(1)    These Regulations may be cited as The Education (School Information) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 and come into force on 1st June 2007.

(2)    These Regulations apply only in relation to England.

(3)    In these Regulations “the 2002 Regulations” means the Education (School Information) (England) Regulations 2002.

Subject to regulation 11 the 2002 Regulations are amended as follows.

In regulation 3(1)—

(a)    after the definition of “school prospectus” insert—

““school travel scheme” means a scheme made by an authority under section 508E of, and paragraph 1 of Schedule 35C to, the 1996 Act;" and

(b)    after the definition of “special school” insert—

““sustainable modes of travel strategy” means a sustainable modes of travel strategy prepared by an authority pursuant to section 508A(1)(a) of the 1996 Act; and

“travel arrangements” means travel arrangements made under sections 508B or 508C of the 1996 Act.”.

For regulation 6 substitute—

(1)    An authority shall publish information in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 1 in accordance with the requirements of regulation 7.

(2)    An authority shall publish its sustainable modes of travel strategy in accordance with the requirements of regulation 7A.

(3)    Where changes in respect of any of the matters required to be published under this regulation have been decided upon by the authority but not yet implemented, the authority shall also publish information about those changes.”.

In regulation 7—

(a)    after paragraph (4) insert—

“(4A)    So far as the information in respect of the matters specified in paragraph 6 of Schedule 1 is concerned (travel arrangements), the information shall also be published electronically on the authority's web-site, and paragraph (5) shall not apply to such publication." and

(b)    for paragraph (5) substitute—

“(5)    Where, in accordance with regulation 8, the authority publishes the information specified in paragraphs 1, 2, 5, 8 and 9 of Schedule 2, the authority shall not also be required under this regulation to publish the same information as specified in paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 6 and 6A of Schedule 1.”.

After regulation 7 insert—

(1)    This regulation shall apply in relation to the publication by an authority of its sustainable modes of travel strategy.

(2)    The strategy shall be published electronically on the authority's web- site by the 31^st August nearest to the end of each publication school year.”.

In Schedule 1 for paragraph 6 substitute—

(1)    The authority's general arrangements and policies in respect of—

(a)    the making of travel arrangements in accordance with the discharge of their functions under sections 508B and 508C of the 1996 Act, or

(b)    where a school travel scheme made by the authority has effect in relation to an admission school year, the arrangements made under the scheme.

(2)    The information published under sub-paragraph (1) shall include, in particular—

(a)    the provision of free transport,

(b)    the carriage on school buses of pupils for whom free transport is not provided,

(c)    the payment in whole or in part of reasonable travelling expenses,

(d)    the provision of other travel arrangements including escorts,

(e)    the arrangements for children with special educational needs,

(f)    the arrangements in respect of transport for pupils to schools for which a pupil's parent has expressed a preference on the grounds of the parent's religion or belief.”.

In Schedule 1 after paragraph 6 insert—

A summary of the authority's sustainable modes of travel strategy.”.

In Schedule 2 after paragraph 7 insert—

(1)    The authority's general arrangements and policies in respect—

(a)    the making of travel arrangements in accordance with the discharge of their functions under sections 508B and 508C of the 1996 Act, or

(b)    where a school travel scheme made by the authority has effect in relation to an admission school year, the arrangements made under the scheme.

(2)    The information published under sub-paragraph (1) shall include, in particular—

(a)    the provision of free transport,

(b)    the carriage on school buses of pupils for whom free transport is not provided,

(c)    the payment in whole or in part of reasonable travelling expenses,

(d)    the provision of other travel arrangements including escorts,

(e)    the arrangements for children with special educational needs,

(f)    the arrangements in respect of transport for pupils to schools for which a pupil's parent has expressed a preference on the grounds of the parent's religion or belief.”.

In Schedule 2 after paragraph 8 insert—

A summary of the authority's sustainable modes of travel strategy.”.

(1)    The amendments made by regulations 3, 4 and 6 have effect in relation to the publication school year 2006–2007 and subsequent years.

(2)    The amendments made by regulations 5, 7 and 9 have effect in relation to the publication school year 2007–2008 and subsequent years.

(3)    The amendments made by regulations 8 and 10 have effect in relation to the publication school year 2008–2009 and subsequent years.

(4)    In this regulation “publication school year” has the same meaning as in the 2002 Regulations.

Andrew Adonis

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Department for Education and Skills

27th April 2007

These Regulations amend The Education (School Information) (England) Regulations 2002 and come into force on 1st June 2007. They are made under sections 508A and 508D of the Education Act 1996 (“EA 1996”), which were inserted by the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

The 2002 Regulations require local education authorities to publish certain information (detailed in Schedule 1 to those Regulations), and a composite prospectus of admission information for schools in their area (detailed in Schedule 2 to those Regulations) for each school year.

The amendments made by these Regulations require each authority, in addition, to publish certain information about school travel.

New regulations 6 and 7A require each authority to publish, on their web-site, their sustainable modes of travel strategy (which they are required to prepare for each school year by section 508A(1) of EA 1996). [Regulations 4 and 6.]

New paragraph 6A of Schedule 1, and new paragraph 9 of Schedule 2, add the requirement to publish a summary of each authority's sustainable modes of travel strategy. [Regulations 8 and 10.]

New paragraph 6 of Schedule 1, and new paragraph 8 of Schedule 2, require each authority to publish details of their general arrangements and policies in respect school travel arrangements made under sections 508B and 508C of EA 1996, or where a school travel scheme is in force under section 508E and Schedule 35C of EA 1996, to publish details of their general arrangements and policies under that scheme. [Regulations 7 and 9.] New regulation 7(4A) requires additional publication of this information on the authority's web-site. [Regulation 5(a).]

Amended regulation 7(5) provides that this information need not also be published under Schedule 1 (except on the authority's web-site), if it is published under Schedule 2. [Regulation 5(b).]

Transitional provisions [Regulation 11] require that:

the new provisions with regard to the publication of an authority's sustainable modes of travel strategy have effect for the publication school year 2006/2007 (i.e. in respect of the admission school year 2007/2008) and subsequent years,

the new provisions with regard to the publication of an authority's travel arrangements under sections 508B, 508C and 508E and Schedule 35C, have effect for the publication school year 2007/2008 (i.e. in respect of the admission school year 2008/2009) and subsequent years, and

the new provisions with regard to the publication of an authority's summary of their sustainable modes of travel strategy have effect for the publication school year 2008/2009 (i.e. in respect of the admission school year 2009/2010) and subsequent years.