation to a school, means any building or part of a building forming part of the school premises, other than a building or part required only—

  (a)

  as a caretaker’s dwelling,

  (b)

  for use in connection with playing fields,

  (c)

  to afford facilities for enabling the Secretary of State facilities to carry out his functions under section 5(1) or (1A) of, and Schedule 1 to, the M2 National Health Service Act 1977 (which relate to the provision of medical and dental services for pupils), or

  (d)

  to afford facilities for providing milk, meals or other refreshment for pupils in attendance at the school;

• “school day”, in relation to a school, means any day on which at that school there is a school session;

• [F1 “school year”, in relation to a school, means the period beginning with the first school term to begin after July and ending with the beginning of the first such term to begin after the following July;]

• “trust deed”, in relation to a voluntary school, includes any instrument (other than an instrument of government or articles of government made under this Act) regulating the constitution of the school’s governing body or the maintenance, management or conduct of the school;

• “young person” means a person over compulsory school age but under the age of 18.

(2) References in this Act to an interest in land include any easement, right or charge in, to or over land.

(3) For the purposes of this Act children are to be regarded as admitted to a school for nursery education if they are or are to be placed on admission in a nursery class.

(4) For the purposes of this Act a person shall be treated as belonging, or as not belonging, to the area of a particular local education authority in accordance with regulations; and any question under the regulations shall, in the case of a dispute, be determined by the Secretary of State.

(5) For the purposes of this Act a school shall be regarded as “assisted” by a local education authority who do not maintain it if the authority make to its proprietor any grant in respect of the school or any payment in consideration of the provision of educational facilities there.

(6) Subject to subsection (7), an institution other than a school shall be regarded for the purposes of this Act as “assisted” by a local education authority if the authority make to the persons responsible for its maintenance any grant in respect of the institution or any payment in consideration of the provision of educational facilities there.

(7) Neither—

(a) a university, nor

(b) any institution within the further education sector or within the higher education sector other than a university,

shall be regarded for the purposes of this Act as “assisted” by a local education authority by virtue of the making by the authority to the persons responsible for the maintenance of the university or institution of any grant or payment such as is mentioned in subsection (6).

Textual Amendments

F1 Definition in s. 579(1) inserted (14.6.1997) by 1997 c. 44, s. 57(1), Sch. 7 para.43; S.I. 1997/1468, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 Pt. I

Marginal Citations

M1 1972 c. 70.

M2 1977 c. 49.