Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026

1. Introductory Text

2. Part 1 Children’s social care

   1. Family group decision-making

      1. 1. Family group decision-making

   2. Child protection and safeguarding

      1. 2. Inclusion of childcare and education agencies in safeguarding arrangements

      2. 3. Multi-agency child protection teams for local authority areas

      3. 4. Information sharing and consistent identifiers

   3. Support for children in care, leaving care or in kinship care and carers

      1. 5. Information: children in kinship care and their carers

      2. 6. Promoting educational achievement

      3. 7. Provision of advice and other support

      4. 8. Local offer for care leavers

      5. 9. Care leavers not to be regarded as becoming homeless intentionally

      6. 10. Sibling contact with children in care

   4. Accommodation of children

      1. 11. Children in temporary accommodation

      2. 12. Accommodation of looked after children: regional co-operation arrangements

      3. 13. Use of accommodation for deprivation of liberty

   5. Regulation of children’s homes, fostering agencies etc

      1. 14. Powers of CIECSS in relation to parent undertakings

      2. 15. Power of CIECSS to impose monetary penalties

      3. 16. Financial oversight

      4. 17. Power to limit profits of relevant providers

      5. 18. Power of Secretary of State to impose monetary penalties

      6. 19. Procedure for imposing monetary penalties

      7. 20. Information sharing

   6. Care workers

      1. 21. Use of agency workers for children’s social care work

      2. 22. Ill-treatment or wilful neglect of children

   7. Corporate parenting

      1. 23. Corporate parenting responsibilities

      2. 24. Cases in which duty under section 23(1) does not apply

      3. 25. Corporate parenting duty: collaborative working

      4. 26. Duty to have regard to guidance

      5. 27. Reports by Secretary of State

   8. Employment of children

      1. 28. Employment of children in England and Wales

      2. 29. Employment of children in Scotland

3. Part 2 Schools

   1. School meals, breakfast clubs etc

      1. 30. Free breakfast club provision in primary schools in England

      2. 31. Food and drink provided at Academies

      3. 32. Free school lunches: eligibility

      4. 33. Free school meals etc: information sharing

   2. Allergy safety

      1. 34. Allergy safety policy for pupils at schools

   3. School uniforms

      1. 35. School uniforms: limits on branded items

   4. Mobile phones

      1. 36. Guidance on use of mobile phones etc in schools in England

   5. Children not in school

      1. 37. Withdrawal of children from school: local authority involvement

      2. 38. Registration

      3. 39. School attendance orders

      4. 40. Children not in school: processing of information

      5. 41. Guidance on children not in school and school attendance orders

      6. 42. Children not in school: consequential amendments

   6. Independent educational institutions

      1. 43. Expanding the scope of regulation

      2. 44. Independent educational institution standards

      3. 45. Unregistered independent educational institutions: prevention orders

      4. 46. Material changes

      5. 47. Deregistration by agreement

      6. 48. Imposition of relevant restrictions

      7. 49. Powers of entry and investigation etc

      8. 50. Application of schools provision to independent educational institutions

   7. Inspections of schools and colleges

      1. 51. Inspectors and inspectorates: reports and information sharing

   8. Teacher misconduct

      1. 52. Teacher misconduct

   9. School teachers’ qualifications and induction

      1. 53. School teachers’ qualifications and induction

   10. Academies

       1. 54. Academy schools: duty to follow National Curriculum

       2. 55. Academy schools: educational provision for improving behaviour

       3. 56. Academies: power to secure performance of proprietor’s duties

       4. 57. Inspection of Academy proprietors

       5. 58. Repeal of duty to make Academy order in relation to school causing concern

   11. Teachers’ pay and conditions

       1. 59. Pay and conditions of Academy teachers

       2. 60. Application of pay and conditions orders to education action zones

   12. School places and admissions

       1. 61. Co-operation between schools and local authorities

       2. 62. Power to direct admission: extension to Academies

       3. 63. Power to direct admission: additional triggers

       4. 64. Functions of adjudicator in relation to admission numbers

   13. Establishment of new schools

       1. 65. Amendments to invitation process for establishment of new schools

       2. 66. Certain proposals to establish new schools: publication requirements etc

       3. 67. Establishment of pupil referral units

       4. 68. Process for considering, approving and implementing proposals for the establishment of new schools

       5. 69. Transitional provision

4. Part 3 Online safety etc

   1. 70. Power to require providers of internet services to prevent or restrict access by children to internet services

   2. 71. Progress statement

   3. 72. Age of consent in relation to processing of a child’s personal data: information society services

5. Part 4 General

   1. 73. Power to make consequential provision

   2. 74. Power to make consequential provision: Wales

   3. 75. Power to make consequential provision: Scotland

   4. 76. Financial provision

   5. 77. Extent

   6. 78. Commencement

   7. 79. Short title

6. Schedules

   1. Schedule 1

      Relevant authorities

      1. Part 1 List of relevant authorities

         1. 1. The Secretary of State.

         2. 2. The Lord Chancellor.

         3. 3. (1) The governing body of a maintained school in England....

         4. 4. (1) The proprietor of a non-maintained special school in England....

         5. 5. (1) The proprietor of— (a) an Academy (as defined by...

         6. 6. (1) The governing body of an institution in England within...

         7. 7. (1) The proprietor of a special post-16 institution in England...

         8. 8. His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills....

         9. 9. NHS England.

         10. 10. An integrated care board established under section 14Z25 of the...

         11. 11. An NHS foundation trust within the meaning given by section...

         12. 12. An NHS trust established under section 25 of the National...

         13. 13. The Care Quality Commission.

         14. 14. The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales.

      2. Part 2 Power to modify Part 1

         1. 15. (1) The Secretary of State may by regulations made by...

         2. 16. (1) Regulations under paragraph 15(1)(a) may not add a person...

         3. 17. (1) Regulations under paragraph 15(1)(a) may not add a person...

   2. Schedule 2

      Children not in school: consequential amendments

      1. 1. Children Act 1989

      2. 2. Education Act 1996

      3. 3. School Standards and Framework Act 1998

      4. 4. Sentencing Act 2020

   3. Schedule 3

      Pay and conditions of Academy teachers: amendments to the Education Act 2002

      1. 1. Part 8 of the Education Act 2002 (teachers’ pay and...

      2. 2. In section 120(2) (School Teachers’ Review Body function: meaning of...

      3. 3. In section 121(2) (bodies to be consulted by School Teachers’...

      4. 4. In the heading of section 122, after “conditions” insert “of...

      5. 5. After section 122 insert— Power to set minimum remuneration of...

      6. 6. In section 122A (inserted by paragraph 5), after subsection (10)...

      7. 7. In section 123 (scope of section 122 orders)—

      8. 8. In section 124 (supplementary provision), after “122”, in each place...

      9. 9. In section 125(1) (requirement to refer matter before making order),...

      10. 10. In section 126 (bodies to be consulted by the Secretary...

      11. 11. In section 127 (guidance issued by the Secretary of State)—...

      12. 12. After section 127 insert— References to “Academy” and “Academy arrangements”...

      13. 13. In section 210(6) (orders not subject to Parliamentary procedure), after...

   4. Schedule 4

      Establishment of new schools: amendments to Schedule 2 to the Education and Inspections Act 2006

      1. 1. Schedule 2 to the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (proposals...

      2. 2. In paragraph 1(1) (application of Schedule), omit “, 11”.

      3. 3. In paragraph 2 (meaning of “the relevant authority”), in paragraph...

      4. 4. Omit paragraph 3A (meaning of “Academy proposals” and “non-Academy proposals”)...

      5. 5. (1) Paragraph 4 (references to persons by whom proposals are...

      6. 6. Omit paragraph 5A (consideration of proposals: distinction between Academy and...

      7. 7. In paragraph 6 (consideration of proposals), for “10 or 11”...

      8. 8. Omit paragraph 7A (consideration of Academy proposals).

      9. 9. (1) Paragraph 8 (consideration of proposals: further provision) is amended...

      10. 10. In paragraph 9 (consideration of proposals that are related to...

      11. 11. In the italic heading before paragraph 10, after “refer to”...

      12. 12. (1) Paragraph 10 (duty to refer certain proposals to adjudicator)...

      13. 13. In the italic heading before paragraph 12, for “adjudicator” substitute...

      14. 14. In paragraph 12 (duty to refer proposals in pursuance of...

      15. 15. In the italic heading before paragraph 13, after “refer” insert...

      16. 16. For paragraph 13 (duty to refer proposals where determination delayed)...

      17. 17. (1) Paragraph 14 (reference to adjudicator at request of aggrieved...

      18. 18. (1) Paragraph 15 (duty to refer related proposals) is amended...

      19. 19. (1) Paragraph 16 (withdrawal of proposals before determination) is amended...

      20. 20. In the italic heading before paragraph 17, after “to” insert...

      21. 21. For paragraph 17 substitute— (1) This paragraph applies where any proposals are referred to...

      22. 22. After paragraph 17 insert— Proposals to establish Academy (1) This paragraph applies in relation to proposals published under...

      23. 23. (1) Paragraph 19 (determination whether to implement proposals not requiring...

      24. 24. (1) Paragraph 21 (requirement to implement proposals) is amended as...

      25. 25. (1) Paragraph 22 (proposals not falling to be implemented) is...