School Standards and Framework Act 1998

The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was the major education legislation passed by the incoming Labour government led by Tony Blair. This Act:

• imposed a limit of 30 on infant class sizes.
• abolished grant-maintained schools, introducing foundation status.
• provided for a schedule of fully selective state schools (grammar schools), and set up a procedure by which local communities could vote for their abolition. No grammar schools have yet been abolished using this mechanism.
• prohibited the expansion of partial selection but allowed some specialist schools to admit 10% of pupils based on aptitude in their subject specialisms.
• introduced super headteachers and Education Action Zones^[1]
• introduced an Admissions Code and the office of Schools Adjudicator to enforce this Code and consider objections to admission arrangements.
• introduced a right of appeal against the refusal of an admission authority to offer an applicant child a place at the relevant school.
• expanded on the requirement that "each pupil in attendance at a community, foundation or voluntary school shall on each school day take part in an act of collective worship" of a “wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character” for community schools.^[2]
• created the local School Organisation Committee to decide school organisation proposals (opening, merging, closing) and responsible for approving the local School Organisation Plan. The School Organisation Committee consisted of five voting groups:^[3]

1. LEA, made up of elected members
2. Church of England
3. Catholic Church
4. Learning and Skills Council (often only vote on decisions affecting 16+ education)
5. schools, by serving governors.

• banned corporal punishment in all schools.^[4]

School Standards and Framework Act 1998

United Kingdom Parliament
Long title	An Act to make new provision with respect to school education and the provision of nursery education otherwise than at school; to enable arrangements to be made for the provision of further education for young persons partly at schools and partly at further education institutions; to make provision with respect to the Education Assets Board; and for connected purposes.
Citation	1998 c. 31
Introduced by	David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education and Skills
Territorial extent	England and Wales
Other legislation
Amended by	Education and Inspections Act 2006, Education and Skills Act 2008
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted

See also

• Education Reform Act 1988
• Education Act 1944

References

1. "BBC News | UK | Failing schools to get 'super-heads'". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
2. ""Collective Worship" and school assemblies: your rights". British Humanist Association. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
3. "Role of the School Organisation Committee". Sheffield City Council. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
4. "BBC News | Education | Schools demand right to corporal punishment".

Further reading

• Trowler, P, 1998, Education Policy: a Policy Sociology Approach, Gildridge Press, Eastbourne. ISBN 978-0-9533571-0-9.