Citation and Commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2017 and come into force on 14th February 2017.

Amendments to the School Information (England) Regulations 2008

2.The School Information (England) Regulations 2008( 2 ) are amended as follows.

3. In regulation 1(2) (citation, commencement and application) omit the words “and only to information in relation to the academic year 2010-2011 and subsequent years”.

4. In regulation 2 (interpretation) in the appropriate places insert—

“admission register” is the register to be kept in accordance with regulation 4(a) of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006( 3 );

“registered parent” means a person named in the admission register for a school as the parent (as defined by section 576 of the Education Act 1996) of a pupil registered at the school in accordance with regulation 5(1)(c) of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006;

“school with an atypical age of admission” means a school in which the start of the first year of education normally provided by that school is at the beginning of the fourth key stage or the preceding year but does not include a school designed to provide education for pupils formerly educated at a middle school;

5. In regulation 5 (local authority to publish composite prospectus)—

(a) In regulation 5(1) after “composite prospectus area” insert “and in relation to all schools with an atypical age of admission within reasonable travelling distance of the local authority area”; and

(b) After regulation 5(2) insert—

“ (2A) Where there is a school with an atypical admission age in the local authority area or within reasonable travelling distance of the local authority area, a local authority must publish in its composite prospectus a prominent statement that there is such a school and specify in particular—

(a) the age range of the school; and

(b) where in the prospectus information about it can be found. ” .

6. After Regulation 9 insert —

“ Information about schools with an atypical admission age

9A. —(1) Where there is a school with an atypical age of admission in a local authority area or within reasonable travelling distance of the local authority area the local authority must provide the information specified in paragraph (2) to the person specified in paragraph (3).

(2) The information is—

(a) a statement of the fact that there is a school with an atypical age of admission in the local authority area or within a reasonable travelling distance of the local authority area;

(b) the name of the school referred to in sub-paragraph (2)(a);

(c) a statement that the pupil referred to in paragraph (3) may apply for admission to that school; and

(d) in relation to the school referred to in sub-paragraph (2)(b) the information specified in Part 2 of Schedule 2.

(3) The person is the registered parent of a pupil registered at a school within the area of the local authority who may apply in the offer year to be admitted to the relevant age group of a school with an atypical age of admission in the local authority area or within reasonable travelling distance of the local authority area. Relevant age group means an age group in which pupils are normally admitted (or as the case may be, will normally be admitted) to the school.

(4) Any information to be provided in accordance with paragraph (1) must—

(a) be sent by post or by electronic means to the postal or electronic address for the registered parent recorded in the admission register; and

(b) subject to regulation 9B, be sent on or after publication by the local authority of its composite admissions prospectus for the following academic year and not later than 12th September in the year of publication of the composite prospectus.

Transitional provision

9B. By no later than 14th March 2017 a local authority must provide the information to the registered parents in accordance with Regulation 9A in respect of admission in the academic year 2017-18. ” .