School organisation: local-authority-maintained schools
Statutory guidance for proposers and decision makers about opening, closing or making organisation changes to local-authority-maintained schools.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
These documents are for:
- local authorities
- governing bodies
- diocese or other relevant religious authorities
They describe opening, closing, or making school organisation changes to local-authority-maintained schools.
They set out how you can make those changes, and the areas where you must follow a statutory process.
This guidance is based on:
- The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013
- The School Organisation (Establishment and Discontinuance of Schools) Regulations 2013
- Education and Inspections Act 2006
Statutory guidance sets out what schools and local authorities must do to comply with the law. You should follow the guidance unless you have a very good reason not to.
Trustees of the school, diocese or relevant diocesan board, or any other relevant faith body, parents and those affected by a proposal may also find this information useful.
Updates to this page
Last updated
-
Updated 'Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools'.
Update history
2025-08-11 15:59
Updated ‘Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools’ to clarify Diocesan Board of Education involvement in the prescribed alterations process. The legislation remains the same.
2025-03-03 09:30
Updated ‘Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools’.
2024-10-02 12:00
Updated guidance to reflect Ofsted’s removal of single word judgements.
2023-01-30 15:00
We have reviewed this guidance and removed out-of-date information. The legislation remains the same.