Commentary Schedule 16: Funding of maintained schools Section 102: LEA targets: England
194.This section enables the Secretary of State to make regulations requiring local education authorities in England to set annual targets in respect of pupils’ performance. This is a continuing power which is needed because the existing requirement contained in regulations relating to education development plans will cease to have effect when the repeals of sections 6 and 7 of SSFA 1998 effected by the Children Act 2004 come into force.
195.Subsection (2) sets out the issues to be covered in regulations, including the matters to which the targets must relate and the timetable for setting and submitting the targets to the Secretary of State. Targets will be set and submitted by a certain date each year. The Secretary of State will have power under the regulations to modify or require a local education authority to modify a target after it has been submitted. This power will be exercised in consultation and as far as possible by agreement with the local education authority concerned. The regulations will also specify how the targets should be published.