This Order identifies a small maintained school for the purposes of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Education (Wales) Measure 2011 (“the 2011 Measure”). That chapter sets out the statutory framework for the federation of maintained schools. Section 11 of the 2011 Measure provides that a local authority may make proposals to federate schools and that certain provisions relating to publication and consultation do not apply to a proposal to federate only small schools.

Article 2 provides that a small maintained school is one with fewer than 91 registered pupils on the third Tuesday in the January immediately preceding the date on which a proposal is made under section 11 of the 2011 Measure.