Welsh Statutory Instruments
Education, Wales
Made
21 January 2022
Laid before Senedd Cymru
24 January 2022
Coming into force
23 February 2022
1. The title of these Regulations is the Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) (Amendment and Revocation) Regulations 2022 and they come into force on 23 February 2022.
2.—(1) The Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) Regulations 2003(3) are amended as follows.
(2) In regulation 4—
(a)in paragraph (2), omit “Subject to paragraph (2A),”;
(b)omit paragraphs (2A) and (2B);
(c)at the end, insert—
“(8) The reference in paragraph (2) to 380 sessions is to be taken as a reference to 378 sessions in relation to the school year 2021–2022.”
(3) Omit regulation 6.
3. The Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020(4) are revoked.
Jeremy Miles
Minister for Education and Welsh Language, one of the Welsh Ministers
21 January 2022
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
The Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) Regulations 2003 (“the 2003 Regulations”) apply to schools maintained by local authorities and to special schools whether or not so maintained. They make provision, among other things, for a school day which is ordinarily to be divided into two sessions with a break in the middle, and for schools (other than nursery schools) to meet for at least 380 sessions during any school year.
These Regulations amend the 2003 Regulations to reduce the minimum number of school sessions which must be held in the 2021–2022 school year from 380 to 378. The reduction in the minimum number of school sessions is to ensure schools benefit from the additional bank holiday taking place during the half term holiday on 3 June 2022 to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen.
These Regulations also revoke the Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 which made amendments to the 2003 Regulations in relation to the 2020-2021 school year.
The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has been prepared as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations. A copy can be obtained from the School Governance, Organisation and Admissions Branch, Schools Effectiveness Division, Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ.
1996 c. 56. Section 551(1A) was inserted by paragraph 39 of Schedule 7 to the Education Act 1997 (c. 44), and section 551(2) was amended by paragraph 166 of Schedule 30 and Schedule 31 to the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (c. 31). For the meaning of “regulations” and “prescribed” see section 579(1).
The functions of the Secretary of State were transferred to the National Assembly for Wales by the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/672) and then to the Welsh Ministers by paragraph 30 of Schedule 11 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32).