Education Act 1981 (repealed 1.11.1996) Preliminary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Provision of special education Provision of special education: duties of local education authorities etc. 2 1 In section 8(2) of the principal Act (which requires local education authorities to have regard to certain matters in fulfilling their duty to secure provision of primary and secondary schools) for paragraph (c) there is substituted the following paragraph— c to the need for securing that special educational provision is made for pupils who have special educational needs; and 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3A Identification and assessment of children with special educational needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Special schools and approved independent schools Special schools and approved independent schools. 11 1 In section 9 of the principal Act (county schools, voluntary schools, nursery schools and special schools) for subsection (5) there is substituted the following subsection— 5 Schools which are specially organised to make special educational provision for pupils with special educational needs and which are for the time being approved by the Secretary of State as special schools shall be known as special schools. . 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 School attendance orders Proposed school attendance order: choice of school. 15 1 This section applies in any case where— a a local education authority propose to serve a school attendance order on the parent of a child under section 37 of the principal Act; and b the authority maintain a statement for that child under section 7. 2 The order shall not be served until the expiry of the period of 15 days beginning with the date on which the authority serve on the parent written notice— a of their intention to serve the order; b stating that if, before the expiry of that period, he selects a school at which he desires the child to become a registered pupil, that school will, unless the Secretary of State otherwise directs, be named in the order. 3 If, before the expiry of the period mentioned in subsection (2), the parent selects such a school, that school shall, unless the Secretary of State otherwise directs, be named in the order. 4 If the local education authority are of the opinion that— a the school selected by the parent as the school to be named in the order is unsuitable to the child’s age, ability or aptitude or to his special educational needs; or b that the attendance of the child at the school so selected would prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources; the authority may, after giving the parent notice of their intention to do so, apply to the Secretary of State for a direction determining what school is to be named in the order. 5 Any direction under subsection (4) above may require the local education authority to make such amendments in the statement concerned as the Secretary of State considers necessary or expedient in consequence of his determination. 6 Where the school to be named in the school attendance order in pursuance of a direction given by the Secretary of State under this section is a school maintained by a local education authority, it shall be the duty of the authority and of the governors of the school to admit the child to the school. 7 Where the school to be named in the school attendance order in pursuance of a direction given by the Secretary of State under this section is a grant-maintained school, it shall be the duty of the governing body of the school to admit the child to the school. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Miscellaneous Duty of parents 17 In section 36 of the principal Act (duty of parents to secure the education of their children) after the word “ aptitude” there are inserted the words “ and to any special educational needs he may have. ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Interpretation and commencement. 20 1 In this Act— “ child ” includes any person who has not attained the age of 19 years and is registered as a pupil at a school; “ ordinary school ” means a school which is not a special school; “ principal Act ” means the Education Act 1944. 2 This Act shall come into force on such date as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint and different dates may be appointed for different provisions or different purposes. 3 Any order under this section may make such transitional provisions as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient in connection with the provisions thereby brought into force, including such adaptations of those provisions, or of any other provisions of this Act then in force, as appear to him to be necessary or expedient for the purpose or in consequence of the operation of any provisions of this Act before the coming into force of any other provision.] Short title, etc. 21 1 This Act may be cited as the Education Act 1981, and this Act and the Education Acts 1944 to 1980 may be cited as the Education Acts 1944 to 1981. 2 This Act shall be construed as one with the principal Act. 3 The transitional provisions made by Schedule 2 to this Act shall have effect. 4 The enactments mentioned in Schedule 3 to this Act shall have effect subject to the minor and consequential amendments specified in that Schedule; and the enactments mentioned in Schedule 4 are hereby repealed to the extent specified in the third column. 5 This Act does not extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland.