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Sections
110 and 111 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 set out
that:
- All
maintained schools, city technology colleges and city colleges
for the technology of the arts adopt a home-school agreement and
associated parental declaration
- A
home-school agreement is a statement explaining: the school's
aims and values; the school's responsibilities towards its pupils
who are of compulsory school age; the responsibilities of the
pupil's parents; and what the school expects of its pupils
- Before
adopting or revising the home-school agreement, the governing
body must consult all registered parents of pupils at the school
who are of compulsory school age
- The
governing body must take reasonable steps to ensure that all registered
parents of pupils of compulsory school age sign the parental declaration
to indicate that they understand and accept the contents of the
agreement
- The
governing body is not required to seek the signature of a parent
where they consider that there are special circumstances relating
to the parent or pupil in question that would make it inappropriate
to do so
- The
governing body may also invite any pupil, whom they consider to
have a sufficient understanding of the home-school agreement as
it relates to him or her, to sign the parental declaration as
an indication that he or she acknowledges and accepts the school's
expectations of its pupils
- The
governing body must review the agreement from time to time
- In
carrying out their responsibilities in relation to home-school
agreements, governing bodies must have regard to any
guidance issued by the Secretary of
State
- The
Secretary of State may prohibit the inclusion of certain forms
of words, or words which have a particular effect in home-school
agreements or parental declarations
- Breaches
of the terms of the agreement will not be actionable through the
courts
- A
child must not be excluded from school, nor should a child and/or
his or her parents suffer any other adverse consequences on account
of his or her parents' failure or refusal to sign the parental
declaration
- The
governing body or the LEA, where it is the admissions authority
for the school, must not:
- invite
a parent or child to sign the parental declaration before
the child has been admitted to the school
- make
the signing of the parental declaration a condition of the
child's admission to the school
- base
a decision as to whether to admit a child to the school on
whether his or her parents are or are not likely to sign the
parental declaration
You
can also see the Secretary of State's Guidance, and further suggestions
on how to apply it, on this site. |
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