OpenLegislation

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 in Wales

2026 c. 21 · Enacted 29 April 2026 · Extends to United Kingdom

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 30 September 2026.

An Act to make provision about the safeguarding and welfare of children; about support for children in care or leaving care; about regulation of care workers; about regulation of establishments and agencies under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000; about employment of children; about breakfast club provision and school uniform; about allergy safety in schools; about guidance relating to use of mobile phones and other interactive communication devices in schools; about attendance of children at school; about regulation of independent educational institutions; about inspections of schools and colleges; about teacher misconduct; about Academies and teachers at Academies; repealing section 128 of the Education Act 2002; about school places and admissions; about establishing new schools; about preventing or restricting access by children to internet services; about the age of consent in relation to processing of a child’s personal data in relation to information society services; and for connected purposes.

[29th April 2026]

Be it enacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Contents

  1. Part 1: Children’s social care
  2. Family group decision-making
  3. 1Family group decision-making
  4. Child protection and safeguarding
  5. 2Inclusion of childcare and education agencies in safeguarding arrangements
  6. 3Multi-agency child protection teams for local authority areas
  7. 4Information sharing and consistent identifiers
  8. Support for children in care, leaving care or in kinship care and carers
  9. 5Information: children in kinship care and their carers
  10. 6Promoting educational achievement Not yet in force
  11. 7Provision of advice and other support Not yet in force
  12. 8Local offer for care leavers
  13. 9Care leavers not to be regarded as becoming homeless intentionally
  14. 10Sibling contact with children in care Not yet in force
  15. Accommodation of children
  16. 11Children in temporary accommodation
  17. 12Accommodation of looked after children: regional co-operation arrangements
  18. 13Use of accommodation for deprivation of liberty Not yet in force
  19. Regulation of children’s homes, fostering agencies etc
  20. 14Powers of CIECSS in relation to parent undertakings
  21. 15Power of CIECSS to impose monetary penalties
  22. 16Financial oversight
  23. 17Power to limit profits of relevant providers
  24. 18Power of Secretary of State to impose monetary penalties
  25. 19Procedure for imposing monetary penalties
  26. 20Information sharing
  27. Care workers
  28. 21Use of agency workers for children’s social care work
  29. 22Ill-treatment or wilful neglect of children
  30. Corporate parenting Not yet in force
  31. 23Corporate parenting responsibilities Not yet in force
  32. 24Cases in which duty under section 23(1) does not apply Not yet in force
  33. 25Corporate parenting duty: collaborative working Not yet in force
  34. 26Duty to have regard to guidance Not yet in force
  35. 27Reports by Secretary of State Not yet in force
  36. Employment of children
  37. 28Employment of children in England and Wales
  38. Part 2: Schools
  39. School meals, breakfast clubs etc
  40. 30Free breakfast club provision in primary schools in England
  41. 31Food and drink provided at Academies
  42. 32Free school lunches: eligibility
  43. 33Free school meals etc: information sharing
  44. Allergy safety
  45. 34Allergy safety policy for pupils at schools
  46. School uniforms
  47. 35School uniforms: limits on branded items
  48. Mobile phones
  49. 36Guidance on use of mobile phones etc in schools in England
  50. Children not in school
  51. 37Withdrawal of children from school: local authority involvement
  52. 38Registration
  53. 39School attendance orders
  54. 40Children not in school: processing of information
  55. 41Guidance on children not in school and school attendance orders Not yet in force
  56. 42Children not in school: consequential amendments Not yet in force
  57. Independent educational institutions
  58. 43Expanding the scope of regulation
  59. 44Independent educational institution standards
  60. 45Unregistered independent educational institutions: prevention orders Not yet in force
  61. 46Material changes Not yet in force
  62. 47Deregistration by agreement
  63. 48Imposition of relevant restrictions Not yet in force
  64. 49Powers of entry and investigation etc Not yet in force
  65. 50Application of schools provision to independent educational institutions
  66. Inspections of schools and colleges
  67. 51Inspectors and inspectorates: reports and information sharing
  68. Teacher misconduct
  69. 52Teacher misconduct
  70. School teachers’ qualifications and induction
  71. 53School teachers’ qualifications and induction
  72. Academies
  73. 54Academy schools: duty to follow National Curriculum
  74. 55Academy schools: educational provision for improving behaviour
  75. 56Academies: power to secure performance of proprietor’s duties
  76. 57Inspection of Academy proprietors
  77. 58Repeal of duty to make Academy order in relation to school causing concern
  78. Teachers’ pay and conditions
  79. 59Pay and conditions of Academy teachers
  80. 60Application of pay and conditions orders to education action zones
  81. School places and admissions
  82. 61Co-operation between schools and local authorities
  83. 62Power to direct admission: extension to Academies Not yet in force
  84. 63Power to direct admission: additional triggers Not yet in force
  85. 64Functions of adjudicator in relation to admission numbers
  86. Establishment of new schools
  87. 65Amendments to invitation process for establishment of new schools
  88. 66Certain proposals to establish new schools: publication requirements etc
  89. 67Establishment of pupil referral units
  90. 68Process for considering, approving and implementing proposals for the establishment of new schools
  91. 69Transitional provision
  92. Part 3: Online safety etc
  93. 70Power to require providers of internet services to prevent or restrict access by children to internet services
  94. 71Progress statement
  95. 72Age of consent in relation to processing of a child’s personal data: information society services
  96. Part 4: General
  97. 73Power to make consequential provision
  98. 74Power to make consequential provision: Wales
  99. 75Power to make consequential provision: Scotland
  100. 76Financial provision
  101. 77Extent
  102. 78Commencement
  103. 79Short title
  104. Schedule 1: Relevant authorities
  105. Part 1: List of relevant authorities Not yet in force
  106. 1Paragraph 1 Not yet in force
  107. 2Paragraph 2 Not yet in force
  108. 3Paragraph 3 Not yet in force
  109. 4Paragraph 4 Not yet in force
  110. 5Paragraph 5 Not yet in force
  111. 6Paragraph 6 Not yet in force
  112. 7Paragraph 7 Not yet in force
  113. 8Paragraph 8 Not yet in force
  114. 9Paragraph 9 Not yet in force
  115. 10Paragraph 10 Not yet in force
  116. 11Paragraph 11 Not yet in force
  117. 12Paragraph 12 Not yet in force
  118. 13Paragraph 13 Not yet in force
  119. 14Paragraph 14 Not yet in force
  120. Part 2: Power to modify Part 1
  121. 15Paragraph 15
  122. 16Paragraph 16
  123. 17Paragraph 17
  124. Schedule 2: Children not in school: consequential amendments Not yet in force
  125. 1Children Act 1989 Not yet in force
  126. 2Education Act 1996 Not yet in force
  127. 3School Standards and Framework Act 1998 Not yet in force
  128. 4Sentencing Act 2020 Not yet in force
  129. Schedule 3: Pay and conditions of Academy teachers: amendments to the Education Act 2002
  130. 1Paragraph 1
  131. 2Paragraph 2
  132. 3Paragraph 3
  133. 4Paragraph 4
  134. 5Paragraph 5
  135. 6Paragraph 6 Not yet in force
  136. 7Paragraph 7
  137. 8Paragraph 8
  138. 9Paragraph 9
  139. 10Paragraph 10
  140. 11Paragraph 11
  141. 12Paragraph 12
  142. 13Paragraph 13
  143. Schedule 4: Establishment of new schools: amendments to Schedule 2 to the Education and Inspections Act 2006
  144. 1Paragraph 1
  145. 2Paragraph 2
  146. 3Paragraph 3
  147. 4Paragraph 4
  148. 5Paragraph 5
  149. 6Paragraph 6
  150. 7Paragraph 7
  151. 8Paragraph 8
  152. 9Paragraph 9
  153. 10Paragraph 10
  154. 11Paragraph 11
  155. 12Paragraph 12
  156. 13Paragraph 13
  157. 14Paragraph 14
  158. 15Paragraph 15
  159. 16Paragraph 16
  160. 17Paragraph 17
  161. 18Paragraph 18
  162. 19Paragraph 19
  163. 20Paragraph 20
  164. 21Paragraph 21
  165. 22Paragraph 22
  166. 23Paragraph 23
  167. 24Paragraph 24
  168. 25Paragraph 25