Commentary on Sections Education and training for persons over compulsory school age Section 43: LEA directions: children over compulsory school age
108.This section amends the definition of a ‘“child” in section 84 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 so that it includes children over compulsory school age but under 19 for the purposes of sections 96 and 97 in England. This enables a local education authority in England to use its powers under section 96 and 97 of the 1998 Act to direct a maintained school for which it is not the admissions authority to admit a particular child to its sixth form. Subsection (3) amends section 96(3) of that Act to ensure that any permitted academic selection criteria adopted by a school (including the school sixth form) are satisfied by the child before the local education authority may use its powers to direct the school to admit that child.