Education Act 2002

Part 9E+WChildcare and nursery education

ChildcareE+W

149 Duties of [F1local authority] in respect of childcareE+W

F2(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2)Section 19(1) and (2) of the Children Act 1989 (c. 41) (duty of local authorities in England and Wales to conduct periodic reviews of child care) shall cease to have effect.

150 Early years development and childcare partnerships and plansE+W

F3(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F4(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F4(3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F4(4). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5)Early years development partnerships are renamed “early years development and childcare partnerships” F5...; accordingly in Part 5 of that Act after “early years development” (in each place it occurs) there is inserted “ and childcare ”.

151 Childcare functions of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector and National Assembly for WalesE+W

(1)The Secretary of State may by order confer on [F6Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills] such additional functions specified in the order as the Secretary of State considers necessary or expedient to enable Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector to approve persons in accordance with criteria determined by or under a scheme made under the Tax Credits Act 2002 (c. 21) for the approval of persons who are to be regarded as providing child care for the purposes of working tax credit.

(2)The National Assembly for Wales shall have any additional function specified in an order made by it which it considers necessary or expedient to enable it to approve persons as mentioned in subsection (1); but the order may only specify a function corresponding to a function which, by virtue of that subsection, is exercisable by [F7Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills] .

152 Regulation of child minding and day careE+W

Schedule 13 (which makes provision about the regulation of child minding and day care) shall have effect.

Nursery educationE+W

153 Powers of [F1local authority] in respect of funded nursery educationE+W

(1)This section applies where a [F1local authority] [F8 in Wales], in pursuance of the duty imposed on them by section 118 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (c. 31) (duty of [F1local authority] as respects availability of nursery education), makes arrangements with a person (other than the governing body of a maintained school) for the provision by that person of nursery education in consideration of financial assistance provided by the authority under the arrangements.

(2)The [F1local authority]—

(a)must, in making the arrangements, have regard to any guidance given from time to time by F9... the National Assembly for Wales, as to provision to be made in such arrangements in respect of the requirements to be met by the provider of the nursery education, and

[F10(ab)must make provision in the arrangements requiring the provider of the nursery education to have regard to any relevant guidance included in the code on additional learning needs issued under section 4 of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018, and]

(b)must exercise their functions with a view to securing that the provider meets any requirements imposed on him by the arrangements.

(3)Subject to any guidance given under subsection (2)(a), the requirements imposed by the arrangements may, in particular, if any specified conditions are not satisfied, require the repayment of the whole or any part of any financial assistance provided by the [F1local authority] under the arrangements.

(4)In this section—

• “maintained school” means a community, foundation or voluntary school, a community F11... special school or a maintained nursery school;

• “nursery education” means full-time or part-time education suitable for children who have not attained compulsory school age (whether provided at schools or elsewhere).

F12154 Establishment or alteration of maintained nursery schoolsE+W

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

155 Inspection of nursery educationE+W

Schedule 14 (which makes provision about the inspection of nursery education) shall have effect.

156 Meaning of “nursery school” and “primary education”E+W

(1)In section 6(1) of the Education Act 1996 (c. 56) (meaning of “nursery school”), after “used” there is inserted “ wholly or ”.

(2)For section 2(1) of that Act there is substituted—

“(1)In this Act “primary education” means—

(a)full-time or part-time education suitable to the requirements of children who have attained the age of two but are under compulsory school age;

(b)full-time education suitable to the requirements of junior pupils of compulsory school age who have not attained the age of 10 years and six months; and

(c)full-time education suitable to the requirements of junior pupils who have attained the age of 10 years and six months and whom it is expedient to educate together with junior pupils within paragraph (b).”