The new School Organisation Regulations have come into force today, making a number of key and interesting changes in relation to the maintained sector.
The new regulations streamline and simplifies the statutory process to making prescribed alterations, including the removal of consultation, reduction in length of representation and complete removal of the statutory process in some areas.
Although these seem like positives for the maintained sector, schools in areas where they are competing for pupils will need to be aware that the less prescriptive requirements will mean they need to be more vigilant of local changes. A local school may decide to change status or expand year groups, making themselves more attractive to parents. The regulations no longer require local schools to specifically notify other schools, they only have to notify 'other persons they think appropriate'. As school place competition hots up, this may be where schools start to edge away and look to position themselves away from other local schools.