Section 4 Formation of the local curricula for pupils in Key Stage 4 (section 116A of the Education Act 2002)
12.This section provides for the formation in each local education authority area of one or more local curricula for 14-16 year olds (pupils in Key Stage 4).
13.Subsection (1) places a duty on each local education authority to form at least one 14-16 local curriculum for its area.
14.Subsection (2) states that a local curriculum must consist of suitable courses of study falling within the learning domains set out in subsection (3), and selected by the local authority. Under subsection (6), the Welsh Ministers decide by direction which courses of study are suitable for inclusion in local curricula. The local authority will then choose from that list of suitable courses.
15.Subsection (3) describes the learning domains which constitute the categories of each local curriculum.
16.Subsection (4) provides discretion for local authorities to form a local curriculum to meet local needs, subject to regulations which may be made under subsection (5).
17.Subsection (5) makes provision for regulations to be made by the Welsh Ministers as to the formation of a local curriculum, for example to set out the minimum number of courses which must be included in a local curriculum or the minimum proportion of vocational courses of study to be included within a local curriculum.
18.Subsection (6) provides Welsh Ministers with the power to designate a course of study as vocational in nature or “suitable” for the purposes of this section and to specify the particular learning domain into which a course of study falls.
19.Subsection (7) – This allows regulations to provide for different requirements for local curricula in different areas. For example, in some areas there may be a higher minimum number of courses that must be included in local curricula than others.
