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Published on Eurydice (https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice) The following list sets out the main educational and related legislation referred to in the text. It includes both primary legislation (Public General Acts of the United Kingdom Parliament, 1801 to date) and selected secondary legislation (statutory instruments made under powers of existing Acts of Parliament). Links are included to the full text and explanatory notes (where available) on the UK Legislation website [1], which is provided by The National Archives. Academies Act 2010 [2] (Act of Parliament) Enabled all maintained schools to apply to become an academy and enabled primary and special schools to apply to become an academy in their own right for the first time. Aimed to simplify the process and removed the requirement to consult the local authority. Permitted the Secretary of State to make an order for a school to become an academy if subject to a warning notice or judged to require significant improvement or special measures. Explanatory notes [3] Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 [4] (Act of Parliament) In line with proposals made in the March White Paper Raising Expectations: Enabling the system to deliver [5], put in place underpinning legislation required to deliver the raising of the participation age by the Education and Skills Act 2008. Made provision about apprenticeships, including the issue of apprenticeship certificates, and the issue of apprenticeship frameworks. Transferred responsibility for funding 16 to 19 education and training from the, then, Learning and Skills Council to local authorities. Created the office of Chief Executive of Skills Funding to lead a new demand-led system for adults. Established Ofqual as the new independent regulator of qualifications and assessments. Explanatory notes [6] Care Standards Act 2000 [7](Act of Parliament) Reformed the regulatory system for care services. Also reformed arrangements for the regulation of child minding and day care provision, transferring responsibility for the regulatory function to Ofsted. Explanatory notes [8] Charges for Music Tuition (England) Regulations 2007 [9] (Statutory Instrument) Set out in regulations the circumstances in which charges can be made for instrumental and vocal tuition, addressing some anomalies in charges. Childcare Act 2006 [10] (Act of Parliament) Placed a duty on local authorities to secure free early years provision for all eligible children in their area. Provided for the establishment of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) as a single quality framework for care, learning and development for children in all early years settings from birth to the August after their fifth birthday. Explanatory notes [11] Childcare Act 2016 [12] (Act of Parliament) Made provisions to increase the entitlement to free early years education and childcare support for working parents. It also introduced a duty on local authorities to publish information about childcare and other services available for parents locally. Explanatory notes [13] Childcare (Provision of information about Young Children) (England) Regulations 2009 [14] (Statutory instrument) Set out the information on individual children that early years providers can be required to provide to the Secretary of State and their local authority. Also prescribed which persons can collect and exchange information about children in early years provision. Children Act 1989 [15] (Act of Parliament) Set out what local authorities and the courts should do to protect the welfare of children and placed a duty on local authorities to provide services for children in need, their families and others. Children Act 2004 [16] (Act of Parliament) Based on proposals for children’s services in the September 2003 Green Paper, Every Child Matters [17]. Created a statutory framework for local co-operation in order to improve the well-being of children in the area and placed a duty on specified agencies with regard to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Explanatory notes [18] Children and Families Act 2014 [19] (Act of Parliament) Introduced a range of reforms focussed on improving services to key groups of vulnerable children (children in the adoption and care systems, those affected by decisions of the family courts and those with special educational needs and disabilities). For the latter it took forward the commitment set out in Support and Aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability [20] introducing an overarching assessment framework from birth to 0-25 years and the integrated Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. Also introduced universal free school meals for children aged 4 to 7 in primary schools. Explanatory notes [21] Children and Social Work Act 2017 [22] (Act of Parliament) The Act aimed to improve decision-making and support for looked after children [23] improve practice in child protection; and enable the establishment of a new regulatory regime specifically for the social work profession. It also aimed to promote the safeguarding of children by providing for relationships and sex education in schools. Explanatory notes [24] Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 [25] (Act of Parliament) The Act took forward a number of reforms intended to allow for the implementation of devolution agreements with combined authority areas and with other areas. Explanatory notes [26] Coasting Schools (England) Regulations 2017 [27] (Statutory Instrument) The Education and Adoption Act 2016 [28] allows the Secretary of State to identify coasting schools for the first time. These are schools where, over time, pupils are not fulfilling their potential. The instrument defines what coasting means in relation to the performance of schools. Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 [29] (Act of Parliament) The Act brought provisions in eight main areas, of which one (Part 5, Chapter 1) placed varying responsibilities on schools, further education institutions and higher education institutions to promote British values and prevent young people from being drawn into terrorism. Explanatory notes [30] Data Protection Act 2018 [31] (Act of Parliament) Modernised data protection laws, setting new standards for protecting personal data, giving individuals more control over use of their data and supporting organisations with their lawful processing of personal data. Explanatory notes [32] Deregulation Act 2015 [33] (Act of Parliament) The Act made provisions in several areas for the reduction of burdens resulting from legislation. Regarding education and training, section 64 abolished the office of the Chief Executive of Skills Funding, transferring the responsibilities of the position to the Secretary of State. The Act also made amendments to the powers of the Secretary of State in relation to further education corporations, sixth form college corporations, designated institutions and local authority maintained institutions. Explanatory notes [34] Disability Discrimination Act 1995 [35] (Act of Parliament) Aimed to protect disabled people from discrimination – both in employment and when using a service or facility. Now consolidated into the Equality Act 2010. Disability Discrimination Act 2005 [36](Act of Parliament) Amended and substantially extended the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Placed a duty on all public bodies, e.g. schools and higher education institutions, to promote disability equality. Now consolidated into the Equality Act 2010. Explanatory notes [37] Education (Admission of Looked After Children (England) Regulations 2006 [38] (Statutory Instrument) Required admissions authorities for maintained schools to give priority in their admission arrangements to looked after children. Explanatory notes [39] Education (Health Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 [40] (Statutory Instrument). Set out standards for health and physical and mental capacity which all teachers are required to meet. Explanatory notes [41] Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 [42] These Regulations set out the Independent School Standards to which independent schools will be inspected, including standards on the suitability of proprietors and staff. Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (England) Regulations 2012 [43] (Statutory Instrument) Introduced greater flexibility into the arrangements and requirements for newly qualified teachers undertaking an induction period. Explanatory notes [44] Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 4 Assessment Arrangements) (England) Order 2016 [45] (Statutory Instrument) Specifies the assessment arrangements for pupils in Key Stage 4 [46]. In particular, it provides for the introduction of new national reference tests [47] from the 2016-17 school year in a sample of schools and makes it mandatory for the selected schools to take part. Education (No 2) Act 1986 [48] (Act of Parliament) Revised the composition of school governing bodies, increased their powers and sought to reduce the role of local education authorities. Education (Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2005 [49] (Statutory Instrument) Placed the requirement on schools to keep a curricular record for each pupil; disclose a pupil’s educational record to his parent upon request; transfer a pupil’s common transfer file and educational record to the new school when the pupil changes school; and requires schools to provide an annual report of the pupil’s educational achievements at school to his parent or, if he is 18 or over, the pupil himself, and a
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