Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009

The main purpose of this Act is the continued reform of 14 to 19 education and training. However it imposes new duties on schools and local education authorities in relation to safeguarding children.

Part 9 of the Act adds to the list of persons and bodies who are to be party to arrangements made by a children’s services authority under section 10 of the Children Act 2004 (a “children’s trust”). It provides for the establishment of Children’s Trust Boards and provides for them to take over from children’s services authorities responsibility for preparing a Children and Young People’s Plan.

This Part also makes provision for the Secretary of State to set statutory targets for children’s services authorities in England for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children; for a new requirement that there be two representatives of the local community on each Local Safeguarding Children Board in England; and for a new duty for each Local Safeguarding Children Board to produce and publish an annual report on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in its area.

Part 9 also makes provision about children’s centres: in particular, defining the meaning of “children’s centre”, requiring children’s services authorities to arrange for sufficient numbers of children’s centres in their area to meet local need, and making provision for the inspection of children’s centres

Part 11 requires schools to have a procedure for the recording and reporting to parents of significant incidents where force is used on pupils and students aged 19 or under. The procedure must provide that, where reporting to parents would be likely to result in significant harm to the learner, significant incidents must be reported to the local authority.

See here: Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009