Statutory Instruments
Education, England
Made
16th December 2014
The Secretary of State for Education, in exercise of the power conferred by section 85(5) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998(1), makes the following Order:
1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the School Admissions Code (Appointed Day) Order 2014.
(2) This Order applies in relation to England.
2. The day appointed for the coming into force of the School Admissions Code (a copy of a draft of which was laid before each House of Parliament on 30th October 2014) is 19th December 2014.
David Laws
Minister of State
Department for Education
16th December 2014
(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order appoints 19th December 2014 as the day on which the revised School Admissions Code (the Code) comes into force.
The Code is issued under sections 84 and 85 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (the SSFA 1998) by the Secretary of State for Education. The Code imposes mandatory requirements and guidelines relating to the arrangements under which pupils are admitted to maintained schools in England. The Code applies to Academies through their funding agreements. Under section 84(3) of the SSFA 1998, it is the duty of local authorities, governing bodies of maintained schools, admission appeal panels and the schools adjudicator when exercising functions under Chapter 1 of Part 3 of the SSFA 1998 (admission arrangements) to act in accordance with any relevant provisions of the Code.
The Code revises and replaces the School Admissions Code which came into force on 1st February 2012. By way of revision the Code:
permits admission authorities to give priority in their admission arrangements to children eligible for the early years pupil premium, pupil premium or service premium funding;
permits admission authorities of primary schools to give priority in their admission arrangements to children eligible for the early years pupil premium, pupil premium or service premium funding, who are in a nursery class which is part of the school or who attend a nursery which is established and run by the school;
amends the timetable by which admission arrangements must be consulted upon, determined and published by admission authorities, and the timetable for resolving disputes regarding the lawfulness of admission arrangements through objections to the independent Schools Adjudicator;
clarifies the provisions relating to the admission of summer born children who wish to delay entry into reception;
introduces a number minor technical drafting changes to clarify certain provisions and to bring the Code up to date with legislative changes.
The majority of the changes come into force immediately. The new admissions timetable under the Code will apply from September 2015.