CHANGING THE SCHOOL DAY

THE FOLLOWING IS TAKEN FROM "A GUIDE TO THE LAW FOR SCHOOL GOVERNORS" WHICH CONTAINS DfEE GUIDANCE WHICH IS APPLICABLE IN LAW TO COMMUNITY AND VC SCHOOLS AND ADVISABLE TO FOUNDATION AND VA SCHOOLS

The Changing of School Session Times ( England) Regulations 1999 apply to community, community special and voluntary controlled schools. They do not apply to voluntary aided, foundation and foundation special schools, nor Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS), but it is recommended that the governing body of such schools follow broadly the same procedures when considering changes. The Regulations provide that changes in the times at which school sessions are to begin in the morning and /or end in the afternoon may only be introduced at the beginning of a school year. Other changes may be introduced at the beginning of any school term. If a governing body want to make any such changes they must first consult the LEA, the headteacher and all school staff. After consultation the governing body must:

• prepare a statement (in English and any other language they consider appropriate) specifying the proposed change and, if required to do so by the LEA, annex to it any comments of the LEA;
  
• provide (free of charge) a copy of the statement and any annex to all parents and make copies available for inspection at the school;
  
• call a meeting, not less than two weeks after circulating a copy of the statement and any annex, to enable parents and anyone else invited by the governing body to discuss the proposed change;
  
• consider any comments made at the meeting and decide whether to implement the proposed change, with or without any modification;
  
• inform the LEA and parents of any change at least three months before it takes effect, where the change is to the beginning if a morning session and/or the end of an afternoon one, and at least six weeks beforehand in the case of any other change.