Tabled by
Lord Shipley
106: After Clause 67, insert the following new Clause—
“Local authorities: strategic education functions
(1) The Secretary of State must, by regulations, provide that a local authority in England must perform the functions listed in subsection (2) on behalf of all state-funded schools in its authority area.
(2) The functions are—
(a) to ensure that every child of compulsory school age living in the local authority area has a school place;
(b) to coordinate the provision of education to children who are at risk of exclusion from school;
(c) to coordinate the provision of support to children with special educational needs or disabilities;
(d) to act as the admissions authority for all state-funded schools in the local authority area, including by managing in-year admissions;
(e) to manage the appeals process against individual admissions decisions;
(f) to prevent pupils from being removed from the pupil roll of a school unlawfully;
(g) to monitor the performance of schools; and
(h) to monitor how schools engage with their local community.
(3) The Secretary of State must, by regulations, provide that a local authority in England is given such powers as are reasonably necessary to perform the functions listed in subsection (2).
(4) The powers conferred by regulations under subsection (3) must include, but not be limited to—
(a) the power to request that the Secretary of State directs an Academy school to increase or reduce the number of pupils it admits; and
(b) the power to require the proprietor of an Academy school to appear before a committee of the local authority to answer questions about the performance of the school or about how the school engages with the local community.
(5) The Secretary of State must, by regulations, impose a duty on schools not maintained by the local authority to cooperate with the local authority in the performance of the functions listed in subsection (2).
(6) The duty under subsection (5) must include, but not be limited to—
(a) a requirement to inform the local authority of any plans that the school has to increase the number of pupils it admits; and
(b) a requirement to provide pupil attendance data to the local authority when requested.
(7) In this section—
“local authority in England” has the same meaning as in section 579 of the Education Act 1996 (general interpretation);
“state funded school” means a school in England funded wholly or mainly from public funds, including, but not limited to—
(a) an Academy school, an alternative provision Academy or a 16 to 19 Academy established under the Academies Act 2010;
(b) community, foundation and voluntary schools (within the meaning of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998).”
Member's explanatory statement
This amendment gives local authorities new strategic functions in relation to all schools in their area.