School Standards and Framework Bill

House of Commons

Session 1997-98
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament
Arrangement of Clauses (Contents)

School Standards and Framework Bill

A
B I L L
TO
Make new provision with respect to school education and the provision of nursery education otherwise than at school; to enable arrangements to be made for the provision of further education for young persons partly at schools and partly at further education institutions; to make provision with respect to the Education Assets Board; and for connected purposes.
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

PART I

MEASURES TO RAISE STANDARDS OF SCHOOL EDUCATION

CHAPTER I

LIMITS ON INFANT CLASS SIZES

Power to set limits on infant class sizes.     1. - (1) The Secretary of State may by regulations-

(a) impose limits on class sizes for infant classes at maintained schools; and

(b) fix the dates by which such limits are to be met by such schools.

    (2) Any limit imposed under this section shall specify the maximum number of pupils that a class to which the limit applies may contain while an ordinary teaching session is conducted by a single qualified teacher.

    (3) Regulations under this section may-

(a) impose different limits, and fix different dates, according to the age groups into which the pupils in infant classes fall;

(b) provide that, in any circumstances specified in the regulations, any limit imposed by the regulations either is not to apply or is to operate in such manner as is so specified.

    (4) Where any limit imposed under this section applies to an infant class at a maintained school, the local education authority and the governing body shall exercise their functions with a view to securing that that limit is complied with in relation to that class.

Plans by LEAs for reducing infant class sizes.     2. - (1) Every local education authority shall prepare a statement setting out the arrangements which the authority propose to make for the purpose of securing that the limits imposed under section 1 are complied with in relation to infant classes at schools maintained by the authority.

    (2) The statement shall-

(a) contain such information as to the proposed arrangements, and

(b) take such form,

as may be prescribed; and in preparing the statement the authority shall have regard to any guidance given from time to time by the Secretary of State.

    (3) In the course of preparing the statement the authority shall carry out such consultation as may be prescribed.

    (4) A prescribed body or person, or a body or person falling within any prescribed category, shall provide the authority-

(a) with such documents or information, or

(b) with such other assistance,

as the authority may reasonably request from that body or person for the purpose of enabling them to prepare the statement.

    (5) The authority shall submit the statement to the Secretary of State for his approval-

(a) by such date as may be prescribed, or

(b) by such later date as he may allow, where he is satisfied that it is reasonable to do so in view of any particular circumstances relating to the authority;

and different dates may be prescribed for different authorities.

    (6) If the Secretary of State decides not to approve the authority's proposed arrangements-

(a) he shall notify the authority of his decision and of his reasons for it; and

(b) the authority shall prepare a revised statement under this section in respect of their proposed arrangements.

    (7) Where the authority are required by subsection (6) to prepare a revised statement, the preceding provisions of this section shall apply to it as they applied to the original statement, except that-

(a) in preparing the revised statement the authority shall have regard to the Secretary of State's reasons for not approving their original proposals; and

(b) the revised statement shall be submitted to the Secretary of State by such date as he may determine.

    (8) In subsection (4) "document" includes information recorded otherwise than in legible form, and the reference to the provision of a document is, in the case of information so recorded, a reference to the provision of a copy of that information in legible form.

Payment of grant in connection with reductions in infant class sizes.     3. - (1) Regulations may make provision for the payment by the Secretary of State of grants to local education authorities in respect of expenditure incurred or to be incurred by them for the purpose of securing that the limits imposed under section 1 are complied with in relation to infant classes at schools maintained by them.

    (2) Regulations under this section shall provide for the Secretary of State-

(a) to withhold grants under the regulations from a local education authority where no proposed arrangements by that authority have been approved by him under section 2; and

(b) when determining whether any grant (and, if so, what amount) should be paid by him under the regulations to a local education authority, to have regard to their proposed arrangements as so approved.

    (3) Regulations under this section may provide-

(a) for the payment of grant under the regulations to be dependent on the fulfilment of such conditions as may be determined by or in accordance with the regulations, and

(b) for requiring local education authorities to whom payments have been made under the regulations to comply with such requirements as may be so determined.

Construction of Chapter I.     4. In this Chapter-

"class" means a group in which pupils are taught in an ordinary teaching session;

"infant class" means a class containing pupils the majority of whom will attain the age of five, six or seven during the course of the school year;

"ordinary teaching session" does not include a school assembly or other school activity usually conducted with large groups of pupils;

"qualified teacher", in relation to an infant class, means-

(a) a person who is a qualified teacher in relation to that class for the purposes of section 218(1)(a) of the Education Reform Act 1988 (regulations relating to teachers' qualifications, etc.), or

(b) any other person who in accordance with regulations under that provision may be employed as a teacher of that class.

© Parliamentary copyright 1997
Prepared 4 December 1997

School Standards and Framework Bill

	A B I L L TO Make new provision with respect to school education and the provision of nursery education otherwise than at school; to enable arrangements to be made for the provision of further education for young persons partly at schools and partly at further education institutions; to make provision with respect to the Education Assets Board; and for connected purposes. BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-
	PART I
	MEASURES TO RAISE STANDARDS OF SCHOOL EDUCATION
	CHAPTER I
	LIMITS ON INFANT CLASS SIZES
Power to set limits on infant class sizes.	1. - (1) The Secretary of State may by regulations-
	(a) impose limits on class sizes for infant classes at maintained schools; and
	(b) fix the dates by which such limits are to be met by such schools.
	(2) Any limit imposed under this section shall specify the maximum number of pupils that a class to which the limit applies may contain while an ordinary teaching session is conducted by a single qualified teacher.
	(3) Regulations under this section may-
	(a) impose different limits, and fix different dates, according to the age groups into which the pupils in infant classes fall;
	(b) provide that, in any circumstances specified in the regulations, any limit imposed by the regulations either is not to apply or is to operate in such manner as is so specified.
	(4) Where any limit imposed under this section applies to an infant class at a maintained school, the local education authority and the governing body shall exercise their functions with a view to securing that that limit is complied with in relation to that class.
Plans by LEAs for reducing infant class sizes.	2. - (1) Every local education authority shall prepare a statement setting out the arrangements which the authority propose to make for the purpose of securing that the limits imposed under section 1 are complied with in relation to infant classes at schools maintained by the authority.
	(2) The statement shall-
	(a) contain such information as to the proposed arrangements, and
	(b) take such form,
	as may be prescribed; and in preparing the statement the authority shall have regard to any guidance given from time to time by the Secretary of State.
	(3) In the course of preparing the statement the authority shall carry out such consultation as may be prescribed.
	(4) A prescribed body or person, or a body or person falling within any prescribed category, shall provide the authority-
	(a) with such documents or information, or
	(b) with such other assistance,
	as the authority may reasonably request from that body or person for the purpose of enabling them to prepare the statement.
	(5) The authority shall submit the statement to the Secretary of State for his approval-
	(a) by such date as may be prescribed, or
	(b) by such later date as he may allow, where he is satisfied that it is reasonable to do so in view of any particular circumstances relating to the authority;
	and different dates may be prescribed for different authorities.
	(6) If the Secretary of State decides not to approve the authority's proposed arrangements-
	(a) he shall notify the authority of his decision and of his reasons for it; and
	(b) the authority shall prepare a revised statement under this section in respect of their proposed arrangements.
	(7) Where the authority are required by subsection (6) to prepare a revised statement, the preceding provisions of this section shall apply to it as they applied to the original statement, except that-
	(a) in preparing the revised statement the authority shall have regard to the Secretary of State's reasons for not approving their original proposals; and
	(b) the revised statement shall be submitted to the Secretary of State by such date as he may determine.
	(8) In subsection (4) "document" includes information recorded otherwise than in legible form, and the reference to the provision of a document is, in the case of information so recorded, a reference to the provision of a copy of that information in legible form.
Payment of grant in connection with reductions in infant class sizes.	3. - (1) Regulations may make provision for the payment by the Secretary of State of grants to local education authorities in respect of expenditure incurred or to be incurred by them for the purpose of securing that the limits imposed under section 1 are complied with in relation to infant classes at schools maintained by them.
	(2) Regulations under this section shall provide for the Secretary of State-
	(a) to withhold grants under the regulations from a local education authority where no proposed arrangements by that authority have been approved by him under section 2; and
	(b) when determining whether any grant (and, if so, what amount) should be paid by him under the regulations to a local education authority, to have regard to their proposed arrangements as so approved.
	(3) Regulations under this section may provide-
	(a) for the payment of grant under the regulations to be dependent on the fulfilment of such conditions as may be determined by or in accordance with the regulations, and
	(b) for requiring local education authorities to whom payments have been made under the regulations to comply with such requirements as may be so determined.
Construction of Chapter I.	4. In this Chapter-
	"class" means a group in which pupils are taught in an ordinary teaching session;
	"infant class" means a class containing pupils the majority of whom will attain the age of five, six or seven during the course of the school year;
	"ordinary teaching session" does not include a school assembly or other school activity usually conducted with large groups of pupils;
	"qualified teacher", in relation to an infant class, means-
	(a) a person who is a qualified teacher in relation to that class for the purposes of section 218(1)(a) of the Education Reform Act 1988 (regulations relating to teachers' qualifications, etc.), or
	(b) any other person who in accordance with regulations under that provision may be employed as a teacher of that class.