The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (Infant Class Sizes) (Modification) Regulations 1998

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Section 2 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 requires every local education authority (LEA) to prepare a plan setting out the arrangements which they propose to make for the purpose of securing that the limit on infant class sizes imposed under section 1 is complied with at schools maintained by that authority. And section 3 of the 1998 Act requires the Secretary of State to make Regulations providing for the payment of grants to LEAs in respect of expenditure incurred by them for the purpose of securing that the limit is met at schools maintained by them.

The 1998 Act defines “schools maintained by a local education authority” by reference to the new categories into which schools will be divided on or after “the appointed day” (defined in section 20(7) of the Act). The appointed day is expected to be 1st September 1999. These Regulations modify the references in sections 2 and 3 to schools maintained by an LEA so that, until that day, they will be construed as references to schools falling within the categories of maintained school provided for in the Education Act 1996.