Regulation 4 Amendment of the principal Regulations

The following Part shall be inserted after regulation 6–

“PART IIA

COMPOSITE PROSPECTUS OF ADMISSION INFORMATION

Authority to publish composite prospectus

6A

(1)

The provisions of this Part–

(a)

apply in relation to maintained schools (as defined by section 84(6)^f1 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998) in Wales; and

(b)

do not require the publication of a composite prospectus in respect of any admission school year^f2 before the admission school year 2000/2001.

(2)

In this Part “composite prospectus” means a composite document required to be published by regulation 6B(1).

6B

(1)

An authority^f3 shall publish in a composite document the information required by this regulation with respect to all maintained schools in the composite prospectus area.

(2)

For the purposes of this regulation, “the composite prospectus area” comprises–

(a)

the relevant authority’s area; and

(b)

all such parts of the appropriate relevant area or appropriate relevant areas as extend beyond that authority’s area.

(3)

For the purposes of paragraph (2)(b), “appropriate relevant area” means any relevant area (within the meaning of section 89(3) of the 1998 Act) that applies for consultation about the proposed admission arrangements for a school maintained by the relevant authority.

(4)

An authority may, if they wish, carry out their obligation under paragraph (1) in either or both of the following ways–

(a)

by publishing separate composite prospectuses covering respectively primary schools and secondary schools; and

(b)

by dividing the composite prospectus area into two or more parts and publishing a separate composite prospectus covering respectively schools in each part.

(5)

A composite prospectus shall contain the information specified in Schedule 1A.

(6)

The time and manner of publication of a composite prospectus shall be in accordance with regulation 6C.

Time and manner of publication of composite prospectus

6C

(1)

A composite prospectus shall be published before 1st October in the publication school year, and in any event no later than six weeks before the date up to which parents may express a preference in respect of the admission school year for any school mentioned in that prospectus.

(2)

A composite prospectus shall be published–

(a)

by copies being made available for distribution without charge to parents on request–

(i)

at the offices of the authority who are publishing it, and

(ii)

at every school maintained by that authority; and

(b)

by copies being made available for reference by parents and other persons at the public libraries in that authority’s area.”