Explanatory note

Section 24(2) of the Education Act 1993 requires the governing bodies of all schools which are eligible for grant-maintained status and to whom the section applies to consider, at least once in every school year, whether to hold a ballot of parents on the question of whether grant-maintained status should be sought for the school.Under Section 24(1) of that Act the Secretary of State may by order provide for Section 24 to apply to the governing bodies of all schools, or all schools in England or Wales, which are eligible for grant-maintained status. This Order provides for Section 24 to apply to the governing bodies of all schools in England which are eligible for grant-maintained status. Article 3 makes transitional provision for schools which hold a ballot under Section 61 of the Education Reform Act 1988 before Section 28 (ballots for grant-maintained status) of the 1993 Act came into force, or have considered whether to hold such a ballot before this Order came into force.