Part I General
Chapter I The statutory system of education
Educational institutions
4 Schools: general.
C1F11
In this Act “school” means an educational institution which is outside the further education sector and the higher education sector and is an institution for providing—
a
primary education,
b
secondary education, or
c
both primary and secondary education,
whether or not the institution also provides F7part-time education suitable to the requirements of junior pupils or further education.
2
F2Nothing in subsection (1) shall be taken to preclude the making of arrangements under section 19(1) (exceptional educational provision) under which part-time education is to be provided at a school; and for the purposes of this Act an educational institution that would fall within subsection (1) but for the fact that it provides part-time rather than full-time education shall nevertheless be treated as a school if that part-time education is provided under arrangements made under section 19(1) F3. . ..
3
For the purposes of this Act an institution is outside the further education sector if it is not—
a
an institution conducted by a further education corporation established under section 15 or 16 of the M1Further and Higher Education Act 1992, or
b
a designated institution for the purposes of Part I of that Act (defined in section 28(4) of that Act);
and references to institutions within that sector shall be construed accordingly.
4
For the purposes of this Act an institution is outside the higher education sector if it is not—
a
a university receiving financial support under section 65 of that Act,
b
an institution conducted by a higher education corporation within the meaning of that Act, or
c
a designated institution for the purposes of Part II of that Act (defined in section 72(3) of that Act);
and references to institutions within that sector shall be construed accordingly.
5 Primary schools, secondary schools and middle schools.
1
In this Act “primary school” means (subject to regulations under subsection (4)) a school for providing primary education, whether or not it also provides F8part-time education suitable to the requirements of junior pupils or further education.
2
In this Act “secondary school” means (subject to regulations under subsection (4)) a school for providing secondary education, whether or not it also provides further education.
F103
In this Act “middle school” means a school which, in pursuance of proposals published under any of the enactments specified in subsection (3A), has been established as, or altered so as to become, a school for providing full-time education suitable to the requirements of pupils who—
a
have attained a specified age below 10 years and six months, and
b
are under a specified age above 12 years.
3A
The enactments mentioned in subsection (3) are—
a
in relation to England—
i
section 28 or 28A of, or paragraph 5 of Schedule 7 to, the School Standards and Framework Act 1998,
ii
section 66 of, or paragraph 7 of Schedule 11 to, the Education Act 2005, and
iii
section 7, 10, 11 or 19 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006;
b
in relation to Wales, section 28 of, or paragraph 5 of Schedule 7 to, the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.
4
The Secretary of State shall make regulations for determining, or enabling him to determine, whether a middle school is to be treated for the purposes of this Act and the other enactments relating to education as a primary school or as a secondary school.
5
F9The powers conferred by the enactments mentioned in subsection (3) (so far as relating to the establishment of middle schools) and the powers conferred by subsection (4) above are exercisable—
a
notwithstanding anything in this Act (and in particular section 1); but
b
without prejudice to the exercise of any other power conferred by this Act.
6 Nursery schools and special schools.
1
2
A school is a special school if it is specially organised, F5and (in the case of a school which is not maintained by a local education authority) is for the time being approved, as mentioned in section 337..