Office of Public Sector Information
Section 23.
1 In this Schedule—
“inspection” means an inspection of a school under section 23; and
“inspector” means the person conducting the inspection.
2 (1) An inspection shall be carried out within such period as may be prescribed.
(2) When an inspection has been completed, the inspector shall, before the end of the prescribed period, prepare in writing a report of the inspection and a summary of the report.
(3) The inspector shall, without delay, send the report and summary to the governing body for the school concerned.
(4) The governing body shall—
(a) make any such report and its accompanying summary available for inspection by members of the public, at such times and at such a place as may be reasonable;
(b) provide a copy of the report and summary, free of charge or in prescribed cases on payment of such fee as they think fit (not exceeding the cost of supply), to any person who asks for one; and
(c) take such steps as are reasonably practicable to secure that every parent of a registered pupil at the school—
(i) for whom the school provides denominational education, or
(ii) who takes part in acts of collective worship the content of which falls to be inspected under section 23,
as the case may be, receives a copy of the summary as soon as is reasonably practicable.
3 (1) The governing body to whom an inspector has reported under this Schedule shall, before the end of the prescribed period, prepare a written statement (“the action plan”) of the action which they propose to take in the light of his report and the period within which they propose to take it.
(2) Where an action plan has been prepared by a governing body, they shall, before the end of the prescribed period, send copies of it to the person who appoints the school’s foundation governors and—
(a) in the case of a voluntary school, to the local education authority, or
(b) in the case of a grant-maintained school, to the Secretary of State,
and to such other persons (if any), in such circumstances, as may be prescribed.
(3) The governing body shall—
(a) make any action plan prepared by them available for inspection by members of the public, at such times and at such a place as may be reasonable;
(b) provide a copy of the plan, free of charge or in prescribed cases on payment of such fee as they think fit (not exceeding the cost of supply), to any person who asks for one; and
(c) take such steps as are reasonably practicable to secure that every parent of a registered pupil at the school—
(i) for whom the school provides denominational education, or
(ii) who takes part in acts of collective worship the content of which falls to be inspected under section 23,
as the case may be, receives a copy of the plan as soon as is reasonably practicable.
(4) Where the governing body of a school have prepared an action plan, they shall include in their governors' report a statement of the extent to which the proposals set out in the plan have been carried into effect.
(5) In sub-paragraph (4) “governors' report” means—
(a) in the case of a voluntary school, the report referred to in section 161 of the [1996 c. 56.] Education Act 1996; and
(b) in the case of a grant-maintained school, the report referred to in paragraph 7(1) of Schedule 23 to that Act.
(6) Sub-paragraph (4) applies only in relation to the most recent action plan for the school in question.
Section 31.
1 (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2) and to the articles of government of any school they conduct, an education association may do anything which appears to them to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of or in connection with the discharge of their functions, including in particular—
(a) acquiring and disposing of land and other property,
(b) entering into contracts,
(c) investing sums not immediately required for the purpose of the discharge of their functions, and
(d) accepting gifts of money, land or other property.
(2) An education association shall not borrow money except money lent under section 255 of the [1996 c. 56.] Education Act 1996.
(3) The power to dispose of land mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(a) above—
(a) does not include power to grant any mortgage, charge or other security in respect of any land, and
(b) may only be exercised with the written consent of the Secretary of State.
2 (1) A person shall hold and vacate office as a member of an education association in accordance with the terms of his appointment and shall, on ceasing to be a member, be eligible for re-appointment.
(2) A person may at any time by notice in writing to the Secretary of State resign his office as a member of an education association.
3 If the Secretary of State is satisfied that a member of an education association—
(a) has been absent from meetings of the association for a period longer than six consecutive months without the permission of the association, or
(b) is unable or unfit to discharge the functions of a member,
the Secretary of State may by notice in writing to that member remove him from office and thereupon the office shall become vacant.
4 (1) The Secretary of State may—
(a) pay to the members of an education association such salaries or fees, and such travelling, subsistence or other allowances, as he may determine, and
(b) may, as regards any member of the association in whose case the Secretary of State may so determine, pay or make provision for the payment of such sums by way of pension, allowances and gratuities to or in respect of him as the Secretary of State may determine.
(2) If a person ceases to be a member of an education association and it appears to the Secretary of State that there are special circumstances which make it right that he should receive compensation, the Secretary of State may make to that person a payment of such amount as the Secretary of State may determine.
(3) Any determination of the Secretary of State under this paragraph requires the approval of the Treasury.
5 (1) An education association may establish a committee for any purpose.
(2) The number of the members of a committee established under this paragraph, and the terms on which they are to hold and vacate office, shall be fixed by the association.
(3) Such a committee may include persons who are not members of the association.
(4) The association shall keep under review the structure of committees established by them under this paragraph and the scope of each such committee’s activities.
6 An education association may authorise the chairman or any committee established by them under paragraph 5 to exercise such of their functions as they may determine.
7 The validity of any proceedings of an education association or of any of their committees shall not be affected by a vacancy amongst the members or by any defect in the appointment of a member.
8 Subject to the preceding provisions of this Schedule, an education association may regulate their own procedure and that of any of their committees.
9 The application of the seal of an education association shall be authenticated by the signature—
(a) of the chairman or of some other person authorised either generally or specifically by the association to act for that purpose, and
(b) of one other member.
10 Every document purporting to be an instrument made or issued by or on behalf of an education association and to be duly executed under their seal, or to be signed or executed by a person authorised by the association to act in that behalf, shall be received in evidence and be treated, without further proof, as being so made or issued unless the contrary is shown.
School Inspections Act 1996