{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-2005/section-51",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-2005/section-51.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2005/18",
  "legislation_title": "Education Act 2005",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/education-act-2005",
  "path": "section/51",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "51",
  "heading": "Power of local authority to inspect maintained school for specific purpose",
  "text": "(1) Where—\n(a) for the purpose of enabling them to exercise any education function of theirs, a local authority require information about any matter in connection with a school which is maintained by them, and\n(b) it is not reasonably practicable for them to obtain the information in any other manner,\nthey may cause an inspection of the school to be made by one or more of their officers for the purpose of obtaining the information.\n(2) An officer of a local authority inspecting a school under this section has at all reasonable times a right of entry to the premises of the school.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Word in s. 51(1)(a) inserted (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. 13(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "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), Sch. 2 para. 13(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 51 wholly in force; s. 51 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 125; s. 51 in force for E. at 1.9.2005 by S.I. 2005/2034, art. 4; S. 51 in force for W. at 1.9.2006 by S. I. 2006/1338, art. 3, Sch. 1"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/18/section/51",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:15:45.290138+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."
}