The School Information (England) Regulations 2008

PART 1 General

Citation, commencement and application

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the School Information (England) Regulations 2008 and come into force on 10th February 2009.

(2) They apply only in relation to England and only to information in relation to the academic year 2010 – 2011 and subsequent years.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations—

“EA 1996” means the Education Act 1996;

“SSFA 1998” means the School Standards and Framework Act 1998;

“academic year” means a period commencing with 1st August and ending with the next 31st July;

“admission year” means an academic year at the beginning of which pupils are to be admitted to schools in consequence of admission arrangements determined for that year;

“composite prospectus” means a document published in accordance with regulation 5;

“determination year” means the academic year immediately preceding the offer year;(1)

“fair access protocol” means an arrangement made by the authority which aims to ensure that children who have no school place are offered a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible;

“local authority” means a local education authority;

“maintained school” means—

(a)

for the purposes of Part 2, a community, foundation or voluntary school, and

(b)

for the purposes of Parts 3 and 4, a community, foundation or voluntary school, or any community or foundation special school which is not established in a hospital;

“non-maintained special school” means a special school which is not maintained by a local authority and which is not established in a hospital;

“offer year” means the academic year immediately preceding the admission year;(2)

“public examinations” means public examinations which are for the time being prescribed by regulations made under section 402 of EA 1996;(3)

“primary education” does not include such education provided at a middle school;

“selection arrangements” means those arrangements (if any) in the admission arrangements determined for a school for a particular academic year which make provision for the selection of pupils by ability or aptitude within the meaning of section 99(5) of SSFA 1998;

“school prospectus” means the document described in regulation 10;

“school travel scheme” means a scheme made by a local authority under section 508E of, and paragraph 1 of Schedule 35C to, EA 1996;(4)

“special educational needs” and “special educational provision” have the meanings given in section 312 of EA 1996;

“special school” has the meaning given in section 337(1) of EA 1996;

“sustainable modes of travel strategy” means a sustainable modes of travel strategy prepared by a local authority pursuant to section 508A(1)(a) of EA 1996;(5)

“travel arrangements” means travel arrangements made under sections 508B or 508C of EA 1996(6); and

“waiting list” in relation to a school means any list of unsuccessful applicants for the school maintained by the admission authority after the date on which offers of school places are communicated to parents.

Qualification of duties

3.  The duties imposed on a governing body and a local authority by virtue of these Regulations in respect of provision, publication or making available information apply only to the extent that that information is available to the governing body or the local authority in time for it to be reasonably practicable to provide, publish or make available the information before the latest occasion on which the information is required to be provided, published or made available, as the case may be.

Regulations revoked

4.  The Regulations set out in Schedule 1 are revoked.

(1)

This is the academic year in which admission arrangements are determined in relation to the admission year.

(2)

This is the academic year in which offers of school places for the admission year are communicated to parents.

(3)

Section 402 is amended by paragraphs 57 and 101 of Schedule 30 to the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, and paragraph 45 of Schedule 21 to the Education Act 2002. And see the Education (Prescribed Public Examinations) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/377).

(4)

Section 508E and Schedule 35C are inserted by section 76 of, and Schedule 9 to, the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (c. 40).

(5)

Section 508A is inserted by section 76 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

(6)

Sections 508B and 508C are inserted by section 77(1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.