Law

Education Act 1997

United Kingdom · statute

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In force since 2026-09-01, as the publisher states.

Copy read on 2026-11-08. The page it was read from

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.

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Contents: 83 provisions
  1. Title and introductory text
  2. 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  3. 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  4. 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  5. 4 Power of members of staff to restrain pupils.
  6. 5 Detention outside school hours lawful despite absence of parental consent.
  7. 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  8. 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  9. 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  10. 9 LEA plans relating to children with behavioural difficulties.
  11. 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  12. 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  13. 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  14. 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  15. 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  16. 15 Introductory
  17. 16 Adoption of baseline assessment schemes.
  18. 17 Assessment of pupils in accordance with scheme.
  19. 18 Regulations for purposes of this Chapter.
  20. 19 School performance targets.
  21. 20 Provision of information about individual pupils’ performance.
  22. 21 The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.
  23. 22 General function of Authority to advance education and training.
  24. 23 Functions of the Authority in relation to curriculum and assessment.
  25. 24 Functions of the Authority in relation to external vocational and academic qualifications.
  26. 25 Other functions of the Authority.
  27. 26 Supplementary provisions relating to discharge by Authority of their functions.
  28. 26A Power of Authority to give directions
  29. 27 The Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales.
  30. 28 General function of National Assembly for Wales to advance education and training.
  31. 29 Functions of the National Assembly for Wales in relation to curriculum and assessment.
  32. 30 Functions of the National Assembly for Wales in relation to relevant qualifications
  33. 31 Other functions of the Authority.
  34. 32 Supplementary provisions relating to discharge by the National Assembly for Wales of its functions.
  35. 32ZA Qualifications functions of Welsh Ministers: co-operation and joint working etc.
  36. 32A Power of Welsh Ministers to give directions
  37. 32AA Power of Welsh Ministers to impose monetary penalties
  38. 32AB Monetary penalties: amount
  39. 32AC Monetary penalties: appeals
  40. 32AD Monetary penalties: interest and recovery
  41. 32B Power of Welsh Ministers to withdraw recognition
  42. 32BA Costs recovery
  43. 32BB Costs recovery: appeals
  44. 32BC Costs: interest and recovery
  45. 32C Surrender of recognition
  46. 33 Dissolution of existing bodies.
  47. 34 Transfer of property.
  48. 35 Transfer of staff.
  49. 36 Levy on bodies awarding qualifications accredited by relevant body.
  50. 37 Requirement for approval of certain publicly-funded and school courses leading to external qualifications.
  51. 38 Inspection of local authorities in Wales.
  52. 39 Reports of inspections under s. 38 and action plan by local authority
  53. 40 Inspector’s rights of entry etc.
  54. 41 Inspections involving collaboration of Audit Commission.
  55. 41A Inspections involving collaboration of Auditor General for Wales
  56. 42 Miscellaneous amendments relating to school inspections.
  57. 42A Provision of careers guidance in schools in England
  58. 42B Information about technical education: access to English schools
  59. 43 Provision of careers education for certain persons: Wales
  60. 44 Schools and other institutions in Wales to co-operate with careers advisers.
  61. 45 Provision of careers information at schools and other institutions.
  62. 45A Guidance as to discharge of duties : schools in England
  63. 45B Provision of curriculum information: Wales
  64. 46 Extension or modification of provisions of sections 42A to 45.
  65. 47 Functions of local authorities as regards exceptional educational provision.
  66. 48 Management committees for pupil referral units.
  67. 49 Power to make regulations: teachers not under contract of employment and persons having access to those under 19.
  68. 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  69. 51 Definition of “school”.
  70. 52 Commencement of compulsory school age.
  71. 53 Stamp duty.
  72. 53A Stamp duty land tax
  73. 54 Orders and regulations.
  74. 55 Financial provisions.
  75. 56 Construction.
  76. 57 Minor and consequential amendments, repeals etc.
  77. 58 Short title, commencement and extent etc.
  78. SCHEDULE 1
  79. SCHEDULE 2
  80. SCHEDULE 3
  81. SCHEDULE 6 School inspections
  82. SCHEDULE 7 Minor and consequential amendments
  83. SCHEDULE 8 Repeals

Proposed changes to this act

No one has proposed a change to this act yet.

83 provisions

SCHEDULE 7 Minor and consequential amendments

Section 57(1). Public Records Act 1958 (c. 51) 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Superannuation Act 1972 (c. 11) 3 (1) In Schedule 1 to the Superannuation Act 1972, in the list of Other Bodies (bodies in respect of which there are superannuation schemes)— (a) omit the entries relating to the Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales and the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority; ... (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (2) Section 1 of that Act (persons to or in respect of whom benefits may be provided by schemes under that section) shall apply to persons who at any time before the coming into force of section 21 of this Act have ceased to serve in employment with the National Council for Vocational Qualifications. House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 (c. 24) 4 (1) Part III of Schedule 1 to the House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 (disqualifying offices) shall be amended as follows. (2) Omit the entries relating to the Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales and the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (4) Omit the entry relating to the National Council for Vocational Qualifications. Local Government Finance Act 1982 (c. 32) 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Finance Act 1991 (c. 31) 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charities Act 1993 (c. 10) 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nursery Education and Grant-Maintained Schools Act 1996 (c. 50) 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Education Act 1996 (c. 56) 9 (1) Section 3 of the Education Act 1996 (definition of pupil etc.) shall be amended as follows. (2) At the end of subsection (1) insert— and references to pupils in the context of the admission of pupils to, or the exclusion of pupils from, a school are references to persons who following their admission will be, or (as the case may be) before their exclusion were, pupils as defined by this subsection. (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 In section 4(2) of that Act (schools: general)— (a) for “For” substitute “ Nothing in subsection (1) shall be taken to preclude the making of arrangements under section 19(1) (exceptional educational provision) under which part-time education is to be provided at a school; and for ”; and (b) omit “(pupil referral units)”. 11 In section 6(1) of that Act (nursery schools), for “the age of five” substitute “ compulsory school age ”. 12 In section 14(4) of that Act (functions of local authority in respect of provision of primary and secondary schools), for “the age of five” substitute “ compulsory school age ”. 13 In section 17(2) of that Act (powers of local authority in respect of nursery education), for “the age of five”, in both places, substitute “ compulsory school age ”. 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 In section 312(2)(c) of that Act (meaning of “learning difficulty” for the purposes of the Act)— (a) for “the age of five” substitute “ compulsory school age ”, and (b) omit “or over”. 24 In section 332(1) of that Act (duty of Health Authority or National Health Service Trust to notify parent where child has special educational needs), for “the age of five” substitute “ compulsory school age ”. 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Omit sections 358 to 361 of that Act (provisions about Curriculum Authorities). 27 In section 362(7) of that Act (development work and experiments)— (a) for “the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority” substitute “ the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority ”; and (b) for “the Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales” substitute “ the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales ”. 28 In section 368(10) of that Act (procedure for making certain orders and regulations)— (a) for “the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority” substitute “ the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority ”; and (b) for “the Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales” substitute “ the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales ”. 29 In section 391(10) of that Act (functions of advisory councils)— (a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (b) for “the Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales” substitute “ the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales ”. 30 In section 408 of that Act (provision of information)— (a) in subsection (1)(a), after “this Part” insert “ or Part V of the Education Act 1997 ”; and (b) in subsection (4)(f), omit “, 400, 401”. 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 In section 537(4) of that Act (power of Secretary of State to require information from governing bodies etc.), at the end add “ ; and regulations under this section may provide that, in such circumstances as may be prescribed, the provision of information to a person other than the Secretary of State is to be treated, for the purposes of any provision of such regulations or this section, as compliance with any requirement of such regulations relating to the provision of information to the Secretary of State. ” 38 For the cross-heading “CORPORAL PUNISHMENT” preceding section 548 of that Act substitute— PUNISHMENT AND RESTRAINT OF PUPILS Corporal punishment . 39 In section 551 of that Act (regulations as to the duration of the school day, etc.), after subsection (1) insert— (1A) In subsection (1) the reference to the duration of the school year at any such schools is a reference to the number of school sessions that must be held during any such year. 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 In section 571 of that Act (publication of guidance)— (a) in subsection (1) for “of the provisions mentioned in subsection (2) below” substitute “ provision of this Act ”; and (b) omit subsection (2). 42 At the end of section 578 of that Act (“the Education Acts”) add— the Education Act 1997. 43 In section 579(1) of that Act (general interpretation), after the definition of “school day” insert— “school year”, in relation to a school, means the period beginning with the first school term to begin after July and ending with the beginning of the first such term to begin after the following July; . 44 In section 580 of that Act (the index) at the appropriate places insert— (in the entry relating to “child”) (in Chapter I of Part VI except sections 431 to 433) | section 411(8) . school year | section 579(1) . wholly based on selection by reference to ability or aptitude (in Chapter I of Part VI) | section 411(9) . 45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . School Inspections Act 1996 (c. 57) 51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SCHEDULE 8 Repeals

Section 57(4). Chapter | Short title | Extent of repeal 1972 c.11. | Superannuation Act 1972. | In Schedule 1, in the list of Other Bodies, the entries relating to the Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales and the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority. 1975 c.24. | House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975. | In Part III of Schedule 1, the entries relating to the Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales, the National Council for Vocational Qualifications and the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority. 1996 c.56. | Education Act 1996. | In section 4(2), the words “(pupil referral units)”. In section 19(1) and (4), the words “full-time or part-time”. In section 312(2)(c), the words “or over”. In section 355(5), the definition of “school year” and the “and” preceding it. Sections 358 to 361. Sections 400 and 401. In section 408(4)(f), “, 400, 401”. Section 423(6). In section 479(2), the words “providing secondary education”. Section 571(2). In Schedule 16, in paragraph 15(1), the words from “ ,including” to “brought,”. In Schedule 23, in paragraph 4(1) “, 400”. Schedules 29 and 30. In Schedule 37, paragraph 17, in paragraph 21 the words in sub-paragraph (1)(a) from “the entry” to “1993) and” and sub-paragraph (1)(b) and the “and” preceding it and sub-paragraph (2), in paragraph 30 sub-paragraphs (1)(a), (2) and (3), and paragraph 120.

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