The Education Act 2002 (Commencement No. 4 and Transitional Provisions) (Wales) Order 2004

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order brings into force on 31st March 2004 and 1st August 2004 those provisions of the Education Act 2002 specified in Parts 1 and 2 of the Schedule to this Order.

References below to sections and Schedules (without more) are references to sections of and Schedules to the Education Act 2002.

In the case of provisions brought into force by this Order which amend existing legislation, references to the Secretary of State in those provisions are to be read, in relation to Wales, as references to the National Assembly for Wales — see section 211.

The effect of the provisions specified in Part 1 of the Schedule is as follows —

• Section 51 and Schedule 4, paragraph 12(1), (3) to (5) amend section 98 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (the 1998 Act) so as to clarify that the admission authority for a maintained school is responsible for admitting or refusing to admit children to the school for nursery education.

• Section 154 amends section 28 of the 1998 Act so as to require an LEA to publish proposals to establish or make prescribed alterations to a maintained nursery school.

• Section 156 amends the definition of “nursery school” in section 6 of the Education Act 1996 (the 1996 Act), so as to provide that a school used wholly or mainly for the provision of education for children aged between two and compulsory school age, is a nursery school. Previously the definition referred to a school used mainly for the provision of such education. Section 156 also extends the definition of “primary education” in section 2 of the 1996 Act to include part-time education suitable to the requirements of children aged between two and compulsory school age. Previously the definition referred only to full-time education.

• Section 198 enables the National Assembly for Wales to require the governing bodies of secondary schools and their feeder primary schools to draw up plans to facilitate the transition of pupils from one to the other.

The effect of the provisions specified in Part 2 of the Schedule is as follows —

• Section 177 extends the definition of “secondary education” in section 2 of the 1996 Act so as to include education received partly at a school and partly at another institution or any other establishment, and so as to make it clear that it includes vocational, social, physical and recreational training. The National Assembly for Wales is also given the power to modify the Education Acts in relation to persons receiving secondary education partly at a school and partly at another institution or any other establishment.

Article 6 of the Order makes transitional provision in connection with the coming into force of section 154. The new requirements to publish proposals will not apply in relation to decisions taken before 31st March 2004.

Article 7 makes transitional provision in connection with the coming into force of the amendments made to section 98 of the 1998 Act relating to responsibility for admissions to a school for nursery education. The amendments are not to have effect until the school year 2004-2005.