Search Legislation

Education Act 1997

 Help about what version

What Version

 Help about advanced features

Advanced Features

Changes to legislation:

Education Act 1997, Part VIII is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 09 November 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.

View outstanding changes

Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):

  • s. 24(2)(ga) inserted by 2008 c. 25 s. 161(3)(b) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. S. 161(3)(4)(11)-(13) repealed (1.4.2010 for E., 1.11.2010 for W.) without ever being in force by 2009 c. 22, Sch. 16 Pt. 4; S.I. 2010/1151, art. 2, Sch. 1; S.I. 2010/2413, art. 2)
  • s. 24(2B)-(2D) inserted by 2008 c. 25 s. 9 (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. S. 9 repealed (31.5.2013) without ever being in force by 2009 c. 22 Sch. 16 Pt. 4; S.I. 2013/975, art. 2(c))
  • s. 26A(1) (1A) substituted for s. 26A(1) by 2008 c. 25 s. 161(11) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. S. 161(3)(4)(11)-(13) repealed (1.4.2010 for E., 1.11.2010 for W.) without ever being in force by 2009 c. 22, Sch. 16 Pt. 4; S.I. 2010/1151, art. 2, Sch. 1; S.I. 2010/2413, art. 2)
  • s. 26A(4) (5) inserted by 2008 c. 25 s. 161(13) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. S. 161(3)(4)(11)-(13) repealed (1.4.2010 for E., 1.11.2010 for W.) without ever being in force by 2009 c. 22, Sch. 16 Pt. 4; S.I. 2010/1151, art. 2, Sch. 1; S.I. 2010/2413, art. 2)
  • s. 38(2B) inserted by 2022 asc 1 Sch. 4 para. 9(3)(b)
  • s. 39(1)(b)(c) substituted for s. 39(1)(b) by 2022 asc 1 Sch. 4 para. 9(4)(b)
  • s. 43(2ZA) (2ZB) inserted by 2009 c. 22 s. 250(2) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. S. 250 omitted (1.9.2012) by virtue of 2011 c. 21, s. 29(9)(d); S.I. 2012/1087, art. 3)

Part VIIIU.K. Miscellaneous and general

Exceptional educational provisionU.K.

47 Functions of [F1local authorities] as regards exceptional educational provision.E+W

(1)Section 19 of the M1Education Act 1996 (exceptional provision of education in pupil referral units or elsewhere) shall be amended as follows.

(2)In subsection (1) (duty of [F2local authority] to make arrangements for provision of suitable full-time or part-time education, at school or otherwise, for excluded children etc.), the words “full-time or part-time” shall be omitted.

(3)In subsection (4) (power of [F2local authority] to make arrangements for provision of suitable full-time or part-time education, otherwise than at school, for excluded young persons etc.), the words “full-time or part-time” shall be omitted.

(4)After that subsection there shall be inserted—

(4A)In determining what arrangements to make under subsection (1) or (4) in the case of any child or young person a [F2local authority] shall have regard to any guidance given from time to time by the Secretary of State.

Management committees for pupil referral unitsU.K.

48 Management committees for pupil referral units.E+W

At the end of Schedule 1 to the Education Act 1996 (pupil referral units) there shall be added—

Management committees

15(1)Regulations may make provision—

(a)for requiring any [F2local authority] who maintain a pupil referral unit to establish a committee to act as the management committee for the unit; and

(b)for that committee to discharge on behalf of the authority such of their functions in connection with the unit as are delegated by them to the committee in accordance with the regulations.

(2)Regulations under this paragraph may in particular make provision—

(a)for enabling a [F2local authority] to establish a joint committee to act as the management committee for two or more pupil referral units maintained by the authority;

(b)for requiring the approval of the Secretary of State to be obtained before any such joint committee is established;

(c)as to the composition of a management committee established under the regulations and—

(i)the appointment and removal of its members, and

(ii)their terms of office,

and in particular for requiring such a committee to include persons representing schools (including grant-maintained schools) situated in the area from which the unit or units in question may be expected to draw pupils;

(d)for requiring or (as the case may be) prohibiting the delegation by a [F2local authority] to a management committee of such functions in connection with pupil referral units as are specified in the regulations;

(e)for authorising a management committee to establish sub-committees;

(f)for enabling (subject to any provisions of the regulations) a [F2local authority] or a management committee to determine to any extent the committee’s procedure and that of any sub-committee;

(g)for limiting the personal liability of members of any such committee or sub-committee in respect of their acts or omissions as such members;

(h)for applying to any such committee or sub-committee, with or without modification—

(i)any provision of the Education Acts, or

(ii)any provision made by or under any other enactment and relating to committees or (as the case may be) sub-committees of a local authority.

Teachers not under contract of employment and persons having access to those under 19U.K.

F349 Power to make regulations: teachers not under contract of employment and persons having access to those under 19.E+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F3S. 49 repealed (31.3.2003 for W. for specified purposes, 1.6.2003 for E., 2.1.2008 for W. so far as not already in force) by Education Act 2002 (c. 32), s. 216(4), Sch. 21 para. 71, Sch. 22 Pt. 3 (with ss. 210(8), 214(4)); S.I. 2002/3185, art. 5, Sch. Pt. II; S.I. 2003/1115, art. 3; S.I. 2007/3611, art. 4(1), Sch. Pt. 1

Costs of teachers’ premature retirementU.K.

F450. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E+W

Textual Amendments

Definition of “school”U.K.

51 Definition of “school”.E+W

In section 4 of the Education Act 1996 (definition of “school”), for subsection (1) there shall be substituted—

(1)In this Act “school” means an educational institution which is outside the further education sector and the higher education sector and is an institution for providing—

(a)primary education,

(b)secondary education, or

(c)both primary and secondary education,

whether or not the institution also provides part-time education suitable to the requirements of junior pupils or further education.

Compulsory school ageU.K.

52 Commencement of compulsory school age.E+W

(1)Section 8 of the M2Education Act 1996 (compulsory school age) shall be amended in accordance with subsections (2) and (3).

(2)For subsection (2) there shall be substituted—

(2)A person begins to be of compulsory school age—

(a)when he attains the age of five, if he attains that age on a prescribed day, and

(b)otherwise at the beginning of the prescribed day next following his attaining that age.

(3)For subsection (4) there shall be substituted—

(4)The Secretary of State may by order—

(a)provide that such days in the year as are specified in the order shall be, for each calendar year, prescribed days for the purposes of subsection (2);

(b)determine the day in any calendar year which is to be the school leaving date for that year.

F5(4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F5(5). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

Commencement Information

I1S. 52, as partially repealed, wholly in force at 1.10.1998; s. 52 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 58(3); s. 52(4) in force at 1.9.1997 by S.I. 1997/1468, art. 2, Sch. 1 Pt. II; s. 52(1)-(3) in force at 1.8.1998 by S.I. 1998/386, art. 2, Sch. 1 Pt. III

Marginal Citations

General provisionsE+W+N.I.

53 Stamp duty.E+W+N.I.

(1)Subject to subsection (2), stamp duty shall not be chargeable in respect of any transfer effected by virtue of section 30 or 34.

(2)No instrument (other than a statutory instrument) made or executed in pursuance of either of the provisions mentioned in subsection (1) shall be treated as duly stamped unless it is stamped with the duty to which it would, but for this section (and, if applicable, section 129 of the M3Finance Act 1982), be liable or it has, in accordance with the provisions of section 12 of the M4Stamp Act 1891, been stamped with a particular stamp denoting that it is not chargeable with any duty or that it has been duly stamped.

Marginal Citations

[F653A.Stamp duty land taxE+W+N.I.

(1)For the purposes of stamp duty land tax, a land transaction effected by virtue of section 30 is exempt from charge.

(2)Relief under this section must be claimed in a land transaction return or an amendment of such a return.

(3)In this paragraph—

  • “land transaction” has the meaning given by section 43(1) of the Finance Act 2003;

  • “land transaction return” has the meaning given by section 76(1) of that Act.]

54 Orders and regulations.E+W+N.I.

(1)Any power of the Secretary of State to make orders or regulations under this Act F7... shall be exercised by statutory instrument.

(2)A statutory instrument containing any order or regulations under this Act, except an order under section F8... 58, shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

F9[F10(2A)]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3)Any order or regulations under this Act may make different provision for different cases, circumstances or areas and may contain such incidental, supplemental, saving or transitional provisions as the Secretary of State thinks fit.

(4)Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (3), any order or regulations under this Act may make in relation to Wales provision different from that made in relation to England.

Subordinate Legislation Made

P1S. 54(3) power partly exercised (3.4.1997): 4.4.1997 appointed for specified provisions by S.I. 1997/1153

s. 54(3) power partly exercised (5.6.1997): different dates appointed for specified provisions by S.I. 1997/1468 (with savings and transitional provisions)

S. 54(3) power partly exercised (24.2.1998): different dates appointed for specified provisions by S.I. 1998/386 (with savings and transitional provisions)

Textual Amendments

F8Words in s. 54(2) omitted (21.9.2015) by virtue of Qualifications Wales Act 2015 (anaw 5), s. 60(2), Sch. 4 para. 2(4)(a); S.I. 2015/1687, art. 2 (with arts. 3-12)

55 Financial provisions.E+W

There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament—

(a)any sums required for the payment by the Secretary of State of grants under this Act;

(b)any administrative expenses incurred by the Secretary of State in consequence of this Act; and

(c)any increase attributable to this Act in the sums so payable under any other Act.

56 Construction.E+W

(1)In this Act—

  • prescribed” means prescribed by regulations; and

  • regulations” means regulations made by the Secretary of State under this Act [F11, except where otherwise stated or where the function of making regulations under this Act has been transferred to the Welsh Ministers in relation to Wales].

(2)This Act shall be construed as one with the M5Education Act 1996.

(3)Where, however, an expression is given for the purposes of any provision of this Act a meaning different from that given to it for the purposes of that Act, the meaning given for the purposes of that provision shall apply instead of the one given for the purposes of that Act.

Textual Amendments

F11Words in s. 56(1) inserted (W.) (30.4.2021) by Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 4), s. 84(1), Sch. 2 para. 28 (with savings and transitional provisions in S.I. 2022/111, regs. 1, 3)

Marginal Citations

57 Minor and consequential amendments, repeals etc.E+W

(1)The minor and consequential amendments set out in Schedule 7 shall have effect.

F12(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F13(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4)The enactments specified in Schedule 8 are repealed to the extent specified.

Textual Amendments

Commencement Information

I2S. 57 partly in force; S. 57(1) partly in force at Royal Assent see s. 58(4); s. 57(4) in force for certain purposes at 4.4.1997 by S.I. 1997/1153, art. 2; s. 57(1)(4) in force for certain purposes at 14.6.1997, 1.9.1997 and 1.10.1997 and s. 57(2)(3) in force at 1.9.1997 by S.I. 1997/1468, art. 2, Sch. 1, Pts. I, II, III; s. 57(1)(4) in force for certain purposes at 1.9.2001 by S.I. 2001/1215, art. 2

58 Short title, commencement and extent etc.E+W+N.I.

(1)This Act may be cited as the Education Act 1997.

(2)This Act shall be included in the list of Education Acts set out in section 578 of the M6Education Act 1996.

(3)Subject to subsection (4), this Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order appoint, and different days may be appointed for different provisions and for different purposes.

(4)The following provisions come into force on the day on which this Act is passed—

  • F14. . .

  • section 54,

  • paragraph 48(2) of Schedule 7 and section 57(1) so far as relating thereto, and

  • this section.

(5)Subject to subsections (6) and (7), this Act extends to England and Wales only.

(6)The following provisions extend to Northern Ireland—

  • F15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  • F16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  • F17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  • sections [F1835],

  • section 53,

  • section 54,

  • this section,

  • F19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(7)The amendment or repeal by this Act of an enactment extending to Scotland or Northern Ireland extends also to Scotland or, as the case may be, Northern Ireland.

Subordinate Legislation Made

P2S. 58(3) power partly exercised (3.4.1997): 4.4.1997 appointed for specified provisions by S.I. 1997/1153

S. 58(3) power partly exercised (5.6.1997): different dates appointed for specified provisions by S.I. 1997/1468 (with savings and transitional provisions)

S. 58(3) power partly exercised (24.2.1998): different dates appointed for specified provisions by S.I. 1998/386 (with savings and transitional provisions)

P3S. 58(3) power partly exercised (26.3.2001): 1.9.2001 appointed for specified provisions by S.I. 2001/1215, art. 2

Textual Amendments

F14Words in s. 58(4) repealed (1.9.1999) by 1998 c. 31, s. 140(1)(3), Sch. 30 para.221, Sch. 31 (with ss. 138(9), 144(6)); S.I. 1999/2323, art. 2(1), Sch.1

Marginal Citations

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

See additional information alongside the content

Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.

Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources