{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-2002/section-172",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-2002/section-172.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2002/32",
  "legislation_title": "Education Act 2002",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-2002",
  "path": "section/172",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "172",
  "heading": "Alteration to definition of “independent school”",
  "text": "For section 463 of the Education Act 1996 (c. 56) (meaning of “independent school”) there is substituted—\n“ Meaning of “independent school”\n463 (1) In this Act “independent school” means any school at which full-time education is provided for—\n(a) five or more pupils of compulsory school age, or\n(b) at least one pupil of that age for whom a statement is maintained under section 324, or who is looked after by a local authority (within the meaning of section 22 of the Children Act 1989),\nand which is not a school maintained by a local authority or a special school not so maintained.\n(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)(a) and (b) it is immaterial if full-time education is also provided at the school for pupils under or over compulsory school age.”",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in Act substituted (5.5.2010) by The Local Education Authorities and Children’s Services Authorities (Integration of Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/1158), art. 1, Sch. 2 para. 11(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 172 in force at 1.9.2003 except in relation to W. by S.I. 2003/1667, art. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I2",
      "text": "S. 172 in force at 1.1.2004 for W. by S.I. 2003/2961, art. 6, Sch. Pt. III"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/32/section/172",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:19:01.287129+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}