(1)Regulations may require a local education authority—
(a)to formulate, for any academic year in relation to which prescribed conditions are satisfied, a qualifying scheme for co-ordinating the arrangements for the admission of pupils to maintained schools in their area, and
(b)to take prescribed action with a view to securing the adoption of the scheme by themselves and each governing body who are the admission authority for a maintained school in their area.
(2)Subject to subsection (3), the Secretary of State may make, in relation to the area of a local education authority and an academic year, a scheme for co-ordinating the arrangements, or assisting in the co-ordination of the arrangements, for the admission of pupils to maintained schools in that area.
(3)A scheme may not be made under subsection (2) in relation to a local education authority and an academic year if, before the prescribed date in the year preceding the year in which that academic year commences—
(a)a scheme formulated by the local education authority in accordance with subsection (1) is adopted in the prescribed manner by the persons mentioned in paragraph (b) of that subsection, and
(b)the authority provide the Secretary of State with a copy of the scheme and inform him that the scheme has been so adopted.
(4)The Secretary of State may by regulations require local education authorities to provide other local education authorities with such information as may be required by them in connection with the exercise of any of their functions under this Chapter.
(5)Regulations may provide—
(a)that each local education authority shall secure that, subject to such exceptions as may be prescribed, no decision made by any admission authority for a maintained school in their area to offer or refuse a child admission to the school shall be communicated to the parent of the child except on a single day, designated by the local education authority, in each year, or
(b)that, subject to such exceptions as may be prescribed, a decision made by the admission authority for a maintained school to offer or refuse a child admission to the school shall not be communicated to the parent of the child except on a prescribed day.
(6)In this section—
“academic year” means a period commencing with 1st August and ending with the next 31st July;
“qualifying scheme” means a scheme that meets prescribed requirements.]
Textual Amendments
F1Ss. 89B, 89C inserted (1.10.2002 for E. otherwise prosp.) by Education Act 2002 (c. 32), ss. 48, 216 (with ss. 210(8), 214(4)); S.I. 2002/2439, art. 3 (with Sch.)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 89B applied (with modifications) (E.) (8.5.2003) by The New School (Admissions) (England) Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/1041), regs. 1(1), 9, Sch. para. 1(b)