Section 7: COMBINED SCHOOLS When any new school is established, a School Board must be established for it as soon as is practicable after the first pupils are admitted, (sections 1(1) and 2(9)). To provide for the circumstance where new schools are created by the amalgamation of 2 or more existing schools, section 7 makes additional provision for the establishment of Interim School Boards for "combined schools". As the name suggests, these Interim Boards are expected to have a short life, covering the period from the decision to set up the school until establishment of its School Board. Their main purpose will be to play a part in the selection of the headteacher for the new school. Section 7(2) provides that an Interim Board will be established in the case of a combined school as soon as the decision to constitute it has been taken. This Interim Board is to comprise the members of the School Boards for the schools being amalgamated, meeting together, or, where only one of the schools concerned has a Board, the members of that Board. (In those circumstances, the Board will no doubt wish to consider how best to involve parents of the pupils at the school(s) concerned.) Their functions as an Interim Board will relate only to the proposed new school. The existing Board(s) will remain responsible for the old school(s) so long as they continue. Section 7(3) provides that, in the event of any of the School Boards for the schools being amalgamated ceasing to exist (for example, as a result of the closure of the school concerned), before a School Board is established for the combined school, the members of that School Board are to continue as members of the Interim Board. In that event, however, no vacancy arising in the membership of the Interim Board is to be filled. In other words, the old Board will continue as part of the Interim Board but there will be no requirement to hold "ghost" elections if casual vacancies arise. Section 7(4) determines that an Interim Board is to cease to exist when a School Board has been established for the combined school. This should occur as soon as practicable after the first pupils are admitted (sections 1(1) and 2A(2)). Section 7(5) provides for certain of the provisions of the Act relating to Boards to apply to Interim Boards. Broadly speaking, Interim Boards are to act in the same way as other School Boards, except that the Interim Boards are not to be able to have additional functions delegated to them. Section 7(5) applies to Interim Boards the following provisions of the Act: Sections 3(4) and (5) of the 1988 Act providing that members of an Interim Board may resign or be removed. Section 4 which provides the basic terms of qualification and disqualification from membership. (It should be noted that the provisions on terms of office and election etc. are not applied: Interim Board membership will change with variations on the membership of the Boards which make up the Interim Board. By definition, there will be no readily identifiable constituency for the Interim Board.) Section 5 which gives an Interim Board rights to advice and allows the education authority, local councillors and the headteacher to take part in the meetings of the Board. Section 6 which allows an Interim Board to regulate its own proceedings and applies the same basic procedural rules as for a full Board. Sections 8 to 14 and 17 to 19 which give an Interim Board the same basic functions and duties as a full Board, and allow the authority to pay allowances to Interim Board members. (It should be noted that sections 15 and 16, dealing with the delegation of further functions to Boards are not applied.) |