Education and Inspections Act 2006

81 LEAs in England: provision of transport etc for certain adult learners

After section 508E of EA 1996 (inserted by section 78 above) insert—

“508F LEAs in England: provision of transport etc for certain adult learners

(1) A local education authority in England must make such arrangements for the provision of transport and otherwise as they consider necessary, or as the Secretary of State may direct, for the purpose of facilitating the attendance of qualifying adult learners receiving education or training at an institution outside both the further education and higher education sectors.

(2) “Qualifying adult learners” means adult learners for whom the Learning and Skills Council for England has secured—

(a) the provision of education or training at the institution in question, and

(b) the provision of boarding accommodation under section 13 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 (persons with learning difficulties).

(3) Any transport provided in pursuance of arrangements under subsection (1) must be provided free of charge.

(4) A local education authority in England may pay the whole or any part, as they think fit, of the reasonable travelling expenses of any adult learner receiving education or training at an institution outside both the further education and higher education sectors for whose transport no arrangements are made under subsection (1).

(5) In considering whether or not they are required by subsection (1) to make arrangements in relation to a particular person, a local education authority must have regard, amongst other things, to the age of the person and the nature of the routes which he could reasonably be expected to take.

(6) Arrangements made by a local education authority under subsection (1) must make provision for persons receiving full-time education or training at institutions mentioned in subsection (1) which is no less favourable than the provision made in pursuance of the arrangements for persons of the same age with learning difficulties (within the meaning of section 13 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000) for whom the authority secure the provision of education at any other institution.

(7) “Adult learner” means a person who is neither a child nor a person of sixth form age.

(8) The reference in subsection (7) to a person of sixth form age is to be construed in accordance with subsection (1) of section 509AC.”