INTRODUCTION
1.These Explanatory Notes are for the Education (Wales) Measure 2009 which was passed by the National Assembly for Wales on 3 November 2009 and approved by Her Majesty in Council on 9 December 2009. They have been prepared by the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills of the Welsh Assembly Government to assist the reader. The Explanatory Notes should be read in conjunction with the Measure but are not part of it. They are not, and are not meant to be, a comprehensive description of the Measure. So where a section or part of a section does not seem to require any explanation or comment, none is given.
2.The Measure gives children and young people the right to make an appeal in respect of special educational needs to the Special Educational Needs Tribunal for Wales (“the Tribunal”) and gives them a right to make a claim in respect of disability discrimination in schools to the Tribunal.
3.The Measure makes changes to current legislation relating to the school curriculum which flow from the implementation of the foundation phase (3 to 7 year-olds) of the National Curriculum for Wales. The first key stage is removed from the National Curriculum for Wales and the “foundation stage” is re-named the “foundation phase”.
4.The Measure also makes changes to legislation relating to students’ local curriculum entitlement (16-18 age group).