EDUCATION, ENGLAND AND WALES Citation, commencement, application and interpretation 1 These Regulations may be cited as the Education (School Information) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 and shall come into force on 1st April 1999. Amendment of the principal Regulations 2 The Education (School Information) (England) Regulations 1998 shall be amended in accordance with these Regulations. 3 In regulation 3(1) after the definition of “the 1996 Act” there shall be inserted– “the 1998 Act ” means the School Standards and Framework Act 1998; . 4 The following Part shall be inserted after regulation 7– PART IIIA COMPOSITE PROSPECTUS OF ADMISSION INFORMATION Authority to publish composite prospectus 7A 1 The provisions of this Part– a apply in relation to maintained schools (as defined by section 84(6) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998) in England; and b do not require the publication of a composite prospectus in respect of any admission school year before the admission school year 2000/2001. 2 In this Part “composite prospectus” means a composite document required to be published by regulation 7B(1). 7B 1 An authority 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 purpose 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 7C. Time and manner of publication of composite prospectus 7C 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. 5 The following regulation shall be inserted after regulation 13– Provision of information for composite prospectus 13A 1 For the purpose of enabling the authority to comply with their obligation under regulation 7B, the governing body of every maintained school to be included in a composite prospectus under that regulation shall, in respect of each admission school year, provide to the relevant authority the information specified in Schedule 1A to these Regulations. 2 That information shall be provided no later than such time before the time required for publication of the prospectus as the authority may reasonably require. 6 The following Schedule shall be inserted after Schedule 1– SCHEDULE 1A INFORMATION TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE COMPOSITE PROSPECTUS 1 As respects each school mentioned in the composite prospectus: a the name, address and telephone number of the school and the name of a person to whom enquiries should be addressed, and b the expected number of pupils at the school and their age range. 2 The classification of each such school as– a (after the appointed day) a community, foundation, voluntary controlled or voluntary aided school; b a primary, middle or secondary school; c a comprehensive, secondary modern, grammar or bilateral school; d a co-educational or single-sex school; e a day or boarding school or a school taking both day and boarding pupils; except that for the purposes of sub-paragraph (b) or (c) other terminology may be used according to usage in the authority. 3 A summary of the admissions policy determined for the school in relation to each age at which pupils are admitted to the school (including ages above and below compulsory school age). 4 The affiliations, if any, of each such school with a particular religious denomination. 5 In the case of each such school which is a secondary school, where the information is available– a the number of places for pupils of the normal age of entry to the school which were available at the start of the school year immediately following the reporting school year; and b the number of written applications for places from the start of that year, or (as appropriate) preferences expressed for places at the school pursuant to arrangements made by the relevant authority under section 86(1) of the 1998 Act (or as the case may require section 411(1) of the 1996 Act). Estelle Morris Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment 30th January 1999