Citation, commencement and application

1.-(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Education (Annual Parents' Meetings) (England) Regulations 1999 and shall come into force on 1st September 1999.

(2) These Regulations apply in relation to maintained schools in England.

Interpretation

2.-(1) In these Regulations-�

"the Act" means the School Standards and Framework Act 1998;

"annual parents' meeting" means the meeting which a governing body of a maintained school are required to hold by virtue of section 43(1) of the Act;

"governors' report" means the report which the governing body of a maintained school are required to prepare by virtue of section 42 of the Act;

"the Authority" means the local education authority which maintains the school; and

"maintained school" has the meaning given by section 20(7) of the Act.

(2) In these Regulations, any reference to a numbered regulation is a reference to the regulation bearing that number in these Regulations and any reference in a regulation to a numbered paragraph is to the paragraph in that regulation bearing that number.

Proceedings at an annual parents' meeting

3.-(1) The proceedings at an annual parents' meeting shall be under the control of the governing body.

(2) If the required number of parents of registered pupils at the school are present at an annual parents' meeting, resolutions may be passed (by a simple majority of parents present at the meeting) on any matter which may properly be discussed at the meeting.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), "the required number", in relation to a school, means any number equal to or greater than 20 per cent of the number of registered pupils at the school.

(4) No person who is not a parent of a registered pupil at the school may vote on any question put to an annual parents' meeting.

Consideration of resolutions passed at an annual parents' meeting

4.-(1) The governing body shall-�

(a)consider any resolution which is duly passed at an annual parents' meeting and which they consider is a matter for them;

(b)send to the head teacher of the school a copy of any resolution which is so passed and which they consider is a matter for him; and

(c)send to the Authority a copy of any resolution which is so passed and which they consider is a matter for the Authority.

(2) The head teacher of the school shall consider any resolution a copy of which has been sent to him by virtue of paragraph (1)(b) and provide the governing body with a brief comment on it (in writing) for inclusion in their next governors' report.

(3) The Authority shall do likewise as is referred to in paragraph (2) in relation to any resolution a copy of which has been sent to them by virtue of paragraph (1)(c).

Determination of question whether a person is to be treated as a pupil's parent

5. Any question whether a person is to be treated, for the purposes of these Regulations, as the parent of a registered pupil at the school shall be determined-�

(a)in the case of a community, voluntary controlled or community special school, by the local education authority;

(b)in the case of any other maintained school, by the governing body.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations, made under section 43(4) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 ("the 1998 Act"), make provision with respect to the proceedings of the annual parents' meeting, which governing bodies of community, foundation, voluntary, community special and foundation special schools are required to hold under that section. The Regulations, which replicate provisions contained in Schedule 18 to the Education Act 1996 (which is repealed by the 1998 Act), come into force on 1st September 1999 when the existing categories of maintained schools change to their new categories under the 1998 Act.