The Information as to Provision of Education (England) Regulations 2008

Interpretation

3.  In these Regulations—

“admission number” has the meaning given in section 89A(1) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998(1);

“application” means a preference expressed by a parent, in accordance with section 86(1) of the School Standards and Framework Act, as to the school at which he wishes education to be provided for his child;

“authority” means a local education authority;

“district” means the area of the council of a district where that council is not a unitary authority;

“offer” means an offer communicated by an authority to admit a child in their area to a school (2);

“school year” means a period of twelve months beginning on 1st September unless the school has a term beginning in August, in which case it means a period of twelve months beginning on 1st August;

“surplus places” means the number of places, if any, by which the number equal to the capacity of the school exceeds the number of registered pupils at the school;

“unitary authority” has the same meaning as in section 261(3) of the Housing Act 2004(3); and

“working day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday or a day which is a bank holiday within the meaning of the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971(4).

(1)

1998 c.31. Section 89A(1) is inserted by section 47(2) of the Education Act 2002 (c.32). Academies are required by their Funding Agreements to have admissions arrangements consistent with the law relating to maintained school admissions.

(2)

By virtue of the School Admissions (Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/194) every offer to admit a child in their area to a school in their area must be communicated to the child’s parents by the authority (such offer being communicated on behalf of the governing body of any school which is its own admission authority). Also by virtue of those Regulations, an offer to admit a child in their area to a secondary school in the area of another authority may be communicated by the authority.

(3)

2004 c.34. The council of a county so far as it is the council for an area for which there are no district councils; and the council of any district comprised in an area for which there is no county council.

(4)

1971 c.80.