Education Law
School rules and regulations
Due to the wide-ranging nature of education, the policy and law surrounding the areas can be expansive. Education law affects all ages, reaching from nursery and infant schooling to higher learning.
Subjects open for debate amongst education law can include:
Education law additionally covers the following areas:
School admissions
To ensure fair admissions, promoting equality and open access amongst all public schooling, the government has enforced the School Admissions Code. The code carries legislation and statutory force, governing school admissions nationally, through the monitoring of:
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schools adjudicators
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governing bodies
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local authorities
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admission forums
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admission authorities
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admission appeal panels
School transport
The increase of single parent families and working mothers has seen a growing demand for school transport in order to get children to school safely. In many cases children can be eligible for free transport.
It is the duty of local authorities to provide public transport where necessary, ensuring that a child get to school. When transports provided, it must be free of charge.
It is the responsibility of the local authority to decide necessary transport; however a child will have automatic entitlement if they are:
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are between five and 16 years old
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attending the closest suitable school, and currently having to walk in excess of the ‘statutory walking distance’
Statutory walking distance is two miles for any pupils below eight years, and three miles for those above eight years
The distance that the child is currently walking to school, when measured against the 'statutory walking distance' is not necessarily the shortest distance by road. The route can be measured by the most direct course with reasonable safety, using:
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paths
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footpaths
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bridleways
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roads
You can apply for home to school travel support online through the Direct Gov website.
School attendance and absence
A primary factor in attaining high grade averages in schools; is reducing absences, and addressing persistent poor attendance. In respect to this, schools are working in partnership with local authorities to:
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warrant that pupils succeed in school
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ensure all pupil’s have access to full-time education
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ensure pupils can access a wide range of opportunities without predigest in school
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support children's welfare and safeguarding
School exclusions
A child can be excluded on a fixed term basis or permanently, the offence must be server. Offences for fixed term exclusions must include one of the following:
- extreme rule breaking
- protection; in the instance that allowing the child to remain in school may cause harm or affect their education or wellbeing, or that of other pupils
Only the headteacher or acting headteacher has authority to exclude a child, and no child can be punished with exclusion in excess of 45 days in any one school year.
When a child is excluded for an excess of one school day, the school is required to assign work for the pupil and mark it as though they were in school, ensuring that the pupil does not miss out on any learning.
This area of Education Law surrounding exclusion covers:
- going back to school after exclusion
- applying to schools after an exclusion
- multiple exclusions
- unfair exclusions
Special Educational Needs
Special Educational Needs, also known as SEN, are usually advised by a child’s education facility. Primarily identified in early learning, SEN requires a step by step approach, set out by the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice.
The majority of SEN children’s needs are met in mainstream schooling, though teachers are required to plan ahead separate learning styles suitable for the required needs, while ensuring the school is following policy and supplying the following:
- special equipment
- additional support
- home support
- targets and performance monitoring.
A look at education law
Education law affects everyone from when they are at nursery all the way to higher education. It also affects adults through adult learning and skills.
All about school admissions
All children between the ages of 5 and 16 are entitled to a place at a state school, but this is not guaranteed and causes many problems.
Best practices for home schooling
Despite it being the case that most children will go to some sort of school, it is still perfectly legal for children to receive their education at home.