Citation and commencement

1. This Order may be cited as the Education Act 1996 (Amendment) Order 1996 and shall come into force on 10th January 1997.

Amendments

2.-(1) Schedule 17 to the Education Act 1996 (governors' annual report to parents in the case of county, voluntary and maintained special schools) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph 1(1), for "9" there shall be substituted "9F".

(3) After paragraph 7, there shall be added the following paragraph-

"7A. The report shall give the information about public examinations and other assessments of pupils' achievements-

(a)at schools in England (where the school is in England), or

(b)at schools in Wales (where the school is in Wales),

which has most recently been made available to the governing body by the Secretary of State.".

(4) After paragraph 9, there shall be added the following paragraphs-

"9A. The report shall summarise, where the school is in England, the nature, amount and purpose of training and professional development undertaken by the school's teaching staff in the period since the last governors' report was prepared under section 161, identifying in particular the nature, amount and purpose of any training and professional development so undertaken on any day when the staff were required to be available for work but were not required to teach pupils.

9B. The report shall give, where the school is in Wales, such information about any targets for improvement set by the governing body in respect of the performance of pupils at the school as is required to be published by virtue of regulations made under section 414(6).

9C. The report shall describe in general terms-

(a)the arrangements made for the security of the pupils and staff at the school and the school premises, and

(b)any changes to those arrangements since the last governors' report was prepared under section 161.

9D. The report shall indicate in relation to the period since the last governors' report was prepared under section 161-

(a)to what extent the aims of the governing body with respect to sport at the school have been attained; and

(b)any notable sporting achievements of the school's teams during that period.

9E. The report shall give the dates of the beginning and end of each school term, and of half-term holidays, for the next school year.

9F. The report shall summarise any changes to information contained in the school prospectus since it was last published pursuant to regulations made under section 414(6).".

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends Schedule 17 to the Education Act 1996, which relates to the governors' annual report to parents ("the report") in the case of county, voluntary and maintained special schools.

The articles of government for such schools in England and Wales are now to require the report additionally to include information made available to the governing body of the school by the Secretary of State about public examinations and other assessments of pupils' achievements. They are also to require information concerning school security, sport, the dates of school terms and of half-term holidays and any changes to the information contained in the school prospectus since it was last published.

Also, the articles of government for such schools in England are to require the report to include summary information on staff training and the articles of government for such schools in Wales are to require the report to include information about targets set by the governing body for the improvement of pupils' performance at the school.