1. —(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Education (Head Teachers' Qualifications) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2005 and shall come into force on 30th April 2005.

(2) These Regulations apply only in relation to England.

2. Regulation 4 of the Education (Head Teachers' Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003 is amended as follows—

(a) For paragraph (1) substitute—

“ (1) Subject to regulation 5 a person may serve as a head teacher of a school maintained by a local education authority or a special school not so maintained only if he holds—

(a) the National Professional Qualification for Headship;

(b) the National Professional Qualification for Headship in Wales;

(c) the Scottish Standard for Headship;

(d) the Professional Qualification for Headship in Northern Ireland; or

(e) a comparable qualification obtained in Switzerland or any European Economic Area country, other than the United Kingdom. ” .

(b) After paragraph (2) insert—

“ (3) In this regulation—

“ EEA Agreement” means the agreement on the European Economic Area signed at Oporto on 2nd May 1992 ( 2 ) as adjusted by the Protocol signed at Brussels on 17th March 1993 ( 3 ) ; and

“European Economic Area” means the area comprised by the member States of the European Community (including the United Kingdom) as constituted from time to time and, subject to the conditions laid down in the EEA agreement, by the Republic of Iceland, the Kingdom of Norway and the Principality of Liechtenstein. ” .