OpenLegislation

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026

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. 29Employment of children in Scotland
  39. Part 2: Schools
  40. School meals, breakfast clubs etc
  41. 30Free breakfast club provision in primary schools in England
  42. 31Food and drink provided at Academies
  43. 32Free school lunches: eligibility
  44. 33Free school meals etc: information sharing
  45. Allergy safety
  46. 34Allergy safety policy for pupils at schools
  47. School uniforms
  48. 35School uniforms: limits on branded items
  49. Mobile phones
  50. 36Guidance on use of mobile phones etc in schools in England
  51. Children not in school
  52. 37Withdrawal of children from school: local authority involvement
  53. 38Registration
  54. 39School attendance orders
  55. 40Children not in school: processing of information
  56. 41Guidance on children not in school and school attendance orders Not yet in force
  57. 42Children not in school: consequential amendments Not yet in force
  58. Independent educational institutions
  59. 43Expanding the scope of regulation
  60. 44Independent educational institution standards
  61. 45Unregistered independent educational institutions: prevention orders Not yet in force
  62. 46Material changes Not yet in force
  63. 47Deregistration by agreement
  64. 48Imposition of relevant restrictions Not yet in force
  65. 49Powers of entry and investigation etc Not yet in force
  66. 50Application of schools provision to independent educational institutions
  67. Inspections of schools and colleges
  68. 51Inspectors and inspectorates: reports and information sharing
  69. Teacher misconduct
  70. 52Teacher misconduct
  71. School teachers’ qualifications and induction
  72. 53School teachers’ qualifications and induction
  73. Academies
  74. 54Academy schools: duty to follow National Curriculum
  75. 55Academy schools: educational provision for improving behaviour
  76. 56Academies: power to secure performance of proprietor’s duties
  77. 57Inspection of Academy proprietors
  78. 58Repeal of duty to make Academy order in relation to school causing concern
  79. Teachers’ pay and conditions
  80. 59Pay and conditions of Academy teachers
  81. 60Application of pay and conditions orders to education action zones
  82. School places and admissions
  83. 61Co-operation between schools and local authorities
  84. 62Power to direct admission: extension to Academies Not yet in force
  85. 63Power to direct admission: additional triggers Not yet in force
  86. 64Functions of adjudicator in relation to admission numbers
  87. Establishment of new schools
  88. 65Amendments to invitation process for establishment of new schools
  89. 66Certain proposals to establish new schools: publication requirements etc
  90. 67Establishment of pupil referral units
  91. 68Process for considering, approving and implementing proposals for the establishment of new schools
  92. 69Transitional provision
  93. Part 3: Online safety etc
  94. 70Power to require providers of internet services to prevent or restrict access by children to internet services
  95. 71Progress statement
  96. 72Age of consent in relation to processing of a child’s personal data: information society services
  97. Part 4: General
  98. 73Power to make consequential provision
  99. 74Power to make consequential provision: Wales
  100. 75Power to make consequential provision: Scotland
  101. 76Financial provision
  102. 77Extent
  103. 78Commencement
  104. 79Short title
  105. Schedule 1: Relevant authorities
  106. Part 1: List of relevant authorities Not yet in force
  107. 1Paragraph 1 Not yet in force
  108. 2Paragraph 2 Not yet in force
  109. 3Paragraph 3 Not yet in force
  110. 4Paragraph 4 Not yet in force
  111. 5Paragraph 5 Not yet in force
  112. 6Paragraph 6 Not yet in force
  113. 7Paragraph 7 Not yet in force
  114. 8Paragraph 8 Not yet in force
  115. 9Paragraph 9 Not yet in force
  116. 10Paragraph 10 Not yet in force
  117. 11Paragraph 11 Not yet in force
  118. 12Paragraph 12 Not yet in force
  119. 13Paragraph 13 Not yet in force
  120. 14Paragraph 14 Not yet in force
  121. Part 2: Power to modify Part 1
  122. 15Paragraph 15
  123. 16Paragraph 16
  124. 17Paragraph 17
  125. Schedule 2: Children not in school: consequential amendments Not yet in force
  126. 1Children Act 1989 Not yet in force
  127. 2Education Act 1996 Not yet in force
  128. 3School Standards and Framework Act 1998 Not yet in force
  129. 4Sentencing Act 2020 Not yet in force
  130. Schedule 3: Pay and conditions of Academy teachers: amendments to the Education Act 2002
  131. 1Paragraph 1
  132. 2Paragraph 2
  133. 3Paragraph 3
  134. 4Paragraph 4
  135. 5Paragraph 5
  136. 6Paragraph 6 Not yet in force
  137. 7Paragraph 7
  138. 8Paragraph 8
  139. 9Paragraph 9
  140. 10Paragraph 10
  141. 11Paragraph 11
  142. 12Paragraph 12
  143. 13Paragraph 13
  144. Schedule 4: Establishment of new schools: amendments to Schedule 2 to the Education and Inspections Act 2006
  145. 1Paragraph 1
  146. 2Paragraph 2
  147. 3Paragraph 3
  148. 4Paragraph 4
  149. 5Paragraph 5
  150. 6Paragraph 6
  151. 7Paragraph 7
  152. 8Paragraph 8
  153. 9Paragraph 9
  154. 10Paragraph 10
  155. 11Paragraph 11
  156. 12Paragraph 12
  157. 13Paragraph 13
  158. 14Paragraph 14
  159. 15Paragraph 15
  160. 16Paragraph 16
  161. 17Paragraph 17
  162. 18Paragraph 18
  163. 19Paragraph 19
  164. 20Paragraph 20
  165. 21Paragraph 21
  166. 22Paragraph 22
  167. 23Paragraph 23
  168. 24Paragraph 24
  169. 25Paragraph 25