The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was the major education legislation passed by the incoming Labour government of Tony Blair. This Act:
imposed a limit of 30 on infant class sizes.
abolished grant-maintained schools, introducing foundation status.
provided for a schedule of fully selective state schools (grammar schools), and set up a procedure by which local communities could vote for their abolition. No grammar schools have yet been abolished using this mechanism.
prohibited the expansion of partial selection.
introduced an Admissions Code and the office of Schools Adjudicator to enforce this Code and consider objections to admission arrangements.
expanded on the requirement that "each pupil in attendance at a community, foundation or voluntary school shall on each school day take part in an act of collective worship" of a “wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character” for community schools.
created the local School Organisation Committee to decide school organisation proposals (opening, merging, closing) and responsible for approving the local School Organisation Plan. The School Organisation Committee consisted of five voting groups:
- LEA, made up of elected members
- Church of England
- Catholic Church
- Learning and Skills Council (often only vote on decisions affecting 16+ education)
- schools, by serving governors.
