Education Act 2005

40 Statement to be prepared by local education authority

(1) This section applies in circumstances where—

(a) in a report of an inspection of a maintained school the governing body of which have a delegated budget, the person who made the report stated that in his opinion—

(i) special measures were required to be taken in relation to the school, or

(ii) the school required significant improvement, and

(b) either that person was a member of the Inspectorate or the report stated that the Chief Inspector agreed with his opinion, and

(c) either—

(i) the local education authority have received a copy of a statement prepared under section 39 in response to the report, or

(ii) the period prescribed for the purposes of subsection (3) of that section has expired.

(2) The local education authority must—

(a) prepare a written statement of any action they propose to take in the light of the report, and the period within which they propose to take such action, or, if they do not propose to take any such action, of their reasons for not doing so, and

(b) send a copy of the statement prepared under paragraph (a), together with their comments on any statement prepared under section 39 of which they have received a copy, to the Assembly and the Chief Inspector and, in the case of a voluntary aided school—

(i) to the person who appoints the foundation governors, and

(ii) (if different) to the appropriate appointing authority.

(3) It is the duty of the local education authority to prepare the statement within the period allowed by this subsection, that is—

(a) such period as may be prescribed, or

(b) if the Assembly is of the opinion that the urgency of the case requires a shorter period, such shorter period as the Assembly may direct;

but this subsection does not relieve the local education authority of any duty to prepare a statement which has not been performed within that period.