After section 47 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (c. 31) there is inserted—
(1)Every local education authority shall in accordance with regulations establish for their area before such date as may be prescribed a body, to be known as a schools forum, representing the governing bodies and head teachers of schools maintained by the authority and, if the authority so determine, also representing such bodies as the authority may from time to time in accordance with regulations determine.
(2)Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to the Common Council of the City of London or the Council of the Isles of Scilly.
(3)The purpose of a schools forum is to advise the relevant authority on such matters relating to the authority’s schools budget as may be prescribed by regulations under section 45A(3) or by regulations under this subsection.
(4)Regulations under section 45A(3) or under subsection (3) may include provision requiring a relevant authority to have regard to advice given by their schools forum, or requiring a relevant authority to consult their schools forum in relation to prescribed matters or before taking prescribed decisions.
(5)Regulations may make provision as to the constitution, meetings and proceedings of a schools forum.
(6)Regulations made by virtue of subsection (5) may include provision enabling the Secretary of State in prescribed circumstances to remove from membership of a schools forum any non-schools member.
(7)Regulations may make provision with respect to expenses of a schools forum.
(8)Except as provided by regulations, the expenses of a schools forum shall be defrayed by the relevant authority.
(9)In this section—
“non-schools member”, in relation to a schools forum, means a member other than a schools member;
“relevant authority”, in relation to a schools forum, means the local education authority by whom the forum is established;
“schools member”, in relation to a schools forum, means a member elected to represent governing bodies or head teachers of schools maintained by the relevant authority.”