The Education (Assisted Places) (Amendment) Regulations 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Education (Assisted Places) Regulations 1995 in respect of a school year beginning on or after 25th August 1996.

The minimum age at which a pupil may be selected for an assisted place is reduced from 11 years to 5 years. A child who attains the age of five during a school year will be eligible for selection, but only for the purpose of receiving full-time education in a reception class (regulation 3).

The reductions to be made in relevant income in respect of dependent relatives pursuant to regulation 11(3) and (5) of the 1995 Regulations are increased from £1,165 to £1,200 (regulation 4).

Regulation 19 of the 1995 Regulations requires at least 60% of a school’s quota of assisted places to be filled by pupils who have previously attended publicly maintained schools. This rule is amended so that, in calculating the quota, there is left out of account pupils who have not attained the age of seven years by 1st September next following the beginning of their first year at the school; and the rule will not apply at all as regards the selection of such children for assisted places (regulation 5).

Regulation 21 of the 1995 Regulations requires a school participating in the assisted places scheme, before increasing the fees chargeable in respect of assisted pupils, to give at least one month’s prior notice to the Secretary of State; but the school may not give effect to that increase if the Secretary of State gives a written counter-notice. The time limit in which the Secretary of State may give such counter-notice is increased from 14 days to one month (regulation 6).

The means test for the remission of fees is relaxed: the level of income at or below which fees are to be wholly remitted is set at £9,873 instead of £9,572, with corresponding increases in the extent of remission where relevant income exceeds that sum (regulation 7).