The Local Government Changes for England (Education) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make incidental and transitional provision of general application in the field of education in consequence of orders made under section 17 of the Local Government Act 1992 (which make boundary and structural changes to local government areas in England).

Part 2 makes transitional provision regarding the determination of applications under section 12 of the Education Reform Act 1988 (determinations by standing advisory councils on religious education of cases in which the requirement for Christian collective worship is not to apply) and the review of such determinations. It provides for the dissolution of standing advisory councils appointed by abolished authorities.

Part 3 makes transitional provision extending the periods which apply under the Education (Special Educational Needs) Regulations 1994 to decisions by local education authorities whether or not to assess a child’s educational needs and whether or not to make, amend, or cease to maintain a statement of a child’s special educational needs and the period within which such statements are to be reviewed where any such process was commenced by a transferor authority but not completed by the date for local government reorganisation. This Part also imposes a requirement on transferee authorities to notify the parents of certain children of the transfer of functions relating to them to the transferee authority, and of the name of an officer of the transferee authority who can provide further information. The children in relation to whom this requirement applies are children for whom the transferor authority maintained a statement of special educational needs or had served a proposed such statement on their parents or had given notice of a proposal or decision to assess their educational needs or where the transferor authority had a duty to make such an assessment.

Part 4 makes transitional provision where grants are paid to a transferor authority for education support and training under section 1 of the Education (Grants and Awards) Act 1984 or for the education of Travellers and displaced persons under section 210 of the Education Reform Act 1988.

Part 5 modifies the definition of “minor authority” in section 114(1) of the Education Act 1944 in consequence of local government reorganisation and makes a transitional modification to the Education (Areas to which Pupils and Students Belong) Regulations 1996.