SCHEDULES

Section 11.

SCHEDULE 1 Provisions relating to an Education Action Forum

Powers

1 (1) An Education Action Forum may, subject to sub-paragraph (2), do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is incidental or conducive to, the carrying out of any of its functions.

(2) A Forum shall not have power to borrow money.

Chairman

2 The members of an Education Action Forum shall elect one of their number to be chairman of the Forum, who shall hold office for such period as is specified in the order by which the Forum is established under section 10(1).

Committees

3 An Education Action Forum may—

(a) establish a committee for any purpose; and

(b) authorise any such committee to exercise such of its functions as it may determine.

Proceedings

4 The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision as to the meetings and proceedings of an Education Action Forum.

5 The validity of the proceedings of an Education Action Forum shall not be affected by a vacancy among the members or any defect in the appointment of a member.

6 Subject to the preceding provisions of this Schedule, an Education Action Forum may regulate its own procedure and that of any of its committees.

Accounts

7 (1) It shall be the duty of an Education Action Forum—

(a) to keep proper accounts and proper records in relation to the accounts,

(b) to prepare in respect of each financial year of the Forum a statement of accounts, and

(c) to send copies of the statement to the Secretary of State and to the Comptroller and Auditor General before the end of the month of August next following the financial year to which the statement relates.

(2) The statement of accounts shall comply with any directions given by the Secretary of State as to—

(a) the information to be contained in it,

(b) the manner in which the information contained in it is to be presented, or

(c) the methods and principles according to which the statement is to be prepared.

(3) The Comptroller and Auditor General shall examine, certify and report on each statement received by him in pursuance of this paragraph and shall lay copies of each statement and of his report before each House of Parliament.

(4) In this paragraph “financial year” means the period beginning with the date on which the Forum is established and ending with the 31st March following that date, and each successive period of twelve months.

Application of seal and proof of instruments

8 The application of the seal of an Education Action Forum shall be authenticated by the signature—

(a) of the chairman or of some other person authorised either generally or specially by the Forum to act for that purpose, and

(b) of one other member.

9 Every document purporting to be an instrument made or issued by or on behalf of an Education Action Forum and to be duly executed under the seal of the Forum, or to be signed or executed by a person authorised by the Forum to act in that behalf, shall be received in evidence and be treated, without further proof, as being so made or issued unless the contrary is shown.

Charitable status

10 An Education Action Forum shall be a charity which is an exempt charity for the purposes of the [1993 c. 10.] Charities Act 1993.

Section 20.

SCHEDULE 2 Allocation of existing schools to new categories

Allocation of LEA-maintained schools

1 A school which immediately before the appointed day is (within the meaning of the [1996 c. 56.] Education Act 1996)—

(a) a county school,

(b) a controlled, aided or special agreement school, or

(c) a maintained special school,

shall become on that day a school of the category to which it is allocated by the following table.

Allocation of grant-maintained and grant-maintained special schools

2 A school which immediately before the appointed day is (within the meaning of the [1996 c. 56.] Education Act 1996)—

(a) a grant-maintained school, or

(b) a grant-maintained special school,

shall become on that day a school of the category to which it is to be allocated in accordance with the following paragraphs of this Schedule.

Indicative allocation of schools within paragraph 2

3 For the purposes of this Schedule the indicative allocation of a school within paragraph 2 is shown in the following table.

Any reference in the first column to a school of a particular description is a reference to a school of that description within the meaning of the Education Act 1996.

Preliminary decision by governing body as to new category

4 (1) The governing body of a school within paragraph 2 shall in the first instance take a decision (their “preliminary decision”) on the question whether—

(a) to accept the school’s allocation to a particular category in accordance with its indicative allocation, or

(b) to opt for it to be allocated to a different category.

(2) Regulations may make provision as to the procedure to be followed in connection with the taking by governing bodies of their preliminary decisions under sub-paragraph (1).

(3) Regulations under sub-paragraph (2) may, in particular, make provision—

(a) as to the consultation to be carried out by governing bodies before taking their preliminary decisions;

(b) as to the time by which governing bodies are to take such decisions;

(c) as to the notification of such decisions to prescribed persons;

(d) as to the provision of prescribed information to prescribed persons;

(e) authorising governing bodies to charge a fee (not exceeding the cost of supply) for prescribed documents supplied by them in pursuance of regulations made by virtue of paragraph (d);

(f) requiring the holding of ballots of registered parents in prescribed cases;

(g) enabling the Secretary of State, in any prescribed circumstances, to declare a previous ballot void and require the holding of a fresh ballot;

(h) as to the conduct of ballots held under the regulations;

(i) specifying criteria for determining, for the purposes of the regulations and this Schedule, the result of any such ballot.

Final decision by governing body as to new category

5 (1) Where—

(a) the governing body of a school within paragraph 2 have taken their preliminary decision under sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 4, and

(b) the result of a ballot held by virtue of that paragraph does not accord with that decision,

the governing body shall reconsider the question set out in that sub-paragraph, having regard to the result of the ballot, and shall then take a further decision on that question.

(2) Where—

(a) the governing body of a school within paragraph 2 have taken their preliminary decision under sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 4, and

(b) either—

(i) a ballot was held by virtue of that paragraph whose result (if any) was not to disagree with that decision, or

(ii) no such ballot was required to be held,

the governing body shall take a further decision confirming their preliminary decision.

(3) Regulations may make provision as to the procedure to be followed in connection with the taking by governing bodies of their final decisions (including, in particular, provision as to the time by which governing bodies are to take such decisions).

(4) In this Schedule any reference to a governing body’s “final decision” is a reference to any such further decision as is required by sub-paragraph (1) or (2).

Notification of final decision

6 (1) Once the governing body of a school within paragraph 2 have taken their final decision, they shall give written notification of that decision to the Secretary of State.

(2) Regulations may make provision—

(a) requiring governing bodies—

(i) when giving such notifications, to certify such matters as may be specified in the regulations, and

(ii) to provide such information to such persons as may be so specified;

(b) as to the time by which such notifications are to be given or such information is to be provided.

Final determination of new category

7 (1) If—

(a) the final decision of the governing body of a school within paragraph 2 accorded with the school’s indicative allocation, and

(b) either—

(i) a ballot was held by virtue of paragraph 4 whose result (if any) was not to disagree with that allocation, or

(ii) no such ballot was required to be held,

the school shall be allocated to the category provided for by its indicative allocation.

(2) If in the case of a school within paragraph 2—

(a) the final decision of the governing body, or

(b) the result of a ballot held by virtue of paragraph 4,

did not accord with the school’s indicative allocation, the school shall be allocated to such category (whether or not that provided for by its indicative allocation) as the Secretary of State may determine in conformity with regulations under paragraph 8.

(3) The Secretary of State shall notify the governing body of each school within paragraph 2 of the category to which it is allocated in accordance with this paragraph.

Restrictions on decisions as to categories

8 Regulations may make provision for prohibiting a school of any description specified in the regulations—

(a) from being allocated under paragraph 7 to a category so specified; or

(b) from being so allocated unless such conditions are satisfied as are so specified.

Transitional arrangements: schools within paragraph 2

9 (1) Where the category to which a school within paragraph 2 is to be allocated has not been finally determined, in accordance with the preceding paragraphs of this Schedule, by the appointed day, the school shall be taken to be allocated on that day to the category provided for by its indicative allocation.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) does not prevent such a school from being subsequently allocated to a different category in accordance with paragraph 7.

(3) Where such a school is subsequently so allocated, section 20(2)(a) shall apply to it as if it had been allocated to the category in question on the appointed day.

Transitional arrangements: general

10 (1) Regulations may make such provision as the Secretary of State considers appropriate in connection with the allocation to the new categories of maintained schools of schools—

(a) to which paragraph 9(1) applies; or

(b) whose school opening date falls on or after the date of the passing of this Act; or

(c) in relation to which a duty to implement proposals to discontinue the school has arisen, or a notice to discontinue the school has been given; or

(d) in relation to which a notice has been given under section 272 of the [1996 c. 56.] Education Act 1996 (school unsuitable to continue as grant-maintained school) which contains such a statement as is mentioned in subsection (3) or (5)(b) of that section.

(2) Regulations under sub-paragraph (1) may provide that any provision of the Education Acts shall apply to any such school with such modifications as are specified in the regulations.

Effect of allocation

11 The allocation of a school to a particular category under this Schedule shall not be taken as authorising or requiring any change as from the appointed day in the character of the school conducted by its governing body (including, in particular, any religious character of the school).