School Standards and Framework Act 1998

Code of practice

84Code of practice

(1)The Secretary of State shall issue, and may from time to time revise, a code of practice containing such practical guidance as he thinks appropriate in respect of the discharge by—

(a)local education authorities,

(b)the governing bodies of maintained schools,

(c)appeal panels, and

(d)adjudicators,

of their respective functions under this Chapter.

(2)The code may include guidelines setting out aims, objectives and other matters in relation to the discharge of their functions under this Chapter by local education authorities and such governing bodies.

(3)It shall be the duty of—

(a)each of the bodies and persons mentioned in subsection (1) when exercising functions under this Chapter, and

(b)any other person when exercising any function for the purposes of the discharge by a local education authority, or the governing body of a maintained school, of functions under this Chapter,

to have regard to any relevant provisions of the code.

(4)The Secretary of State shall publish the code as for the time being in force.

(5)The Secretary of State may under subsection (1)—

(a)make separate provision (by means of separate codes of practice) in relation to different functions under this Chapter of the bodies and persons mentioned in that subsection;

(b)make different provision for England and for Wales (whether or not by means of separate codes of practice);

and references in this section to “the code” or to functions under this Chapter shall have effect, in relation to any such separate code of practice, as references to that code or to functions under this Chapter to which it relates (as the case may be).

(6)In this Chapter—

• “admission arrangements” and “the admission authority” have the meaning given by section 88;

• “appeal panel” means a panel constituted under Schedule 24 or 25 for the purpose of hearing an appeal under this Chapter;

• “child” (except in sections 96 and 97) includes a person who has not attained the age of 19;

• “maintained school” means a community, foundation or voluntary school;

• “the relevant standard number”, in relation to a maintained school, a relevant age group and a school year, means the standard number applying under Schedule 23 to the school in relation to that age group and year.

85Making and approval of code of practice

(1)Where the Secretary of State proposes to issue or revise a code of practice under section 84, he shall prepare a draft of the code (or revised code).

(2)The Secretary of State shall consult such persons about the draft as he thinks fit and shall consider any representations made by them.

(3)If he determines to proceed with the draft (either in its original form or with such modifications as he thinks fit) he shall lay a copy of the draft before each House of Parliament.

(4)If, within the 40-day period, either House resolves not to approve the draft, the Secretary of State shall take no further steps in relation to the proposed code.

(5)If no such resolution is made within the 40-day period, the Secretary of State shall issue the code (or revised code) in the form of the draft, and it shall come into force on such date as the Secretary of State may by order appoint.

(6)Subsection (4) does not prevent a new draft of a proposed code from being laid before Parliament.

(7)In this section “40-day period”, in relation to the draft of a proposed code, means—

(a)if the draft is laid before one House on a day later than the day on which it is laid before the other House, the period of 40 days beginning with the later of the two days, and

(b)in any other case, the period of 40 days beginning with the day on which the draft is laid before each House,

no account being taken of any period during which Parliament is dissolved or prorogued or during which both Houses are adjourned for more than four days.

(8)In this section references to a proposed code include a proposed revised code.