The Annual Parents' Meetings (Exemptions) (England) Regulations 2003

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(a) the governing body or to the governing body of a school is a reference to the governing body of any school to which the provision applies;

(b) a parent[3] is a reference to a parent of a registered pupil at the school to which the provision applies;

(c) a school is a reference to a maintained school within the meaning of section 39(1) of the 2002 Act.

Exemption for hospital special schools and boarding schools
     4. A governing body is exempt from the obligation imposed by section 33(1) of the 2002 Act to hold an annual parents' meeting if - 

(a) the school is a community special school or a foundation special school[4] which is established in a hospital and the governing body is of the opinion that it would be impracticable to hold such a meeting in that school year; or

(b) the school is a maintained school other than one within paragraph (a), the governing body is of the opinion that it would be impracticable to hold such a meeting in that year, and at least 50 percent of the registered pupils at the school are boarders at the time when they form that opinion.

Exemption for schools that hold a post-inspection meeting
     5. If - 

(a) the school has been inspected under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996[5] by a registered inspector, and

(b) the governing body has, within the period prescribed by regulation 8(1) of the Education (School Inspections) Regulations 1997[6] for the preparation of the action plan[7], held a meeting to which all parents have been invited to discuss the registered inspector's report,

the governing body is exempt from the obligation imposed by section 33(1) of the 2002 Act to hold an annual parents' meeting for the period of twelve months after the date of the meeting referred to in paragraph (b).

Exemption for schools that hold other meetings
     6. If, in any school year, the governing body holds a meeting to which all parents are invited, or a series of meetings and all parents are invited to at least one of the series, and - 

(a) parents have the opportunity at the meeting or at each of the series of meetings (as the case may be) to discuss the manner in which the school has been, and is to be, conducted and the performance of the school, and

(b) two or more governors, at least one of whom is not a staff governor, attend the meeting or each meeting of the series (as the case may be),

the governing body is exempt from the obligation imposed by section 33(1) of the 2002 Act to hold an annual parents' meeting for the school year in which the meeting is, or (as the case may be) series of meetings are, held.

Exemption if parents do not respond to the notice of meeting
     7. The governing body is exempt from the obligation imposed by section 33(1) of the 2002 Act to hold an annual parents' meeting in any school year in which it gives to parents with the governors' report[8] a notice asking parents to state in writing within a specified period of not less than 7 days if they require the governing body to hold an annual parents' meeting and the parents of fewer than 15 registered pupils respond within the specified period.


David Miliband
Minister of State, Department for Education and Skills

21st July 2003

[2] SI 1999/2104.back

[3] Defined by section 576 of the Education Act 1996 (c. 56).back

[4] Within the meaning of section 20 and Schedule 2 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (c. 31).back

[5] 1996 c. 57; amended by paragraph 59 of Schedule 21 of the 2002 Act.back

[6] SI 1997/1966back

[7] As defined by regulation 3 of the Education (School Inspection) Regulations 1997.back

[8] Defined by section 30 of the 2002 Act. By regulation 5 of the Education (Governors' Annual Reports) (England) Regulations 1999 (made under that section), the governing body is required to secure that parents of all registered pupils at the school are given a copy of the governors' report and, where there is an obligation on the governing body to hold an annual parents' meeting, copies of the report are to be given to parents not less than two weeks before that meeting.back