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Part I Provision of Education by Education Authorities

School education and further education

1 Duty of education authorities to secure provision of education

(1) Subject to [F1subsections [F2(1A)] and (2A)] below, it shall be the duty of every education authority to secure that there is made for their area adequate and efficient provision of school education and further education.

[F3(1A) The duty imposed on education authorities by subsection (1) above shall, in relation to children who are under school age, be exercisable only as respects children of such description or descriptions as may be prescribed by order.

(1B) Where an order is made under subsection (1A) above, the amount of school education with which children of a description prescribed in that order are to be provided shall also be prescribed in the order.

(1C) An education authority shall have power in relation to pre-school children to secure for their area the provision of such school education, other than that which they are required by subsection (1) above to secure, as they think fit.]

F4(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F5(2A) The duty imposed on an education authority by subsection (1) above shall not include the provision of further education within the meaning of Part I of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992, but an education authority shall have power to provide such further education for their area.]

(3) Every education authority [F6shall for the purposes of their duty under subsection (1) above—

(a)] have power to secure for their area, and

(b) F7. . . be under a duty to secure for pupils in attendance at schools in their area,

the provision of adequate facilities for social, cultural and recreative activities and for physical education and training.

(4) The facilities for further education that may be provided by an education authority shall include facilities for vocational and industrial training.

[F8(4A) The power to make an order under this section shall be exercisable by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of the Scottish Parliament.

(4B) In this section “pre-school children” means—

(a) children who are under school age and have not commenced attendance at a primary school (other than a nursery class in such a school); and

(b) children who have attained school age but have not commenced attendance at such a school.]

(5) In this Act—

(a) “school education” means progressive education appropriate to the requirements of pupils F9. . ., regard being had to the age, ability and aptitude of such pupils, and includes—

(i) activities in schools and classes ([F10such schools and classes being] in this Act called “nursery schools” and “nursery classes”), being activities of a kind suitable in the ordinary case for pupils who are under school age;

[F11(ii) provision for special educational needs;]

(iii) the teaching of Gaelic in Gaelic-speaking areas;

(b) further education includes—

(i) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F12

(ii) voluntary part-time and full-time courses of instruction for persons over school age;

(iii) social, cultural and recreative activities and physical education and training, either as [F13voluntary organised activities designed to promote the educational development of persons taking part therein or as] part of a course of instruction F7. . .;

(iv) the teaching of Gaelic in Gaelic-speaking areas;

[F14(c) “provision for special educational needs”, in relation to a child [F15who has attained school age] or to a young person receiving school education, means educational provision which is additional to, or otherwise different from, the educational provision made generally for children or, as the case may be, young persons of his age in schools under the management of the education authority for the area to which he belongs in accordance with section 23(3) of this Act [F16and in relation to any other child means such educational provision as is appropriate to those needs];

(d) “special educational needs”, in relation to a child or young person, are needs caused by a learning difficulty which he has which calls for provision for special educational needs to be made for him, and a child or young person has a learning difficulty for the purposes of this paragraph if—

(i) he has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children or, as the case may be, young persons of his age; or

(ii) he suffers from a disability which either prevents or hinders him from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children or, as the case may be, young persons of his age in schools under the management of the education authority for the area to which he belongs in accordance with section 23(3) of this Act; or

(iii) he is under the age of five years and is, or would be if provision for special educational needs were not made for him, likely to fall within sub-paragraph (i) or (ii) above when over that age,

but a child or young person is not to be taken as having a learning difficulty solely because the language in which he is or will be taught (the “teaching language”) is different from a language, or from a form of the teaching language, which has at any time been spoken in his home.]

2 Secretary of State may prescribe standards, etc., for education authorities

The Secretary of State may make regulations prescribing the standards and F1. . . requirements to which every education authority shall conform in discharging their functions under section 1 of this Act [F2and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, such regulations may include provision as to the testing of pupils in primary schools.]

[ F12A Assessment of secondary school pupils

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for the testing and assessment of pupils undertaking the first or second year of secondary education in public or self-governing schools.

(2) It shall be the duty of an education authority or a board of management to comply with the provisions of regulations made in pursuance of subsection (1) above.

(3) Regulations made in pursuance of subsection (1) above may make different provision as to different cases or circumstances.]

3 Fees not to be charged in public schools, etc: exceptions

(1) Subject to the provisions of subsections (2) to (5) below, school education F1. . . provided by an education authority shall be provided without payment of fees.

(2) An education authority shall have power to charge fees for school education in some or all of the classes in a limited number of schools under their management.

(3) An education authority may award to any pupil in a class in which fees are charged by virtue of subsection (2) above a scholarship, by way of remission in whole or in part of the fee, in any case where, having regard to the pupil’s ability and aptitude, it appears to the authority proper to do so; but such a pupil shall not be regarded for the purposes of section 11(1)(a) of this Act (provision of free books, etc.) as receiving free education.

(4) An education authority shall not exercise the power conferred by subsection (2) above except where it may be exercised without prejudice to the adequate provision of free school education for their area whether—

(a) at schools under their management, or

(b) at other schools by virtue of arrangements made by them with the managers of those schools or, in the case of schools under the management of another education authority, with that authority.

(5) Where an education authority are providing school education for an outwith-area pupil in a school under their management—

(a) in classes in which fees are charged under the provisions of subsection (2) above, the education authority may charge in respect of that pupil, in addition to the fee charged by virtue of that subsection, such extra fee as they think proper,

(b) in classes in which no fees are charged, the education authority may charge in respect of that pupil such fee as they think proper.

In this subsection “outwith-area pupil” means, in relation to any education authority, a pupil who is not deemed to belong for the purposes of section 23 of this Act to the area of that authority.

(6) An education authority shall have power to make charges in respect of the use of some or all of—

(a) any facilities for F2. . . further education provided by them,

(b) any facilities provided by them under section 1(3) of this Act.

[F3(7) This section does not apply as respects the provision of school education by virtue of subsections (1) and (1A), or as the case may be subsection (1C), of section 1 of this Act.]

4 Duty of education authorities to provide child guidance service

It shall be the duty of every education authority to provide for their area [F1 [F2. . .] psychological service in clinics] or elsewhere, and the functions of that service shall include— F3

(a) the study of children with special educational needs;]

(b) the giving of advice to parents and teachers as to appropriate methods of education. . . F4 for such children;

(c) in suitable cases,. . . F5 provision [F6for the special educational needs of] such children in. . . F7 clinics;

(d) the giving of advice to a local authority within the meaning of the M1Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 regarding the assessment of the needs of any child for the purposes of any of the provisions of that or any other enactment.

F15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6 Social activities, physical education, etc

(1) For the purpose of securing [F1, under section 1(3) of this Act,] the provision of facilities for social, cultural and recreative activities and physical education and training, an education authority may—

(a) establish, maintain and manage—

(i) camps, outdoor centres, playing fields and swimming pools;

(ii) play areas and centres;

(iii) sports halls, centres and clubs;

(iv) youth, community and cultural centres and clubs,

and other places at which any such facilities as aforesaid are available;

(b) organise holiday classes, games, expeditions and other activities.

(2) In the exercise of their powers under subsection (1) above an education authority—

. . . . may assist any body whose objects include;

F3(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

the provision or promotion of social, cultural and recreative activities and physical education and training or the facilities for such activities, education and training.

F4(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7 Provision of educational facilities to be in accordance with schemes

F1(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F1(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) In considering and determining for the purposes of [F2their functions under the foregoing provisions of this Act in relation to] the provision of school education what amount of public school accommodation or additional public school accommodation is required for their area, an education authority shall have regard to and take into account every school, whether public or not, and whether situated in the area or not, which, in their opinion, gives, or will when completed give, efficient school education, and is, or will when completed be, suitable and available for the education of the pupils in their area.

(5) An education authority shall for the purposes of subsection (4) above have power to call upon all head teachers and managers of schools other than public schools for such information and for access to and delivery of all such documents as shall to the education authority appear to be necessary to enable them to discharge their duties under this Act, and an education authority may from time to time appoint fit and proper persons to procure such information and to inspect such documents.

(6) [F3In the performance of their functions under the foregoing provisions of this Act in relation to] the provision of school education, an education authority shall, in particular, have regard to the expediency of securing the provision of boarding accommodation, either in boarding schools or in hostels, for pupils for whom education as boarders is considered by their parents and by the authority to be desirable.

F4(7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F4(8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8 Religious instruction

(1) Whereas it has been the custom in the public schools of Scotland for religious observance to be practised and for instruction in religion to be given to pupils whose parents did not object to such observance or instruction, but with liberty to parents, without forfeiting any of the other advantages of the schools, to elect that their children should not take part in such observance or receive such instruction, be it enacted that education authorities [F1and boards of management of self-governing schools] shall be at liberty to continue the said custom, subject to the provisions of section 9 of this Act.

(2) It shall not be lawful for an education authority [F2or board of management] to discontinue religious observance or the provision of instruction in religion in terms of subsection (1) above, unless and until a resolution in favour of such discontinuance duly passed by the authority has been submitted to a poll of the local government electors for the education area taken for the purpose, and has been approved by a majority of electors voting thereat.

(3) A poll under subsection (2) above shall be by ballot and shall be taken in accordance with rules to be made by the Secretary of State, which rules may apply with any necessary modifications any enactments relating to parliamentary or local government elections.

9 Conscience clause

Every public school [F1, every grant-aided school and every self-governing school] shall be open to pupils of all denominations, and any pupil may be withdrawn by his parents from any instruction in religious subjects and from any religious observance in any such school; and no pupil shall in any such school be placed at any disadvantage with respect to the secular instruction given therein by reason of the denomination to which such pupil or his parents belong, or by reason of his being withdrawn from any instruction in religious subjects.

10 Safeguards for religious beliefs

Where the parent of any pupil who is a boarder at any public school. . . F1 or other educational establishment under the management of an education authority [F2, or at any self-governing school] requests that the pupil be permitted to attend worship in accordance with the tenets of a particular religious denomination on Sundays or other days exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which his parent belongs, or to receive religious instruction or to practise religious observance in accordance with such tenets outside the working hours

[F3(a) of the school. . . F1 or other educational establishment, the education authority][F4;

(b) of the self-governing school, the board of management,]

shall make arrangements for affording to the pupil reasonable opportunities for so doing, and such arrangements may provide for affording facilities for such worship, instruction or observance on the premises of the school. . . [F5 F1 , other educational establishment or self-governing school], so however that such arrangements shall not entail expenditure by the education authority [F6or, as the case may be, by the board of management].

11 Provision of books, materials and special clothing free of charge

(1) An education authority shall provide free of charge for all pupils belonging to their area who are given free education—

(a) at schools. . . F1 under their management, or

(b) at other schools by virtue of arrangements made by them with the managers of those schools or, in the case of schools under the management of another education authority, with that authority,

books, writing materials, stationery, mathematical instruments, practice material and other articles which are necessary to enable the pupils to take full advantage of the education provided; and the authority may make similar provision, with or without charge, for other pupils resident in their area and attending any school or other educational establishment.

(2) An education authority may provide—

(a) for pupils in attendance at any school,. . . F1 or other educational establishment under their management, articles of clothing suitable for physical exercise or for other activities of the school,. . . F2 or establishment for which special clothing is desirable, and

(b) for persons who make use of facilities for physical education or training provided by the authority under section 1(3) of this Act, articles of clothing suitable for such physical education or training.

12 Library service

(1) An education authority may, as an ancillary means of promoting education, provide, by purchase or otherwise, such books and other printed matter, pictures, gramophone records, tape recordings, films and other materials as they may think desirable, for pupils attending schools,. . . F1 or other educational establishments in their area.

(2) For the purposes of this section, an education authority may—

(a) make such arrangements as they consider necessary for the management of a library service provided by them including the accommodation and distribution of books and other materials, and

(b) enter into arrangements with the managers of public libraries.

13 Provision of hotels

An education authority may provide and maintain hostels for pupils attending educational establishments in their area.

[F1 14 Education for children unable to attend school etc

(1) If an education authority are satisfied that, by reason of—

(a) any extraordinary circumstances (not being circumstances mentioned in paragraph (b), or subsection (2) or (3), below)—

(i) a pupil is unable; or

(ii) it would be unreasonable to expect a pupil,

to attend a suitable educational establishment for the purpose of receiving education, they may;

(b) a pupil’s prolonged ill-health—

(i) the pupil is unable; or

(ii) it would be unreasonable to expect the pupil,

to attend such an establishment for that purpose, they shall, without undue delay after those circumstances become apparent to them, make special arrangements for the pupil to receive education elsewhere than at an educational establishment.

(2) If an education authority have, under section 34(1) of this Act, granted a pupil exemption from the obligation to attend school, the exemption being to enable the pupil to give assistance at home in circumstances arising out of the illness or infirmity of a member of the pupil’s family, they shall in so far as is practicable and without undue delay make such special arrangements as are mentioned in subsection (1) above.

(3) If a pupil withdraws, excluded by the education authority (or with the consent of the authority in circumstances where he would have been so excluded but for his withdrawal), from a public school in their area they shall, without undue delay—

(a) provide school education for him in a school managed by them;

(b) make arrangements for him to receive such education in any other school the managers of which are willing to receive him; or

(c) make such special arrangements as are mentioned in subsection (1) above.]

[F114ZA Meaning of pupil in sections 12 to 14

In sections 12 to 14 of this Act and in section 52 of this Act as it relates to the said section 13, any reference to a pupil shall include a reference to a student attending a college of further education within the meaning of section 36(1) of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992.]

[F114A Education in social work establishments

(1) An education authority may, in accordance with this section, provide for their area school education in any establishment provided by a local authority under section 59(1) or (2) of the M1Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 which is provided wholly or mainly for children under school age (other than any establishment whose provision is secured by them under paragraph (c) of the said section 59(2)).

(2) The provision of school education referred to in subsection (1) above shall consist of the making available by the education authority, in accordance with arrangements made by them in that behalf with the local authority providing the establishment, of the services of any teacher who is employed by them.

(3) Arrangements under subsection (2) above may make provision for—

(a) the supply of equipment for use in connection with the provision of school education made available under the arrangements;

(b) any supplementary or incidental matters connected with the arrangements.

(4) A teacher whose services are made available by an education authority in pursuance of arrangements under subsection (2) above shall, during the period in which his services are made available, be deemed to be in a post in a primary department of a school under the management of the education authority.]

Transference of schools to education authorities

15 Transference of endowed schools to education authorities

(1) The governing body of any school providing a course of secondary education administered under a scheme approved in terms of the Act of 1882, or under any Act or any provisional order confirmed by Act of Parliament, may, with a view to the maintenance of such school as a school providing a course of secondary education resolve to transfer the management thereof, together with the school buildings, and the revenue of the school from endowments in whole or in part, or, where the endowments are held solely for the purpose of such school, together with the endowments, to the education authority of the education area in which the school is situated. The education authority shall have power to receive the same, to manage the school as a school providing a course of secondary education and to make good any deficiency in the income of the school as managed by them.

(2) The Secretary of State may by order make provision for all matters which appear to him necessary or proper for giving full effect to any transfer under this section, including provision for the determination of any existing trust whose whole endowments are so transferred.

(3) A resolution by a governing body under this section shall not take effect unless it is confirmed by a subsequent meeting called for that special purpose with not less than three weeks notice by circular sent to each member of the governing body and held not sooner than one month nor later than two months after the date of the first meeting, and at such second meeting the requisite majority to secure confirmation shall be not less than the absolute majority of the governing body.

16 Transference of denominational schools to education authorities

(1) It shall be lawful for the person or persons vested with the title of any school established after 21st November 1918, to which section 18 of the Act of 1918 would have applied had the school been in existence at that date, with the consent of the trustees of any trust upon which the school is held and of the Secretary of State, to transfer the school together with the site thereof and any land or buildings and furniture held and used in connection therewith, by sale, lease or otherwise, to the education authority, who shall be bound to accept such transfer, upon such terms as to price, rent, or other consideration as may be agreed, or as may be determined, failing agreement, by an arbiter appointed by the Secretary of State upon the application of either party.

(2) The consent of trustees to the transference of a school to an education authority under this section may be given by a majority of not less than two thirds of the trustees present at a meeting duly summoned for that purpose. The transference may be effected

[F1(a)] by an ordinary disposition or other deed of conveyance by the persons vested with the title, recorded in the register of sasines [F2; or

(b) where—

(i) the interest in the land to be transferred is registrable under the M1Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979; or

(ii) the transference itself is so registrable,

by registration under that Act]

and no stamp or other duty shall be exigible on such disposition or other deed; and the persons whose consent is hereby required need not be parties to the conveyance, and the validity of the transference and the title of the education authority shall not be subject to challenge on the ground that the requisite consents were not duly given, unless such challenge shall be judicially made within six months after the recording of the deed of conveyance [F3or, as the case may be, registration].

(3) The existing staff of teachers in a school transferred under this section shall be taken over by the education authority and shall as from the date of transfer be placed upon the same scale of salaries as teachers of corresponding qualifications appointed to corresponding positions in other schools of the same authority; and any question which may arise as to the due fulfilment or observance of any provision or requirement of this subsection shall be determined by the Secretary of State.

Provision, maintenance and equipment of schools and other buildings

17 Provision, maintenance and equipment of schools and other buildings

(1) [F1Subject to subsection (6) below,][i]t shall be the duty of an education authority [F2, in the performance of their functions under sections 1 to 6 of this Act,] to provide for their area,. . . F3 sufficient accommodation in public schools (whether day schools or boarding schools),. . . F4 and other educational establishments under their management to enable them to [F5perform their said functions].

[F6(2) In any case where an education authority are satisfied, whether upon representations made to them by any church or denominational body acting on behalf of the parents of children belonging to such church or body or otherwise, that a new school is required for the accommodation of children whose parents are resident within the area of the authority, regard being had to the religious belief of such parents, it shall be lawful for the education authority to provide a new school.]

(3) [F7Subject to subsection (6) below,][a]n education authority shall maintain and keep efficient every public school,. . . F4 and other educational establishment under their management, and shall from time to time provide such additional accommodation as may be necessary to [F8enable them to perform their functions under sections 1 to 6 of this Act.].

(4) An education authority may, for the purposes of their duty under this section, provide, alter, improve, enlarge, equip and maintain schools,. . . F4 and other educational establishments outwith as well as within their area.

(5) An education authority may provide, alter, improve, enlarge, equip, maintain and furnish houses and hostels, with such outbuildings and gardens as they think expedient, for teachers and other officers employed by them (whether or not employed in or about an educational establishment).

[ F9(6) Subsections (1) and (3) above shall have effect as regards further education only to the extent that the education authority is under a duty to do anything under the said sections 1 to 6.]

18 Improvements as to premises of educational establishments for the safety of pupils

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, an education authority may for the purpose of reducing the risk of accident to pupils going to or returning from schools or other educational establishments in their area and under their management, or while actually present at such schools or establishments, do work to improve the safety of any private road which is used by these pupils or which is in the vicinity of such a school or establishment, and provide or arrange for the provision of safety barriers at or near the entrances to such schools and establishments.

(2) Any work for the purpose of subsection (1) above may be undertaken by the education authority in co-operation with any other person.

(3) For the purpose of subsection (1) above an education authority may enter on and carry out work on any land:

(4) Where an education authority propose to provide or arrange for the provision of safety barriers for the purpose of subsection (1) above on any road, the authority shall—

(a) if it is a public road, obtain the consent of the authority responsible for the maintenance of such road;

(b) if it is a private road, consult the authority responsible for the maintenance of public roads in the area in which that private road is situated.

[F1(5) In this section “road”, “public road” and “private road” have the meanings ascribed to them by section 151(1) of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.]

19 Power of Secretary of State to prescribe standards for premises, etc., of educational establishments

(1) The Secretary of State may make regulations prescribing standards and F1. . . requirements which are to apply to the premises and equipment of educational establishments under the management of education authorities [F2or to the premises and equipment of self-governing schools], and regulations under this subsection may prescribe different standards or requirements in respect of such different classes (however defined) of educational establishment as may be specified in the regulations.

(2) It shall be the duty

[F3(a) of an education authority to secure that the premises and equipment of any educational establishment under their management conform to the standards and requirements applicable to that establishment][F4;

(b) of the board of management of a self-governing school to secure that the premises and equipment of the school conform to the standards and requirements applicable to that school]

and, in particular, that the premises and equipment of all educational establishments under their management [F4, or as the case may be of the self-governing school,] are maintained in such a condition as to conduce to the good health and safety of all persons occupying or frequenting the premises or using the equipment.

(3) Where the premises or equipment of any educational establishment under the management of an education authority [F5, or of any self-governing school,] do not conform to the standards or requirements applicable to that establishment [F6or school] or are not maintained as mentioned in subsection (2) above, the Secretary of State may, after consultation with the authority [F7or as the case may be with the board of management], direct that the premises or equipment be brought into conformity with the said standards or requirements or into the state of maintenance mentioned in that subsection (as the case may be) within a period to be specified in the direction; and it shall thereupon be the duty of [F8that authority or board] to comply with the direction.

[F119A Secretary of State’s power to control use of dangerous materials or apparatus in educational establishments

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for requiring his approval to be obtained for the use in such educational establishments as may be specified in the regulations of such materials or apparatus as may be so specified, being materials or apparatus which could or might involve a serious risk to health.

(2) The power referred to in subsection (1) above includes power to make different provision in respect of different educational establishments.]

20 Acquisition of land and execution of works

(1) In order to enable them to execute any of their functions, an education authority may F1. . . from time to time—

(a) acquire, whether by way of purchase, feu, lease, excambion or donation, any land whether situated within or outwith the area of the authority;

(b) erect and furnish buildings or execute any other works on any land belonging to them, or on land leased by them;

(c) convert, alter, enlarge or improve any existing building or other works belonging to the authority or leased by them;

Provided always that paragraphs (b) and (c) above shall not of themselves authorise the authority to do anything contrary to the conditions contained in the title to or lease of any such land, buildings or other works.

F2(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F2(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) For the purpose of the acquisition of land by an education authority under this Act, the Land Clauses Acts, except in so far as they relate to the purchase and taking of land otherwise than by agreement, shall be incorporated with this Act.

(5) An education authority may be authorised by the Secretary of State to purchase land compulsorily for the purposes of this Act, and the M1Acquisition of Land (Authorisation Procedure) (Scotland) Act 1947 shall apply in relation to any such compulsory purchase as if this Act had been in force immediately before the commencement of that Act.

(6) In this section, and in the Lands Clauses Acts as hereby incorporated, “land” includes water and any right or servitude in or over land or water.

Management of denominational schools

21 Management of denominational schools

(1) Any school transferred to an education authority under section 16(1) of this Act shall be held, maintained and managed by the education authority as a public school.

(2) [F1Subject to subsections (2A) and (2C) below,] in any such school the education authority shall have the sole power of regulating the curriculum and of appointing teachers:

[F2(2A) A teacher appointed to any post on] the staff of any such school by the education authority shall. . . F3 satisfy the Secretary of State as to qualification, and [F4shall be required to be] approved as regards [F5his] religious belief and character by representatives of the church or denominational body in whose interest the school has been conducted;

[F6(2B) Where the said representatives of a church or denominational body refuse to give the approval mentioned in subsection (2A) above they shall state their reasons for such refusal in writing.

(2C)] subject to the provisions of section 9 of this Act, the time set apart for religious instruction or observance in any such school shall not be less than that so set apart according to the use and wont of the former management of the school.

(3) For each such school the education authority shall appoint as supervisor of religious instruction, without remuneration, a person approved as regards religious belief and character as aforesaid, and the supervisor so appointed shall report to the education authority as to the efficiency of the religious instruction given in such school, and shall be entitled to enter the school at all times set apart for religious instruction or observance.

(4) In every such school the education authority shall give facilities for the holding of religious examinations.

(5) Subsections (1) to (4) above, so far as applicable, shall have effect in relation to any school provided by an education authority under section 17(2) of this Act as they have effect in relation to schools transferred to an education authority as mentioned in subsection (1) above, subject to the modification that the time set apart for religious instruction in any school so provided shall be not less than that so set apart in schools in the same education area which have been transferred as mentioned in subsection (1) above.

(6) Any question which may arise as to the due fulfilment or observance of any provision or requirement of the foregoing provisions of this section shall be determined by the Secretary of State.

(7) In this section, the reference to section 16(1) or 17(2) of this Act shall include a reference to the corresponding provision of the Act of 1918, the Act of 1946 and the Act of 1962.

Discontinuance and moves of educationalestablishments

22 Discontinuance and moves of educational establishments

(1) Subject to any special conditions attaching thereto. . . F1, an education authority may—

(a) sell, feu, excamb or let any land vested in them; and

(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

(2) Where an education authority propose to discontinue any educational establishment under their management, or to discontinue the use, in connection with such an educational establishment, of any part of that establishment, or of any building or part of a building ancillary to the establishment, and land forming the site, or part of the site, of that establishment or of that part of the establishment or of that building or part of a building, as the case may be, is subject to—

(a) the third proviso to section 2 of the M1School Sites Act 1841 (which provides that, if any land granted in accordance with the provisions of that section ceases to be used for the purposes mentioned in that Act, that land shall revert to the grantor), or

(b) any condition of a similar nature in any Act, deed or other instrument,

the Secretary of State, on the application in that behalf of the education authority, may by order direct that the said proviso or condition shall not have effect in relation to that land:

(3) A direction given by the Secretary of State under subsection (2) above in relation to any land may make provision for the payment out of the proceeds of any sale of that land of any sum which is payable to any person in consideration of the relinquishment of his rights in relation to the land under the said proviso or condition.

(4) If at any time after the expiry of ten years from the transfer of a school under section 16 of this Act, or from the provision of a new school under section 17(2) of this Act, the education authority by whom the school is maintained are of opinion that the school is no longer required, or that, having regard to the religious belief of the parents of the children attending the school, the conditions prescribed in subsections (1) to (4) of section 21 of this Act or in the said subsections so far as applicable and having effect by virtue of subsection (5) of that section, as the case may be, ought no longer to apply thereto,. . . F1 it shall [F2subject to sections 22A, 22B, 22C and 22D of this Act] be lawful for the education authority thereafter to discontinue the school, or, as the case may be, to hold, maintain and manage the same in all respects as a public school not subject to those conditions:

(5) In subsection (4) above, the reference to section 16 or 17(2) of this Act shall include a reference to the corresponding provision of the Act of 1918, the Act of 1946 and the Act of 1962.

Consultation on, and consent for, changes in certain educational matters

[F122A Consultation on certain changes in educational matters

(1) Where an education authority make a proposal of a prescribed kind, they shall, in such manner as may be prescribed, publish it or otherwise make it available and consult such persons as may be prescribed and shall not reach a decision on it without having regard to any representations made to them on it by those persons.

(2) In this section “prescribed” means prescribed for the purposes of this section by the Secretary of State by regulations and in so prescribing kinds of proposals the Secretary of State shall include proposals to discontinue or change the site of any school under the management of an education authority.

22B Consent for certain changes in educational matters

(1) An education authority shall submit to the Secretary of State for his consent any proposal of theirs of a prescribed kind and shall not implement such a proposal without his consent.

(2) In this section “prescribed” means prescribed for the purposes of this section by the Secretary of State by regulations and the Secretary of State may prescribe different kinds of proposals in relation to different education authorities.

22C Consent for certain changes affecting denominational schools

(1) An education authority shall submit to the Secretary of State for his consent any proposal of theirs to which this section applies and shall not implement such a proposal without his consent.

(2) A proposal to which this section applies is one which—

(a) relates to a school transferred to an education authority under section 16(1) or provided by them under section 17(2) of this Act; and

(b) will, if implemented, have the effect that all or some of the pupils who attend the school will no longer receive school education in a school of the kind referred to in paragraph (a) above or that all or some of the children who would, but for the implementation of the proposal, have been likely to attend it will not be likely to receive such education in a school of that kind.

(3) The Secretary of State shall not grant consent under this section unless he is satisfied that adequate arrangements have been made for the religious instruction of pupils and children who would, as a result of implementation of the proposal, no longer receive or be likely to receive school education in a school of the kind referred to in paragraph (a) of subsection (2) above.

(4) In granting consent under this section the Secretary of State may impose such conditions as he thinks fit with regard to the religious instruction of the pupils and children referred to in paragraph (b) of subsection (2) above and to related matters and conditions imposed by the Secretary of State under this section may be revoked or amended by him at any time.

(5) Any question which may arise—

(a) whether a proposal is one to which this section applies;

(b) as to the implementation of a proposal to which the Secretary of State has consented under this section;

(c) as to the fulfilment or observation of any conditions upon his consent imposed under subsection (4) above

shall be determined by the Secretary of State and the education authority shall perform their duties under this Act in accordance with any such determination.

(6) In this section, the reference to section 16(1) or 17(2) of this Act shall include a reference to the corresponding provision of the Act of 1918, the Act of 1946 and the Act of 1962.

22D Further provisions relating to denominational schools

(1) An education authority shall submit to the Secretary of State for his consent any proposal of theirs to which this section applies and shall not implement such a proposal without his consent.

(2) A proposal to which this section applies is one—

(a) which relates to a school transferred to [F1an] education authority under section 16(1) or provided by them under section 17(2) of this Act;

(b) to—

(i) discontinue the school or a part of it;

(ii) amalgamate the school or a part of it with another school;

(iii) change the site of the school;

(iv) change the arrangements for admission to the school; or

(v) disapply to the school the conditions prescribed in subsections (1) to (4) of section 21 of this Act or in the said subsections so far as applicable and having effect by virtue of subsection (5) of that section; and

(c) in relation to which the Secretary of State, having consulted [F2any education authority affected by it], is satisfied, upon written representations made, in the case of any church or denominational body in whose interest the school is conducted other than the Roman Catholic Church, by a person authorised for that purpose by that church or denominational body and, in the case of the Roman Catholic Church, by the Scottish Hierarchy of that Church, that—

(i) if implemented, it will have [F3any of the results] specified in subsection (3) below; and

(ii) the education authority [F4submitting the proposal under subsection (1) above]and the church, denominational body or Hierarchy, as the case may be, have, after discussion, failed to reach agreement that it should be implemented.

[ F5(3) The results referred to in subsection (2)(c)(i) above are—

(a) a significant deterioration for pupils belonging to the area of the education authority submitting the proposal under subsection (1) above; or

(b) a significant deterioration for pupils belonging to the area of any other education authority; or

(c) where neither paragraph (a) nor paragraph (b) above applies, such a deterioration for pupils as mentioned in the said paragraph (a) and pupils belonging to the area of another education authority as, taken together, amounts to a significant deterioration,

in the provision, distribution or availability of school education in schools of the kind referred to in subsection (2)(a) above compared with such provision, distribution or availability in other public schools.]

(5) The Secretary of State shall not grant consent under this section in relation to a school unless he is satisfied that adequate arrangements have been made for the religious instruction of the children who will no longer receive or be likely to receive school education in a school of the kind referred to in subsection (2)(a) above.

(6) In granting consent under this section in relation to a school the Secretary of State may impose such conditions as he thinks fit with regard to the religious instruction of the children who will no longer receive or be likely to receive school education in a school of the kind referred to in subsection (2)(a) above and to related matters and, in doing so, he shall have regard to the duties imposed by section 21 of this Act on education authorities in relation to schools of that kind, and conditions imposed by the Secretary of State under this section may be revoked or amended by him at any time.

(7) Any question which may arise—

(a) whether a proposal is one to which this section applies;

(b) as to the implementation of a proposal to which the Secretary of State has consented under this section;

(c) as to the fulfilment or observation of any conditions upon his consent imposed under subsection (6) above

shall be determined by the Secretary of State and the education authority shall perform their duties under this Act in accordance with any such determination.

(8) In this section the reference to section 16(1) or 17(2) of this Act shall include a reference to the corresponding provision of the Act of 1918, the Act of 1946 and the Act of 1962.]

Co-operation between education authorities and others

23 Provision by education authority for education of pupils belonging to areas of other authorities

(1) An education authority shall have power to provide in or in connection with any public school,. . . F1 or other educational establishment under their management, school education or further education and other services under this Act for any pupil belonging to the area of some other education authority [F2or of a local education authority in England and Wales].

[ F3(1A) Without prejudice to any other provision of this Act, for the purposes of their duty under section 1 of this Act an education authority shall have power to make arrangements with another education authority (in this subsection referred to as a “provider authority”) for the provision of school education or further education for any pupils belonging to the area of the authority in a school or educational establishment under the management of the provider authority.

(1B) Arrangements made under this Act by an education authority for the placing of children in schools may include provision to give effect to any arrangements made under subsection (1A) above.

(1C) Where the arrangements for the placing of children in schools subsisting before the establishment of new local government areas under Part I of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 lead, as a consequence of such establishment, to school education for pupils belonging to the area of one education authority being provided at schools or educational establishments under the management of another education authority, nothing in this Act shall prevent such arrangements from continuing until they are changed by an education authority in accordance with this Act.]

(2) Where an education authority. . . F4 have provided school education with or without other services for any pupil belonging to the area of some other authority, the education authority. . . F4, may, if a claim therefor is made within the prescribed period, recover from that other authority such contributions in respect of such provision as may be agreed by the authorities concerned. . . F4 or, in default of such agreement, as may be determined by the Secretary of State, who shall have regard to the estimated cost of such provision:

. . . F5

(3) The Secretary of State may make regulations prescribing the areas to which particular classes of pupils receiving school education are to be deemed to belong for the purposes of this section [F6and sections 1(5)(c) and (d), 28A(1) (as it has effect under Schedule A2 to this Act), 50, 51 and 60 to 65F of this Act] and any such pupil to whom the regulations apply shall be deemed to belong to the area determined in accordance with the regulations. Any other pupil receiving school education shall, for the aforesaid purposes, be deemed to belong to the area in which his parent is ordinarily resident, and any pupil receiving further education shall be deemed to belong to the area in which he himself is ordinarily resident:

[ F7(3A) Where an education authority’s arrangements for the placing of children in schools under their management give any priority to siblings of pupils attending such schools, those arrangements shall not discriminate between siblings belonging to the area of that education authority and siblings belonging to the area of another education authority.]

(4) Where on 1st January 1947 or at any subsequent date it was or is the practice of an education authority or of the managers of a school situated in the area of that authority to provide school education for pupils belonging to the area of another education authority, then whether contributions have been recovered under section 24(2) of the Act of 1946, section 24(2) of the Act of 1962 or this section or not, they shall not be entitled to discontinue such practice except after giving such notice as the Secretary of State may, in the event of a dispute, consider reasonable.

(5)—(7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F8

24 Power of education authorities to make payments to persons providing education, etc

(1) An education authority may, for the purpose of promoting education generally, or of improving the facilities for education available, or the education provided, for their area in particular, make payments—

(a) to another education authority,

(b) to a university, or to the managers of a hostel or other residence used by students attending a university,

(c) to the managers of any school (other than a public school),

(d) to the managers of any educational establishment (other than a school),

(e) to any other person providing education or educational services,

(f) to any person to assist the carrying out of educational research,

and any such payment may be made either unconditionally or subject to such conditions as may be agreed between the parties.

(2) Where—

(a) it is agreed between an education authority and the managers of any educational establishment, as a condition of the making of payments under subsection (1) above, that the authority shall have representation or additional representation on the governing body of that establishment, but

(b) the provisions of any trust deed or other instrument relating to the establishment will not, unless they are modified, permit provision to be made for such representation or additional representation as aforesaid,

the Secretary of State may, on being requested to do so by the managers of the establishment, by order make such modifications in the provisions of that trust deed or other instrument as may be necessary to enable provision to be made for such representation or additional representation, as the case may be, as aforesaid, and any such trust deed or other instrument shall, so long as the said payments continue to be made, have effect subject to any modifications so made.

Promotion of educational developments

25 Educational research

An education authority may make such provision for conducting or assisting the conduct of research as appears to the authority to be desirable for the purpose of improving the education provided for their area.

26 Educational conferences

An education authority may arrange or organise, or participate in the arrangement or organisation of, conferences or meetings for the discussion of questions relating to education, and may expend such sums as may be reasonable in paying or contributing towards any expenditure incurred in connection with conferences or meetings for the discussion of such questions, including the expenses of any person authorised by them to attend any such conference or meeting.

27 Provision of museums by education authorities

(1) An education authority may provide and maintain museums within their area, and shall have power—

(a) to acquire any objects which, in their opinion, it is desirable to include in a collection contained in a museum maintained by them under this section;

(b) to lend any object vested in them and comprised in any such collection, on such terms and conditions as they think fit, to any person for any purpose;

(c) subject to subsection (3) below, to transfer any object vested in them and comprised in any such collection to the governing body of a museum maintained by a person other than the education authority, for the purpose of being included in a collection contained in that museum;

(d) subject to subsection (3) below, to sell, exchange, give away or otherwise dispose of any object vested in them and comprised in a collection contained in a museum maintained by them under this section, if for any reason that object is not, in their opinion, required for retention in any such collection;

(e) to co-operate with any other education authority or any other body;

(f) generally to do all such things as they may consider necessary or expedient for or in connection with the provision and maintenance of museums under this section.

(2) An education authority may, if they think fit, make such charge as they consider reasonable for admission to a museum maintained by them under this section, and in determining whether, and in what manner, to exercise their powers under this subsection in relation to any museum, an authority shall take into account the need to secure that the museum plays its full part in the promotion of education in their area, and shall have particular regard to the interests of children and students.

(3) Where an object has become vested in an education authority subject to any trust or condition—

(a) that object shall, on being transferred under subsection (1)(c) above, be subject to the like trust or condition in the hands of the transferee;

(b) the powers conferred by subsection (1) (d) above shall not be exercisable in relation to that object in a manner inconsistent with that trust or condition.

Part II Rights and duties of Parents and functions of Education Authorities in relation to Individual Pupils

General principle

28 Pupils to be educated in accordance with the wishes of their parents

(1) In the exercise and performance of their powers and duties under this Act, the Secretary of State and education authorities shall have regard to the general principle that, so far as is compatible with the provision of suitable instruction and training and the avoidance of unreasonable public expenditure, pupils are to be educated in accordance with the wishes of their parents.

(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

28A F1 Duty to comply with parents’ requests as to schools

(1) Where the parent of a [F2qualifying child] makes a written request to an education authority to place his child in the school specified in the request, being a school [F3(other than a nursery school or a nursery class in a school)] under their management, it shall be the duty of the authority, subject to subsections (2) [F4, (3) [F5, (3A) and (3F)]] below, to place the child accordingly.

Such a request so made is referred to in this Act as a “placing request” and the school specified in it is referred to in this Act as the “specified school”.

[F6(1A) The education authorities shall—

(a) in carrying out the duty imposed on them by subsection (1) above; and

(b) in deciding when that duty does not apply,

have regard to such guidance as the Scottish Ministers may give in that respect.]

(2) Where a placing request relates to two or more schools under the management of the education authority to whom it was made, the duty imposed by subsection (1) above shall apply in relation to the first mentioned such school, which shall be treated for the purposes of this Act as the specified school.

(3) The duty imposed by subsection (1) above does not apply—

(a) if placing the child in the specified school would—

(i) make it necessary for the authority to take an additional teacher into employment;

(ii) give rise to significant expenditure on extending or otherwise altering the accommodation at or facilities provided in connection with the school;

(iii) be seriously detrimental to the continuity of the child’s education;

[F7(iv) be likely to be seriously detrimental to order and discipline in the school; or

(v) be likely to be seriously detrimental to the educational well-being of pupils attending the school;]

[F8(vi) assuming that pupil numbers remain constant, make it necessary, at the commencement of a future stage of the child’s primary education, for the authority to elect either to create an additional class (or an additional composite class) in the specified school or to take an additional teacher into employment at that school; or]

(b) if the education normally provided at the specified school is not suited to the age, ability or aptitude of the child;

(c) if the education authority have already required the child to discontinue his attendance at the specified school;

(d) if, where the specified school is a special school, the child does not have special educational needs requiring the education or special facilities normally provided at that school; or

(e) if the specified school is a single sex school (within the meaning given to that expression by section 26 of the M1Sex Discrimination Act 1975) and the child is not of the sex admitted or taken (under that section) to be admitted to the school,

but an education authority may place a child in the specified school notwithstanding paragraphs (a) to (e) above.

[ F9(3A) F10. . .the duty imposed by subsection (1) above does not apply where the acceptance of a placing request in respect of a child who is resident outwith the catchment area of the specified school would prevent the education authority from retaining reserved places at the specified school or in relation to any particular stage of education at the school; but nothing in this subsection shall prevent an education authority from placing a child in the specified school.

F11(3B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3C) In subsection (3A) above, “reserved places” means such number of places (not exceeding such number or, as the case may be, such percentage of places at the school or relating to the particular stage of education as may be prescribed by regulations) as are in the opinion of the education authority reasonably required to accommodate pupils likely to become resident in the catchment area of the school in the period from the time of consideration of the placing request up to and during the year from 1 August to which the placing request relates; and different numbers or, as the case may be, percentages may be prescribed under this subsection for the purpose of different cases or circumstances.

(3D) In subsections (3A) and (3C) above, “catchment area” means the area from which pupils resident therein will be admitted to the school in terms of any priority based on residence in accordance with the guidelines formulated by the authority under section 28B(1)(c) of this Act.

F11(3E) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]

[F12(3F) Where an education authority are carrying out the duty imposed on them by subsection (1) above in respect of a child such as is mentioned in subsection (6)(c) below, they shall place the child in the specified school—

(a) on the date (being the date fixed for that school under section 32(1) and (2) of this Act) next following the making of the placing request; or

(b) where that date has passed, as soon after that date as is reasonably practicable.]

(4) An education authority shall inform a parent in writing of their decision on his placing request and, where they decide to refuse it, shall give him written reasons for their decision and inform him of his right to refer it under section 28C of this Act to an appeal committee.

(5) The Secretary of State may, by regulations, make provision for deeming an education authority to have refused a placing request in the event of their not having informed the parent in writing of their decision on it in accordance with subsection (4) above within such period or before such date as may be prescribed in the regulations and different periods or dates may be so prescribed for different purposes.

[F13(6) In this section—

• “primary school” does not include a nursery school or a nursery class; and

• “qualifying child” means—

  (a)

  a child of school age;

  (b)

  a child who has commenced attendance at a primary school but is not of school age; or

  (c)

  a child who is not of school age and who, on the date (being the date fixed under subsections (1) and (2) of section 32 of this Act for the purposes of subsection (6) of that section) next following the making of the request under subsection (1) above, will be eligible under this Act to commence attendance at a primary school.]

28B Information as to placing in schools and other matters

(1) Every education authority shall—

(a) publish or otherwise make available information as to—

(i) their arrangements for the placing of children in schools under their management;

(ii) such matters as may be prescribed by regulations;

(iii) such other matters as the authority consider necessary or expedient for the purposes of their functions under this Act;

(b) where a child falls, in accordance with those arrangements, to be placed in a school under their management—

(i) in a case where the authority propose to place the child in a particular school, inform his parent of the school; and

(ii) in every case, subject to subsection (4) below, inform the parent of the general effect of section 28A (1) and (2) of this Act and of his right to make a placing request;

(c) in making arrangements for the performance of their functions under this Act, formulate guidelines to be followed by them as respects placing in schools generally or, if they think it necessary, in any particular school in the event of there being more placing requests made in respect of certain schools or, as the case may be, that school or in respect of any stage or stages of school education provided there than there are places available;

(d) on a request to that effect made to them at any time by a parent of a child, supply the parent with any prescribed or determined information about any school under their management.

In paragraph (d) above, “prescribed or determined information” means information prescribed or determined under subsection (3)(c) below.

(2) An education authority shall, in performing the duties imposed on them by subsection (1) above, comply with any regulations made under subsection (3) below.

(3) The Secretary of State may by regulations prescribe or make provision for the determining of—

(a) the procedure in accordance with which education authorities are to perform the duties imposed on them by subsection (1) above and when they are to do so;

(b) how education authorities are to go about publishing or otherwise making available information under subsection (1) above or informing parents under that subsection;

(c) the kind of information which is to be so published or which is to comprise the information so made available or supplied to parents.

(4) The duty imposed by subsection (1)(b)(ii) above arises only when the existence of the child and the fact that he falls to be placed in a school under their management are known to the education authority.

28C Reference to appeal committee of refusal of placing request

(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) below, a parent who has made a placing request may refer a decision of the education authority refusing his request to an appeal committee set up under section 28D of this Act.

F1(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) Where a reference under this section has been made in respect of a child, no further such reference in respect of the child shall be competent during the period of 12 months beginning with the day on which the immediately preceding such reference was lodged.

(4) A reference under this section shall be lodged with the appeal committee within 28 days of the receipt by the parent of the decision of the education authority (which, if posted, shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to have been received on the day after the date on which it was posted except that a decision posted on a Friday or Saturday shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to have been received on the Monday next following), but the committee shall, on good cause being shown, have power to hear such a reference notwithstanding that it was not lodged within that time.

28D Appeal committees

(1) Every education authority shall—

(a) set up and maintain such number of appeal committees; and

(b) make such other arrangements

as are necessary to enable references to be made under sections 28C, 28E(6), 28F(7), 28H and 63 of this Act and heard by the committees.

(2) An appeal committee set up under subsection (1) above shall be constituted in accordance with Schedule A1 to this Act.

(3) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for procedure in relation to references under section 28C of this Act and regulations made under this subsection may include provision—

(a) requiring the education authority to make information relevant to their decision available to the committee and to the parent referring that decision to the committee;

(b) deeming, for the purposes of this Act, an appeal committee to have confirmed the decision of an education authority on a placing request in the event of the committee’s not having complied with section 28E(3) of this Act within such period or before such date as may be prescribed in the regulations and different periods or dates may be so prescribed for different purposes;

(c) ancillary to or consequential upon provision made under paragraphs (a) and (b) above.

28E Appeal committees: supplementary provisions

(1) An appeal committee may, on a reference under section 28C of this Act, confirm the education authority’s decision if they are satisfied—

(a) that one or more of the grounds of refusal specified in section 28A(3) of this Act exists or exist; and

(b) that, in all the circumstances, it is appropriate to do so

but otherwise shall refuse to confirm the authority’s decision and shall, where they so refuse, require the education authority to place the child to whom the reference relates in the specified school.

(2) Where, in considering a reference under section 28C of this Act of a decision to refuse a placing request where the specified school is a special school, an appeal committee refuse to confirm the decision, they shall have power, if the education authority have decided not to record the child to whom the reference relates, to require the education authority to reconsider their decision not to record him.

(3) An appeal committee shall notify their decision under this section and the reasons for it in writing to the parent who made the reference and to the education authority and, where they confirm the authority’s decision, they shall inform the parent of his right of appeal to the sheriff under section 28F of this Act.

(4) Where, on a reference under section 28C of this Act, an appeal committee refuse to confirm an education authority’s decision, the authority shall give effect to the placing request to which the reference relates.

(5) Where a decision of an appeal committee under this section is inconsistent with any decision of the education authority refusing a placing request to place another child at the same time and at the same stage of education and in the same school as that at and in which the child to whom the appeal committee’s decision relates is to be placed, the education authority shall review their decision so to refuse and shall inform the parent of the other child in writing of their decision upon that review and the reasons for it.

(6) The decision of an education authority upon a review under subsection (5) above not to reverse their decision to refuse the placing request in respect of the other child may be referred to an appeal committee by the parent of the other child as if the decision upon the review were a decision refusing his placing request and the provisions of this Act relating to references of decisions upon placing requests and appeals therefrom (including those relating to appeal committees) shall apply accordingly.

F1(7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

X1(8) In section 23 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975 (authorities subject to investigation by Local Commissioner), at the end of subsection (2), there shall be inserted the following paragraph—

“(f) any appeal committee set up under section 28D of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.”.

28F Appeal to sheriff from appeal committee

(1) A parent who has made a reference under section 28C of this Act may appeal to the sheriff having jurisdiction where the specified school is situated against the decision of an appeal committee on that reference.

(2) The education authority may, but the appeal committee shall not, be a party to an appeal under this section.

(3) An appeal under this section—

(a) shall be made by way of summary application;

(b) shall be lodged with the sheriff clerk within 28 days from the date of receipt of the decision of the appeal committee (which, if posted, shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to have been received on the day after the date on which it was posted, except that a decision posted on a Friday or Saturday shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to have been received on the Monday next following); and

(c) shall be heard in chambers.

(4) On good cause being shown, the sheriff may hear an appeal under this section notwithstanding that it was not lodged within the time mentioned in subsection (3) above.

(5) The sheriff may on an appeal under this section confirm the education authority’s decision if he is satisfied—

(a) that one or more of the grounds of refusal specified in section 28A(3) of this Act exists or exist; and

(b) that, in all the circumstances, it is appropriate to do so

but shall otherwise refuse to confirm their decision and shall, where he so refuses, require the authority to give effect to the placing request to which the appeal relates.

(6) Where the judgment of the sheriff on an appeal under this section is inconsistent with any decision of the education authority (whether confirmed by the appeal committee or not) refusing a placing request to place another child at the same time and at the same stage of education and in the same school as that at and in which the child to whom the judgment relates is to be placed, the education authority shall review their decision so to refuse and shall inform the parent of the other child of their decision upon that review and the reasons for it.

(7) The decision of an education authority upon a review under subsection (6) above not to reverse their decision to refuse the placing request in respect of the other child may be referred to an appeal committee by the parent of the other child as if the decision upon the review were a decision refusing his placing request and the provisions of this Act relating to references of decisions upon placing requests and appeals thereform (including those relating to appeal committees) shall apply accordingly.

(8) The sheriff may make such order as to the expenses of an appeal under this section as he thinks proper.

(9) The judgment of the sheriff on an appeal under this section shall be final.

28G Application of sections 28A to 28F and Schedule A1 to young persons

—Sections 28A to 28F of this Act and Schedule A1 to this Act shall apply in relation to a young person who is a pupil and in that application references in those sections to the parent of a [F1qualifying] child as well as references to the [F1qualifying child himself shall be construed as references to the young person.]

[F1 28H Reference to appeal committee, and appeal therefrom of decision to exclude pupil

(1) Where an education authority decide to exclude a pupil from a school under their management which he attends, the parent of the pupil or, where the pupil is a young person, the pupil may refer the decision to an appeal committee set up under section 28D of this Act.

(2) An appeal committee may, on a reference under this section, confirm or annul the decision of the education authority excluding the pupil and, in confirming a decision of the authority to exclude a pupil until certain conditions stipulated by them are complied with, the committee may modify the conditions.

(3) The decision of an appeal committee on a reference under this section and the reasons for it shall be notified by the committee in writing to the parent or, as the case may be, the pupil making the reference and to the education authority.

(4) A decision of an appeal committee on a reference under this section annulling a decision of an education authority or modifying the conditions subject to which an education authority have excluded a pupil from a school shall be complied with by the authority.

(5) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for procedure in relation to references under this section and regulations made under this subsection may include provision—

(a) requiring the education authority to make information relevant to their decision available to the appeal committee and to the parent or, as the case may be, pupil referring that decision to the committee;

(b) deeming, for the purposes of this Act, an appeal committee to have confirmed the education authority’s decision to exclude a pupil from a school under their management which he attends in the event of the appeal committee’s not having complied with subsection (3) above within such period as may be prescribed in the regulations and different periods may be so prescribed for different purposes.

(6) The decision of an appeal committee confirming an education authority’s decision to exclude a pupil or modifying conditions under subsection (2) above may be appealed against by the parent of the pupil or, where the pupil is a young person, the pupil to the sheriff having jurisdiction where the school from which the pupil has been excluded is situated, and subsections (2), (3), (4), (8) and (9) of section 28F of this Act shall apply to an appeal under this subsection.

(7) The sheriff may, on an appeal under subsection (6) above, confirm or annul the decision of the education authority excluding the pupil and, in confirming a decision excluding the pupil until certain conditions stipulated by them are complied with, he may modify the conditions.]

Information as to schools and pupils

[F128I Information as to schools

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision requiring—

(a) in respect of every school for the management of which an education authority is responsible, the education authority; and

(b) in respect of every other school—

(i) where the school has a board of management, the board of management;

(ii) in any other case, the managers,

to provide to him and to such persons (including education authorities) as may be prescribed such information as regards the school and pupils attending the school as may be prescribed.

(2) For the purposes of this section information about the continuing education of pupils leaving a school, or the employment or training taken up by such pupils on leaving, is to be treated as information about the school.

(3) Where the Secretary of State exercises his power to make regulations under this section he shall do so with a view to making available information which is likely to—

(a) assist parents in choosing schools for their children;

(b) increase public awareness of the quality of the education provided by the schools concerned and the educational standards achieved in those schools; or

(c) assist in assessing the degree of efficiency with which the financial resources of those schools are managed.

(4) Information which is required by virtue of regulations made under this section shall be provided—

(a) in such form and manner; and

(b) on such occasions,

as may be prescribed.

(5) No information provided in accordance with regulations made under this section shall name any pupil to whom it relates.

(6) The Secretary of State may—

(a) publish information provided in accordance with regulations made under this section in such form and manner as he considers appropriate;

(b) require an education authority to publish such information at such times and in such form and manner as he may specify for the purposes of this section; or

(c) make arrangements for such information to be published in such form and manner, and by such persons, as he may specify for the purposes of this section.

(7) The powers given to the Secretary of State by this section and section 28J of this Act may be exercised so as to make different provision in relation to different areas.

(8) This section and sections 28J and 28K of this Act are not to be taken as restricting, or otherwise affecting, any other powers that the Secretary of State may have to make regulations with respect to, or otherwise require, the provision of information by any person.

(9) Regulations made under this section and sections 28J and 28K of this Act may make different provision for different cases or classes of case.

(10) This section does not apply to nursery schools.

F128J Requirement to provide information as to school education

(1) The Secretary of State may make regulations requiring education authorities, boards of management and managers of grant-aided schools to provide to prescribed persons such information or documents or categories of information or documents relating to school education as may be prescribed.

(2) Information or documents provided in pursuance of regulations made under subsection (1) above shall be provided—

(a) in such form and manner; and

(b) on such occasions,

as may be prescribed.

F128K Information as to pupils

(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision requiring that such information and reports as may be prescribed as regards pupils attending schools to which this section applies shall be supplied to the parents of such pupils at such times and in such form and manner as may be determined by or in accordance with the regulations.

(2) This section applies to any school which is not a grant-aided school, an independent school or a nursery school.

(3) Regulations made under this section may contain provision as to—

(a) the means of involvement of parents in consideration of such reports; and

(b) the extent to which any information relating to general standards of performance in examinations or other forms of assessment of any group of pupils shall be supplied to parents of other pupils.]

F129 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Duty of parents to provide education for their children

30 Duty of parents to provide education for their children

[F1(1)] It shall be the duty of the parent of every child of school age to provide efficient education for him suitable to his age, ability and aptitude either by causing him to attend a public school regularly or by other means.

[F2(2) Section 1 of the Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc. Act 2000 (asp 6) (right of child to be provided with school education by, or by virtue of arrangements made by, an education authority) is without prejudice to the choice afforded a parent by subsection (1) above.]

31 School age

Subject to sections 32(3) and 33(2) and (4) of this Act, a person is of school age if he has attained the age of five years and has not attained the age of sixteen years.

32 Dates for commencement of school attendance

(1) Subject to subsection (7) below, an education authority shall fix a date or dates (any such fixed date being hereinafter referred to as a “school commencement date”) for the commencement of attendance at primary schools in their area; and any such date may be either a calendar date or fixed by reference to the occurrence of a particular annual event.

(2) Subject to subsection (7) below, an education authority may, under subsection (1) above—

(a) fix different school commencement dates for different primary schools in their area;

(b) at any time fix a different school commencement date in substitution for any date previously fixed by them under the said subsection (1).

(3) A child who does not attain the age of five years on a school commencement date shall, for the purposes of section 31 of this Act, be deemed not to have attained that age until the school commencement date next following the fifth anniversary of his birth.

(4) Subject to subsection (7) below, an education authority shall, in respect of each school commencement date fixed by them under subsection (1) above and applicable to a public primary school, fix the latest following date (any such fixed date being hereinafter referred to as an “appropriate latest date”) on or before which a child must attain the age of five years in order to come within the category of children whom the authority consider of sufficient age to commence attendance at a public primary school at that school commencement date.

(5) Subject to subsection (7) below, an education authority may, under subsection (4) above—

(a) where a school commencement date is applicable to more than one public primary school in their area, fix in respect of that school commencement date different appropriate latest dates for those different schools;

(b) at any time fix a different appropriate latest date in substitution for any date previously fixed by them under the said subsection (4).

(6) The education authority shall carry out their duty under section 1 of this Act as if a child who is under school age on a school commencement date, but who will attain the age of five years on or before the next following appropriate latest date fixed in respect of the school commencement date, has attained the age of five years on the school commencement date; but nothing in this subsection or in subsection (4) above shall, in respect of a child under school age,—

(a) impose any duty on his parent; or

(b) require an education authority to take any action under section 36 or 37 of this Act.

(7) The period between an appropriate latest date applicable to a school and the next following school commencement date applicable to that school (whether or not the school commencement date is that in respect of which the appropriate latest date is fixed) shall not, except with the approval of the Secretary of State on an application to him by the education authority, exceed six months by more than seven days:

(8) In relation to any child, “school commencement date”—

(a) in subsection (3) above—

(i) means, where the child is a pupil in attendance at a primary school, a school commencement date of that school;

(ii) in any other case has the same meaning as in subsection (6) above;

(b) in subsection (6) above means a school commencement date of the public primary school to which a child of his religious denomination and from his place of residence would normally be admitted.

(9) In this section, “primary school” does not include a nursery school or a nursery class.

33 School leaving dates

(1) The last day of May (hereinafter referred to as the “summer leaving date”) and the appropriate day in December (hereinafter referred to as the “winter leaving date”) shall be the school leaving dates in each year.

(2) Subject to subsection (4) below, for the purposes of section 31 of this Act a person shall, if the date of his attaining the age of sixteen years is—

(a) on or after 1st March but before the next summer leaving date, be deemed not to have attained that age until the summer leaving date;

(b) after the summer leaving date but before 1st October next following that date, be deemed to have attained that age on the summer leaving date;

(c) on or after 1st October but before the next winter leaving date, be deemed not to have attained that age until the winter leaving date;

(d) after the winter leaving date but before 1st March next following that date, be deemed to have attained that age on the winter leaving date.

(3) In subsection (1) above, “the appropriate day in December” means—

(a) in the case of a person who is a pupil in attendance at a school, the first day of the Christmas holiday period;

(b) in any other case, 21st December,

and in paragraph (a) of this subsection, “Christmas holiday period” means a period of consecutive days which includes 25th December and in which the school does not meet for the purpose of providing school education.

(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

34 Exemption from school attendance

(1) Where after due inquiry an education authority are satisfied that by reason of any circumstances existing at his home it would cause exceptional hardship to require a child over fourteen years of age to attend school, they may grant exemption from the obligation to attend school to enable the said child to give assistance at home upon such conditions, if any, as to the amount and manner of further attendance at school until the child reaches the upper limit of the school age as the authority think fit.

(2) No exemption granted under subsection (1) above shall extend beyond the date for commencing school attendance next following the date upon which the exemption was granted:

(3) An exemption granted under this section shall exempt the parent of the child concerned from any prosecution or other proceeding under this Act for neglecting to provide for the education of the said child.

(4) The education authority shall keep a register of exemptions granted under this section wherein shall be entered the name of each child so exempted and a statement of the circumstances in which and the conditions upon which such exemption was granted.

Failure of parents to provide education for their children

35 Failure by parent to secure regular attendance by his child at a public school

(1) Where a child of school age who has attended a public school on one or more occasions fails without reasonable excuse to attend regularly at the said school, then, unless the education authority have consented to the withdrawal of the child from the school (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), his parent shall be guilty of an offence against this section.

(2) For the purposes of this section, a child who has been required to discontinue for any period his attendance at a school on account of his parent’s refusal or failure to comply with the rules, regulations or disciplinary requirements of the school, shall, unless the court otherwise determines, be deemed to have failed without reasonable excuse to attend regularly at the school.

36 Power of education authority in relation to irregular attendance of child at a public school

(1) It shall be the duty of the education authority if they consider that a parent has committed an offence against section 35 of this Act in respect of a child resident in their area, to serve a notice on the parent requiring him, within such time as may be specified in the notice (not being less than forty-eight hours or more than seven days from the service thereof) to appear (with or without the child) before the authority and explain the reason for the absence of the child from school. If the parent fails to satisfy the authority that he had a reasonable excuse, the authority may

[F1(a)] instruct that he be prosecuted forthwith under section 43 of this Act, [F2in the court of summary jurisdiction in which proceedings may be taken for the offence, not being the district court; or

(b) report the circumstances to the procurator fiscal or] warn the parent and postpone for a period not exceeding six weeks a decision as to whether [F3so to report].

(2) Where an education authority in the exercise of the powers conferred upon them by subsection (1) above postpone a decision as to whether to prosecute a parent, they may, if the child is still of school age, make an attendance order in respect of the child in accordance with the provisions of section 38 of this Act requiring the parent to cause the child to attend the public school which he has been attending, or, if the child has changed his residence, a school attended by children residing in the same neighbourhood as the child.

(3) Without prejudice to the institution of proceedings for an offence against section 35 of this Act or the exercise of the power conferred by section 44(1) of this Act, where a child of school age has failed to attend a public school regularly, the education authority [F4, where no requirement arises under section 53(1) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 to give information about the child to the Principal Reporter, may under this subsection provide the Principal Reporter with such information.]

37 Power of education authority where not satisfied that parent is providing efficient education for his child

(1) Where a child of school age has not attended a public school in the area in which his parent is residing, or has attended such a school and has been withdrawn therefrom with the consent of, or excluded by, the education authority, then, if the authority are not satisfied that the parent is providing efficient education for him suitable to his age, ability and aptitude, it shall be the duty of the authority to serve a notice on the parent requiring him within such time as may be specified in the notice (not being less than seven or more than fourteen days from the service thereof) either—

(a) to appear (with or without the child) before the authority and give such information as the authority may require regarding the means, if any, he has adopted for providing education, or

(b) in the option of the parent, to give such information to the authority in writing.

(2) If a parent on whom a notice has been served in pursuance of subsection (1) above fails to satisfy the authority that he is providing efficient education for the child suitable to his age, ability and aptitude or that there is reasonable excuse for his failure to do so, the authority shall make an attendance order in respect of the child in accordance with the provisions of section 38 of this Act.

Attendance orders

38 Making of attendance orders

(1) References in sections 36 and 37 of this Act, and in the following provisions of this Act, to an attendance order in respect of a child are references to an order in writing requiring the parent of the child to cause the child to attend a school named in the order, being either a public school, or a school (other than a public school) the managers of which are willing to receive the child.

(2) In an attendance order in respect of a child—

(a) a school at which the parent will be required to pay fees shall not be named except at the request of the parent; and

[F1(b) a special school shall not be named unless the child is a recorded child.]

(3) Before making an attendance order under section 36 or 37 of this Act, the education authority shall consider any views expressed by the parent as to the school which he desires his child to attend.

(4) The authority shall cause a copy of any attendance order made by them under section 36 or 37 of this Act to be served upon the parent, and it shall thereupon be the duty of the parent, subject to an appeal to the sheriff under subsection (5) below, to cause the child to attend regularly at the school named in the order.

(5) A parent aggrieved by the making of an attendance order by an education authority may within fourteen days after the date upon which a copy of the order was served upon him under subsection (4) above appeal against it to the sheriff, who may confirm, vary or annul the order and whose decision shall be final.

39 Amendment and revocation of attendance orders

(1) An education authority who have made an attendance order in respect of any child may at any time while the order is in force serve upon the parent of the said child a notice of their intention to amend the order by substituting the name of another school for that named in the order.

(2) Where a child in respect of whom an attendance order is in force moves his residence, the education authority of the area to which the child has moved may serve upon the parent of the said child a notice of their intention to amend that order by substituting for the name of the school appearing in the order the name of a school attended by children residing in the same neighbourhood as the child.

(3) The parent may within fourteen days of the service of a notice under subsection (1) or (2) above intimate in writing to the authority any objections he may have to the proposed amendment. After the expiry of the said period of fourteen days and after considering any objections made by the parent, the authority may amend the attendance order, and subsections (2), (4) and (5) of section 38 of this Act shall apply in the case of the amended attendance order as they apply in the case of an attendance order.

(4) If at any time while an attendance order is in force with respect to any child the parent of the child makes application to the authority by whom the order was made or amended requesting—

(a) that another school be substituted for that named in the order, or

(b) that the order be revoked on the ground that arrangements have been made for the child to receive efficient education suitable to his age, ability and aptitude at a school other than that named in the order or elsewhere than at school,

the authority shall amend or revoke the order in compliance with the request unless they are of opinion that the proposed change of school is unreasonable or inexpedient in the interests of the child, or that the arrangements made for the education of the child at a school other than that named in the order or elsewhere than at school are not satisfactory, as the case may be; and, if a parent is aggrieved by a failure of the authority to reach a decision upon his application within one month after the date thereof or by refusal of the authority to comply with any such request, he may appeal to the sheriff, who shall give such direction as he thinks fit.

40 Period of operation of attendance orders

An attendance order made in respect of any child shall, subject to any amendment thereof made by an education authority or variation made by the sheriff, and unless revoked by an authority or annulled by the sheriff, continue in force so long as the child is of school age:

41 Failure to comply with attendance order

Where an attendance order has been made and is in force in respect of any child, and a copy of such order has been served on the parent of the child, the parent shall, if the order is not complied with, be guilty of an offence against this section unless he satisfies the court that he has a reasonable excuse.

Reasonable Excuses

42 Reasonable excuses

(1) For the purposes of sections 35, 36, 37, 41 and 44 of this Act, there shall [F1, subject to subsection (1A) below,] be deemed to be a reasonable excuse if—

(a) there is within walking distance of the child’s home measured by the nearest available route no public or other school the managers of which are willing to receive the child and to provide him with free education, and either—

(i) no arrangements have been made by the education authority under section 50 or 51 of this Act with regard to the child; or

(ii) any arrangements so made are such as to require the child to walk more than walking distance in the course of any journey between his home and school; or

(b) the child has been prevented by sickness from attending school or receiving education as the case may be; or

(c) there are other circumstances which in the opinion of the education authority or the court afford a reasonable excuse.

[F2(1A) Subsection (1) above shall not apply in a case where—

(a) the education authority have, in accordance with their arrangements as published or otherwise made available under section 28B(1)(a) of this Act, proposed to place the child in a particular school or in one of a number of schools named by them and, where the particular or named school is more than walking distance from the pupil’s home measured by the nearest available route, they have offered to make for him suitable arrangements of the kind referred to in section 50 or 51 of this Act under which he would not require to walk more than walking distance, so measured, in the course of any journey between his home and the school; but

(b) in consequence of a placing request, the child has been placed by them in a school other than a school referred to in paragraph (a) above,

and in such a case, for the purposes of sections 35, 36, 37, 41 and 44 of this Act, there shall be deemed to be a reasonable excuse if—

(i) the child has been prevented by sickness from attending school or receiving education as the case may be; or

(ii) there are other circumstances which in the opinion of the education authority or the court afford a reasonable excuse.]

(2) The fact that an application to an education authority, or an appeal to the sheriff, has been made under section 39(4) of this Act in relation to an attendance order in respect of a child shall not be deemed to be a reasonable excuse for failure to cause the child to attend regularly at the school named in the order.

(3) Where a parent alleges that his child has been prevented by sickness from attending school or receiving education as the case may be, the parent shall, if required by the education authority, permit a medical officer of the appropriate Health Board to examine the child, and any parent who fails to do so shall be guilty of an offence against this section.

(4) In this section—

• “walking distance” means, in the case of a child who has not attained the age of eight years, two miles, and in the case of any other child, three miles;

• “the appropriate Health Board”, in relation to any child, means—

  (a)

  where an attendance order is in force in respect of the child, the Health Board in whose area the school named in the order is situated;

  (b)

  in any other case, the Health Board in whose area the place of residence of the child is situated.

Prosecutions

43 Prosecutions and penalties

(1) Any person guilty of an offence against section 35, 41 or 42 of this Act shall be liable, on conviction by a court of summary jurisdiction, [F1to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale] or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month or to both such fine and such imprisonment.

(2) Proceedings under this section [F2, other than in the district court,] may be taken at the instance either of the public prosecutor of the court of summary jurisdiction in which the proceedings are to be taken or of another person authorised by the education authority to institute proceedings on their behalf.

44 Powers of Courts in relation to child

F1(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) If the court before which a prosecution is brought for an offence against section 35 of this Act is satisfied that a child has failed without reasonable excuse to attend regularly at school, but does not, in the exercise of the powers conferred upon it by [F2section 54(1) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, refer the matter to the Principal Reporter], the court may, if the child is still of school age, make an attendance order in respect of the child requiring the parent to cause the child to attend the public school which he has been attending or, if the child has changed his residence, a school attended by children residing in the same neighbourhood as the child; and subsections (2) and (3) of section 38 and sections 39 to 41 of this Act shall apply with any necessary modifications to an attendance order made by a court under this section as they apply to an attendance order made by an education authority.

45—48. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

[F1 Corporal Punishment

F148A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]

Provision to assist pupils to take advantage of educational facilities

49 Power of education authorities to assist persons to take advantage of educational facilities

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, an education authority shall have power to grant, on such conditions as may be prescribed, and make payments in pursuance of, bursaries, scholarships or other allowances to persons over school age attending courses of full-time or part-time education (whether held in Scotland or elsewhere) which are not courses of school education or (in the case of courses held outside Scotland) are not courses of education comparable to school education in Scotland.

(2) Subject to the following provisions of this section, an education authority shall have power, for the purpose of enabling persons to take advantage without hardship to themselves or their parents of the facilities for school education available to them, to grant, on such conditions as may be prescribed, and make payments in pursuance of, allowances for the purpose of defraying in whole or in part—

(a) such expenses of persons attending any school as may be expedient to enable them to take full part in the activities of the school;

(b) the fees and expenses payable in respect of persons attending schools at which fees are payable;

(c) the maintenance expenses of persons over school age who are attending schools.

[F1(2A) In subsection (2) above, references to attending school are to so attending not only where the school is in Scotland, but also where it is in England and Wales or in Northern Ireland (“school education” being construed accordingly).]

(3) The Secretary of State may make regulations providing that the powers conferred on an education authority by subsections (1) and (2) above—

(a) shall be exercised in accordance with such provisions as may be prescribed by or under the regulations; and

(b) shall not be exercised in relation to a person who does not fulfil such requirements as to residence in the area of the authority, or as to other matters, as may be specified in the regulations;

and regulations made under this subsection may contain provision for the determination by the Secretary of State of any question whether any such requirements are fulfilled in any particular case.

50 Education of pupils in exceptional circumstances

(1) Where in the opinion of an education authority—

(a) any pupil is, owing to the remoteness of his home or the conditions under which he is living or other exceptional circumstances, unable to receive the full benefit of school education unless special arrangements are made for him, or

(b) school education suitable to the age, ability and aptitude of any pupil can best be provided for him at any particular school, F1

(c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2

the authority [F3, in a case where subsection (3) applies, may and, in any other case, subject to subsection (4) below,] shall, after consultation with the parent F4, make such arrangements of either a temporary or a permanent character as they think best suited to the purpose of enabling that pupil to attend [F5, in any case falling under—

(i) paragraph (a) of this subsection, an appropriate school; and

(ii) paragraph (b) thereof, the particular school.]

[F6(1A) In subsection (1) above, references to an appropriate school and to a particular school are references not only to schools in Scotland but also to schools in England and Wales or in Northern Ireland (“school education” being construed accordingly).]

(2) The arrangements made under subsection (1) above may include—

(a) the provision of travelling facilities or the payment of travelling expenses under [F7subsection (1) of section 51 of this Act (for the purposes of this paragraph, any reference in that section to a school being construed as a reference not only to a school in Scotland but also to a school in England and Wales or in Northern Ireland)]; or

(b) the accommodation of the pupil at a boarding school F4 or in a hostel, home or other institution; or

(c) other provision of board and lodging, provided that the education authority shall, so far as practicable, give effect to the wishes of the parent with respect to the religious denomination of the person with whom the pupil will reside; or

(d) provision for the travelling, board and lodging of teachers.

[F8(3) This subsection applies where—

(a) the education authority have, in accordance with [F9— (i)]their arrangements as published or otherwise made available under section 28B(1)(a) of this Act

[ F10(ii) any arrangements made by them under section 23(1A) of this Act; or

(iii) the arrangements subsisting before the establishment of new local government areas under Part I of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and continuing by virtue of section 23(1C) of this Act], proposed to place the pupil in a particular school or in one of a number of schools named by them and have, in connection with that proposal, made or offered to make for the pupil suitable arrangements of the kind referred to in subsection (2) above; but

(b) in consequence of a placing request, the pupil has been placed by them [F11or another education authority]in a school other than a school referred to in paragraph (a) above.

(4) The duty imposed by subsection (1)(a) or (b) above does not apply where the pupil belongs (in accordance with section 23(3) of this Act) to the area of some other education authority or of a local education authority in England and Wales.]

51 Provision of transport and other facilities

(1) An education authority [F1, in a case to which subsection (2A) [F2or (2AB)] below applies, may and, in any other case, subject to subsection (2B) below] shall make such arrangements as they consider necessary for the provision of any of the following facilities in respect of pupils attending schools or other educational establishments—

(a) for their conveyance without charge for the whole or part of the journey between their homes and the schools or other educational establishments which they are attending;

(b) for making bicycles or other suitable means of transport available to the pupils, or to their parents for the use of the pupils, upon such terms and conditions as may be arranged, or for paying money allowances in lieu thereof;

(c) for paying the whole or any part, as the authority think fit, of their reasonable travelling expenses,

and any such arrangement may in respect of any pupil make provision for more than one of the facilities specified in the foregoing paragraphs of this subsection.

(2) Where the requirements of pupils, for the conveyance of whom arrangements have been made by an education authority under subsection (1)(a) above, have been met, it shall be the duty of that authority, where there are any vacant places in any vehicle used for such conveyance, to allow such vacant places to be used without charge by other pupils to be selected by the authority.

[F3(2A) This subsection applies where—

(a) the education authority have, in accordance with [F4—

(i)] their arrangements as published or otherwise made available under section 28B(1)(a) of this Act

[ F5(ii) any arrangements made by them under section 23(1A) of this Act; or

(iii) the arrangements subsisting before the establishment of new local government areas under Part I of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and continuing by virtue of section 23(1C) of this Act], proposed to place the pupil in a particular school or in one of a number of schools named by them and, where the particular or named school is more than walking distance from the pupil’s home measured by the nearest available route, they have offered to make for him suitable arrangements of the kind referred to in subsection (1) above under which he would not require to walk more than walking distance, so measured, in the course of any journey between his home and the school; but

(b) in consequence of a placing request, the pupil has been placed by them [F6or another education authority] in a school other than a school referred to in paragraph (a) above.

In this subsection “walking distance” has the same meaning as in section 42 of this Act.

[F7(2AB) This subsection applies—

(a) where the pupil is in attendance at a self-governing school but lives outwith an area for the time being specified in relation to that school by the Secretary of State by order under this subsection; or

(b) where the pupil lives within that area and either—

(i) his parent has not applied to the board of management, under paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 2 to the Self-Governing Schools etc. (Scotland) Act 1989, for the pupil’s admission to the school; or

(ii) his parent has so applied and they are prepared to admit the pupil, but the pupil is not in such attendance;

and paragraph 8 of the said Schedule 2 shall apply in relation to references in this subsection as that paragraph applies to references in paragraphs 2 to 7 of that Schedule.

(2AC) An order under subsection (2AB) above may be revoked, and a new area specified in relation to the school, by a further order under that subsection; but before making any such order, or further order, the Secretary of State shall consult the board of management of the school and the education authority within whose area the school is situated.]

[ F8(2AD) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) above, the duty imposed by that subsection applies in cases where a pupil attends a school or educational establishment under the management of another education authority—

(a) in accordance with any arrangements made by them under section 23(1A) of this Act;

(b) in accordance with the arrangements subsisting before the establishment of new local government areas under Part I of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 and continuing by virtue of section 23(1C) of this Act; or

(c) if at the time when the pupil was placed in that school or educational establishment it was under the management of the education authority for the area to which the pupil belonged, and is under the management of another education authority as a consequence of the establishment of such new local government areas.]

(2B) The duty imposed by subsection (1) above does not apply where the pupil belongs (in accordance with section 23(3) of this Act) to the area of some other education authority or of a local education authority in England and Wales.]

[ F9(2C) In considering whether to make any arrangements under subsection (1) above in respect of pupils attending schools, an education authority shall have regard to the safety of such pupils.]

(3) Where as a condition of admission to any educational institution a person is required to attend for examination or interview at a particular place, the education authority may pay the whole or part of the expenses necessarily incurred by that person in respect of such attendance.

[F10(4) In this section “school” does not include a nursery school or a nursery class in a school.]

52 Recovery of cost of board and lodging

—Where an education authority have provided a pupil with board and lodging, whether at a school, F1 hostel or elsewhere, the authority may, in their discretion, require the parent to pay to them in respect thereof such sums if any not exceeding the cost of such board and lodging as in the opinion of the authority he is able without financial hardship to pay:

(i) where the board and lodging provided for any pupil were so provided under arrangements made by the authority for any of the reasons specified in section 50(1) of this Act, no sum shall be recoverable in respect thereof under this section; and

(ii) where the board and lodging have been so provided for a young person F1 under section 13 of this Act, at [F2an] educational establishment, the authority, if satisfied that he is in a financial position to pay the whole or any part of a sum recoverable from his parent under this section, may recover that sum or that part thereof from the young person instead of from the parent.

Provision of food and clothing

53 Provision of school meals

(1) An education authority—

(a) may provide milk, meals or other refreshment for pupils in attendance at public schools and other educational establishments under their management [F1and may do so either on the premises or at any place other than the school premises where education is being provided]; and

(b) shall provide such facilities as the authority consider appropriate for the consumption of any meals or other refreshment brought to the school or other educational establishment by such pupils.

[F2(2) Subject to subsection (3) below, an authority must charge for anything provided by them under subsection (1)(a) above and must charge every pupil the same price for the same quantity of the same item.

[F3(3) Subsection (3AA) below applies in relation to a pupil—

(a) whose parents are in receipt of—

(i) income support;

(ii) an income-based jobseeker’s allowance (payable under the M1Jobseekers Act 1995); or

(iii) support provided under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; or

(b) who is himself in receipt of income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance.

(3AA) An]authority shall so exercise the power conferred by subsection (1)(a) above as to ensure that such provision is made for [F4the pupil] in the middle of the day as appears to the authority to be requisite and shall make that provision for him free of charge. ]

[F5(3A) [F6Subsections (1) to (3AA)] above apply in relation to pupils in attendance at a self-governing school and the board of management of that school as they apply in relation to pupils in attendance at a public school and the education authority under whose management the public school is.]

(4) For the purposes of this section, a pupil for whom an education authority have made special arrangements under section 14 of this Act may, at the discretion of the authority, be deemed to be in attendance at a public school under their management.

54 Provision of clothing for pupils at public schools

(1) When it is brought to the notice of an education authority that a pupil attending a school under their management [F1, or a self-governing school,] is unable by reason of the inadequacy or unsuitability of his clothing to take full advantage of the education provided, the education authority shall make such provision for the pupil for the purpose of ensuring that he is sufficiently and suitably clad as they may deem necessary during such period while the pupil is attending school (including days when the school does not meet) as they may determine.

(2) Where an education authority make provision for a pupil in pursuance of this section, they shall be entitled to recover from the parent of the pupil the expense thereby incurred or, if the authority are satisfied that the parent is unable without financial hardship to pay the whole of that expense, such part thereof, if any, as he is, in the opinion of the authority, able without financial hardship to pay.

(3) Without prejudice to any powers conferred upon them by subsections (1) and (2) above, an education authority may provide clothing free of charge—

(i) for any pupil who is a boarder at a school, or

(ii) for any pupil in attendance at a nursery school or a nursery class,

under the management of the authority [F2; or for any pupil who is a boarder at a self-governing school].

(4) For the purposes of this section—

(a) a pupil on attaining the age of five years shall, pending his admission to school, be deemed to be attending a school under the management of the education authority in whose area he is ordinarily resident; and

(b) [F3a recorded child or recorded young person in respect of whom an education authority are, under section 62(3) of this Act, under a duty] shall be deemed to be attending a school under the management of that authority.

55 Provision of food and clothing for pupils at schools other than public schools

An education authority may, with the consent of the managers of any school in their area which is not a public school, and upon such financial and other terms, if any, as may be determined by agreement between the authority and the managers, make arrangements for securing—

(a) the provision of milk, meals and other refreshment for pupils in attendance at the school; and

(b) [F1except in relation to a school which is a self-governing school,] the provision, for any pupil in attendance at the school who is unable by reason of the inadequacy or unsuitability of his clothing to take full advantage of the education (including physical exercise) provided by the school, of such clothing as is necessary for the purpose of ensuring that he is sufficiently and suitably clad while he remains a pupil at the school.

56 Condition of provision of clothing by education authorities

Save as may be otherwise prescribed, provision of clothing by an education authority under any of the powers conferred by this Act may be made in such a way as to confer, at the option of the authority, either a right of property in the clothing or a right to use it only.

Health and cleanliness of pupils

57 Medical and dental examination and inspection

(1) The Secretary of State may make regulations as to the conduct of medical and dental examinations and medical and dental inspections for the purposes of the performance of his duties under section 39 of the M1National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978.

[F1(2) For the purpose of securing the proper medical or dental inspection of the pupils and young persons for whom there is a duty under the said section 39 to provide such inspection, an education authority may require the parent of any pupil in attendance at any school under their management to submit the pupil for medical or dental inspection in accordance with arrangements made by the appropriate Health Board in agreement with the authority; and the authority may require any young person in attendance at any educational establishment under their management to submit for such medical or dental inspection.]

(3) If any [F2parent] fails without reasonable excuse to comply with a requirement made by an education authority [F3or board of management] under subsection (2) above, he shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction by a court of summary jurisdiction to a fine not exceeding [F4£10][F4level 1 on the standard scale].

(4) In this section “the appropriate Health Board”, in relation to any pupil or young person, means the Health Board in whose area is situated the school, F5 or other educational establishment at which the pupil or young person is in attendance.

58 Power to ensure cleanliness

(1) An education authority may, by directions in writing issued with respect to all schools, F1 and other educational establishments under their management or with respect to any of such schools, F2 or establishments named in the directions [F3, and the board of management of any self-governing school may by notice in writing issued with respect to that school], authorise a medical officer of the appropriate Health Board to cause examinations to be made of the bodies and clothing of all or any of the pupils in attendance at such schools [F4(or as the case may be at that school)] and young persons in attendance at such F1 establishments whenever in his opinion such examinations are necessary in the interests of cleanliness.

(2) Any such examination as aforesaid shall be made by such medical officer or by a person authorised in writing by him to make such examinations (in this section referred to as an “authorised person”), and, if the body or clothing of any pupil or young person is found upon such an examination to be infested with vermin or in a foul condition, the authority [F5, or in the case of a self-governing school, the board of management,] may serve upon the parent of such pupil or upon the young person a notice requiring the parent to cause the body and clothing of the pupil to be cleansed or the young person to cause himself and his clothing to be cleansed as the case may be.

(3) A notice served under subsection (2) above shall inform the person upon whom it is served that, unless within the period limited by the notice, not being more than twenty-four hours after the service thereof, the body and clothing of the pupil or young person to whom the notice relates are cleansed to the satisfaction of the medical officer or an authorised person as may be specified in the notice, the cleansing thereof will be carried out under arrangements made by the education authority [F6, or in the case of a self-governing school the board of management]; and, if at the expiration of that period the medical officer or an authorised person is not satisfied that the body and clothing of the pupil or young person have been properly cleansed, the medical officer or an authorised person may issue an order directing that the body and clothing of the pupil or young person be cleansed under such arrangements. The order shall be sufficient to authorise any officer of the authority [F7, or in the case of a self-governing school any officer appointed by the board of management,] to cause the body and clothing of the pupil or young person named in the order to be cleansed in accordance with such arrangements, and for that purpose to convey him to the premises where the cleansing is to be carried out and to detain him there until such time as the cleansing has been completed.

(4) It shall be the duty of the education authority [F8, or as the case may be the board of management] to make arrangements for securing that any cleansing under this section, whether at the request of a parent or young person or in pursuance of an order issued under this section, may be carried out in suitable premises by suitable persons and with suitable appliances.

(5) If after the cleansing of the body or clothing of any pupil or young person has been carried out under this section his body or clothing is again found to be infested with vermin or in a foul condition at any time while he is in attendance at such school, F1 or other educational establishment, and it is proved that the condition of his body or clothing is due to neglect on the part of his parent, or, in the case of a young person in attendance at [F9an] educational establishment, to his own neglect, the parent or the young person, as the case may be, shall be liable on conviction by a court of summary jurisdiction in the case of a first conviction to a fine not exceeding £1, in the case of a second conviction to a fine not exceeding £5, and in the case of a third or subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding £10 or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding one month or to both such fine and such imprisonment.

(6) Where such a medical officer or authorised person has reason to believe that the body or clothing of any pupil or young person in attendance at such school, F1 or other educational establishment is infested with vermin or in a foul condition, but action for the examination or cleansing thereof cannot immediately be taken, he shall so advise the authority [F10, or as the case may be the board of management], who may, if they consider it necessary so to do in the interests either of the pupil or young person or of other children or young persons in attendance at the school, F2 or other educational establishment, direct that the pupil or young person be excluded from the school, F2 or other educational establishment until such action has been taken; and such a direction shall be a defence to any proceedings under this Act in respect of the failure of the pupil or young person to attend school or to comply with the requirements of an attendance notice, as the case may be, on any day on which he is excluded in pursuance of the direction, unless it is proved that the issue of the direction was necessitated by the wilful default of the parent or of the young person.

(7) No female shall be examined or cleansed under the powers conferred by this section except by a registered medical practitioner or by a woman authorised ?for that purpose by a medical officer of a Health Board.

(8) In this section “the appropriate Health Board” has the same meaning as in section 57 of this Act.

Children requiring special education

59 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

[F160 Functions of education authority in relation to children and young persons with certain special educational needs

(1) It shall be the duty of an education authority to disseminate in their area information as to the importance of the early discovery of special educational needs and as to the opportunity for assessment available under the following provisions of this Act.

(2) An education authority—

(a) shall have power, as regards—

(i) children in their area who have not attained school age [F2and are not children in respect of whom the authority is under a duty by virtue of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b) below]; and

(ii) young persons belonging to their area (in accordance with section 23(3) of this Act) who are receiving school education; and

(b) shall be under a duty, as regards children belonging to their area (in accordance with section 23(3) of this Act) who

[F3(i) are of school age][F4; or]

[F5(ii) have not attained school age but, being at least two years of age, have come to the attention of the authority as having, or appearing to have, special educational needs,]

in accordance with the provisions of section 61 of this Act, to establish which of those children or, as the case may be, young persons have pronounced, specific or complex special educational needs which are such as require continuing review and to open and keep a Record of Needs of each such child or young person.

(3) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, “Record”, when used as a noun, means a Record of Needs opened and kept under subsection (2) above and “recorded” and other cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly.

(4) A Record shall not be disclosed by an education authority otherwise than in accordance with regulations made under section 65D(1)(e) of this Act.

(5) The power of an education authority under subsection (2)(a) (ii) above shall be exercisable in relation to a young person only on a request to that effect being made to the authority by the young person or his parent.

61 Examination and assessment of children and young persons

(1) It shall not be lawful for an education authority to establish, under section 60 of this Act, that a child has pronounced, specific or complex special educational needs such as require continuing review and to record him unless he has undergone a [F1process of observation and assessment (including educational, psychological and medical assessments)], for the purpose of affording to the authority advice as to his special educational needs and whether or not they ought to record him; and before doing so, an authority shall—

(a) invite the parent of that child by notice in writing to submit the child for [F2assessment] for the said purpose, and

(b) (in the case of a child [F3in respect of whom the authority is under a duty under section 60(2) of this Act]) if the parent fails without reasonable excuse to submit the child as aforesaid, by notice in writing served upon the parent require him to submit the child for [F2assessment] for the said purpose.

(2) A parent who submits his child for [F4assessment] in pursuance of subsection (1) above or subsection (6) below shall be entitled to be present at [F5any medical examination held in connection with the assessment].

(3) A notice under paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1) above in respect of any child shall—

(a) state that the purpose of the [F6assessment] is to afford to the education authority advice as to his special educational needs and whether or not they ought to record the child;

(b) specify the times and places at which [F7any examinations held in connection with the assessment] will be held;

(c) inform the parent of his right to be present at [F8any medical examination held in connection with the assessment];

(d) inform the parent of the name of the officer of the authority from whom advice and further information may be obtained;

(e) invite the parent to express in writing to the authority, within 21 days from the date of the notice or such longer period as the notice may specify, his views as regards the special educational needs of the child and the measures required to meet those needs;

and a notice under the said paragraph (b) shall in addition inform the parent of the effect of subsection (4) below.

(4) If any parent on whom a notice has been served under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) above fails without reasonable excuse to comply with the requirements of the notice, he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F9£50][F9level 2 on the standard scale].

(5) The duty imposed by section 60(2) of this Act shall not apply if the parent of the child has had notice served upon him under subsection (1)(b) above and has failed to comply with that notice.

(6) If the parent of any child requests the education authority for the area to which the child belongs (in accordance with section 23(3) of this Act) to make arrangements for the child to undergo such process of [F10observation and] assessment as is mentioned in subsection (1) above for the purpose mentioned there, the authority shall comply with the request unless in their opinion the request is unreasonable.

(7) It shall not be lawful for an education authority to establish, under section 60 of this Act, that a young person has pronounced, specific or complex special educational needs such as require continuing review and to record him unless—

(a) that young person has undergone such process of [F11observation and] assessment as the authority consider necessary for the purpose of affording to them advice as to his special educational needs and whether or not they ought to record him; and

(b) that young person or, where the education authority are satisfied that a young person is not capable of expressing his views for the purposes of this section, his parent has been invited by the authority, by notice in writing, to express to the authority, within 14 days from the date of the notice or such longer period as the notice may specify, his views as regards the special educational needs of the young person and the? measures required to meet those needs.

62 Recording of children and young persons

(1) In deciding whether or not to record a child or young person an education authority shall take into consideration—

(a) in the case of a child, the advice given to them with respect to the child in consequence of the process of [F1observation and] assessment undergone by him in pursuance of section 61(1) or (6) of this Act;

(b) in the case of a young person, the advice given to them with respect to the young person in consequence of the process of [F1observation and] assessment undergone by him in pursuance of section 61(7) of this Act;

(c) any views expressed by the parent of the child, or by the young person or, where the education authority were satisfied that the young person was not capable of expressing his views for the purposes of section 61(7) of this Act, his parent;

(d) if he has been at any time in attendance at any school other than one under their management, any reports or other information with respect to him obtained by them from the managers of the school or from teachers at the school;

(e) any other reports or information relevant to his educational needs which they are able to obtain.

(2) The decision of an education authority whether or not to record a child or young person, the reasons for that decision and the terms in which the education authority propose to record the child or young person shall be intimated forthwith by notice in writing to the parent of the child or, in a case where the authority were satisfied that the young person was not capable of expressing his views for the purposes of section 61(7) of this Act, to his parent or, in any other case, to the young person, and the education authority shall, in recording the child or young person, have regard to any views expressed upon these terms by the parent of the child or of the young person or, as the case may be, the young person, within 14 days of the date of the notice, and thereafter notify him of—

(a) their decision as to those terms;

(b) the right of appeal under section 63 of this Act; and

(c) the name and address of the person to whom application may be made for advice and information about the child’s or young person’s special educational needs [F2unless the parent of the child or of the young person or, as the case may be, the young person has requested the education authority not to appoint such a person].

(3) An education authority shall ensure that the provision made by them under this Act for a recorded child or a recorded young person includes provision for his special educational needs [F3; and they shall in any event, as regards each such child belonging to their area as is mentioned in section 60(2)(b)(ii) of this Act, make provision for any special educational needs recorded in respect of the child which are not being met by other suitable arrangements].

63 Appeals against decisions about recorded children or young persons

(1) The parent of a recorded child may refer to an appeal committee set up under section 28D of this Act—

(a) a decision of an education authority to record the child or, following a review under section 65A of this Act, to continue to record him;

[F1(aa) a decision of an education authority not to record the child or, following a review under section 65A of this Act, not to continue to record him;]

(b) their decision as to the terms in which the matters specified in section 65D(2)(a) or (b) of this Act are recorded in his Record or any such decision following a review under section 65A of this Act;

(c) subject to subsections (3) and (4) below, their decision as to the nomination, for the purposes of section 65D(2)(d) of this Act, of a school to be attended by him or any such decision following a review under section 65A of this Act;

(d) subject to subsection (4) below, their decision refusing his placing request in respect of the child.

(2) Where the education authority were satisfied that a young person was not capable of expressing his views for the purposes of section 61(7) of this Act, his parent and, in any other case, the young person himself may refer to an appeal committee set up under section 28D of this Act—

[F2(aa) a decision of an education authority not to record the young person or, following a review under section 65A of this Act, not to continue to record him;]

(a) a decision of the education authority, in accordance with section 62 of this Act or following a review under section 65A of this Act, as to the terms in which the matters specified in section 65D (2)(a) or (b) of this Act are recorded in the young person’s Record;

(b) subject to subsections (3) and (4) below, their decision as to the nomination, for the purposes of section 65D(2)(d) of this Act, of a school to be attended by the young person or any such decision following a review under section 65A of this Act;

(c) subject to subsection (4) below, their decision refusing a placing request in respect of the young person.

(3) A decision of an education authority as to nomination of a school to be attended by a recorded child or recorded young person may be referred under subsection (1)(c) or (2)(b) above only if the parent or, as the case may be, the young person has made a placing request.

(4) Where a reference under subsection (1)(c) or (d) or (2)(b) or (c) above has been made in respect of a recorded child or recorded young person, no further such reference in respect of him shall be competent during the period of 12 months beginning with the day on which the immediately preceding such reference was lodged.

(5) A reference under this section shall be lodged with the appeal committee within 28 days of the receipt by the parent or, as the case may be, the young person of the notification of the decision of the education authority as to the terms in which they have recorded the child or young person (which, if posted, shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to have been received on the day after the date on which it was posted except that a decision posted on a Friday or Saturday shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to have been received on the Monday next following), but the committee shall, on good cause being shown, have power to hear such a reference notwithstanding that it was not lodged within that time.

(6) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision for procedure in relation to references made under this section and regulations made under this section may include provision—

(a) requiring the education authority to make information relevant to their decision available to the committee and to the parent or, as the case may be, young person referring that decision to the committee;

(b) deeming, for the purposes of this Act, an appeal committee to have confirmed the decision of an education authority in relation to which a reference to the committee was made in the event of the committee’s not having complied with section 64(10) of this Act within such period or before such date as may be prescribed in the regulations and different periods or dates may be so prescribed for different purposes.

64 Provisions supplementary to section 63

(1) Where—

(a) an appeal committee are satisfied that a reference to them under section 63 of this Act is made under subsection (1)(a) [F1, (aa)] or (b) or [F2(2)(aa) or (a)] of that section; or

(b) an appeal committee consider that, without having the decision of the Secretary of State on the question whether or not a child should be recorded or on the matters specified in section 65D(2)(a) or (b) of this Act in relation to a child or young person, they cannot deal with a reference made under section 63(1)(c)or(2)(b) of this Act which relates to the education authority’s decision as to the nomination for the purposes of section 65D(2)(d) of this Act of a school to be attended by the child or young person,

they shall in turn refer the reference or, as the case may be, that question or so much of the reference as relates to matters specified in section 65D(2)(a) or (b) of this Act to the Secretary of State.

(2) Subject to subsection (1) above, an appeal committee may, on a reference made to them under section 63(1) or (2) of this Act, confirm the education authority’s decision as to nomination, for the purposes of section 65D(2)(d) of this Act, of a school to be attended by the child or young person to whom the reference relates or refusing a placing request in respect of him if they are satisfied that—

(a) in relation to the placing request, one or more of the grounds of refusal specified in section 28A(3) of this Act as it applies to recorded children or, as the case may be, recorded young persons exists or exist; and

(b) it is, in all the circumstances, appropriate to do so