School Standards and Framework Act 1998

Education development plans U.K.

6 Preparation of education development plans. E+W

(1) Every local education authority shall prepare an education development plan for their area, and shall prepare further such plans at such intervals as may be determined by or in accordance with regulations.

(2) An education development plan shall consist of—

(a) a statement of proposals, which sets out proposals by the authority for developing their provision of education for children in their area, whether by—

(i) raising the standards of education provided for such children (whether at schools maintained by the authority or otherwise than at school), or

(ii) improving the performance of such schools,

or otherwise; and

(b) annexes to that statement.

(3) In subsection (2) “children” means—

(a) persons of compulsory school age (whether at school or otherwise), or

(b) persons of any age above or below that age who are registered as pupils at schools maintained by the authority.

(4) The statement of proposals must—

(a) deal with such matters, and relate to such period, as may be determined by or in accordance with regulations, and

(b) be approved by the Secretary of State under section 7.

(5) The annexes to the statement—

(a) must contain such material as may be prescribed; and

(b) may contain such other material as the authority consider relevant to their proposals as set out in the statement.

(6) In preparing an education development plan the authority shall have regard, in particular, to the education of children (within the meaning of subsection (2)) who have special educational needs.

(7) In the course of preparing an education development plan the authority shall consult—

(a) the governing body and head teacher of every school maintained by the authority;

(b) the appropriate diocesan authority for any foundation or voluntary school in their area which is a Church of England, Church in Wales or Roman Catholic Church school; and

(c) such other persons as they consider appropriate.

(8) In its operation at any time before the appointed day (as defined by section 20(7)), subsection (7)(a) above shall be read as referring also to the governing body of every grant-maintained or grant-maintained special school situated in the authority’s area.

(9) In performing their functions under this section the authority shall have regard to any guidance given from time to time by the Secretary of State.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 6(2)(a)(i)(3)(b) modified (12.1.1999) by S.I. 1998/3217, art.2

7 Approval, modification and review of statement of proposals. U.K.

(1) Where a local education authority have prepared an education development plan in accordance with section 6, they shall, by such date as may be determined by or in accordance with regulations, submit the plan to the Secretary of State for him to approve the authority’s statement of proposals under this section.

(2) The Secretary of State may in the case of any statement submitted to him under this section—

(a) approve the statement in any of the following ways, namely wholly or in part, for a limited period of time, or subject to conditions;

(b) require the authority to make such modifications to the statement as he may specify; or

(c) reject the statement.

(3) If the Secretary of State approves the statement—

(a) he shall notify the authority of his decision; and

(b) the authority shall implement the proposals set out in the statement, so far as approved by the Secretary of State, as from such date as he may determine.

(4) If the Secretary of State requires the authority to make modifications or rejects the statement—

(a) he shall notify the authority of his decision and of his reasons for it, and

(b) the authority shall prepare a revised statement and submit it to the Secretary of State for his approval under this section by such date as he may determine.

(5) Once the Secretary of State has approved an authority’s statement of proposals under subsection (2), he shall keep under review the authority’s proposals, as approved by him, and their implementation by the authority, and—

(a) where he is of the opinion that the statement should be modified (or further modified), he may withdraw his approval and require the authority to make such modifications to the statement as he may specify; and

(b) where he is of the opinion that the authority’s proposals are not being properly implemented by them, he may withdraw his approval for such period as he thinks fit.

(6) If under subsection (5) the Secretary of State withdraws his approval of a statement of proposals—

(a) he shall notify the authority of his decision and of his reasons for it; and

(b) in a case falling within paragraph (a) of that subsection, the authority shall prepare a revised statement and submit it to him for his approval under this section by such date as he may determine.

(7) Section 6 shall apply to the preparation of a revised statement under subsection (4)(b) or (6)(b) above, with such modifications (if any) as the Secretary of State may determine.

(8) At any time after the Secretary of State has approved an authority’s statement of proposals under subsection (2)—

(a) the authority may submit modifications to the statement to the Secretary of State for his approval,

(b) the Secretary of State may approve the modifications, whether in whole or in part, for a limited period of time, or subject to conditions, and

(c) if and to the extent that he approves those modifications, he shall notify the authority of his decision and—

(i) the statement shall have effect with the modifications, and

(ii) the authority shall implement their proposals as modified,

as from such date as he may determine.

(9) Once the Secretary of State has approved—

(a) an authority’s statement of proposals under subsection (2), or

(b) the modification of an authority’s statement of proposals under subsection (8),

the authority shall publish their education development plan (or their plan as so modified) in such manner and by such date as may be prescribed, and shall provide such persons as may be prescribed with copies of that plan or of a summary version of that plan.

(10) In section 484 of the M1 Education Act 1996 (education standards grants) references to “eligible expenditure” include expenditure for or in connection with the implementation by local education authorities of their education development plans.

Marginal Citations

M1 1996 c. 56.