What is the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026?
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 became law on 29 April 2026.
The act aims to improve children's wellbeing through a series of reforms affecting schools, local authorities (LAs) and other child services.
The act is organised into 3 main parts:
- Children's social care
- Schools
- Online safety
Some of the key headlines at a glance
From 29 June 2026
- Statutory pay and conditions framework extended to academies
- School food standards extended to academies
- An end to automatic forced academisation for schools causing concern
- A new legal duty for schools and LAs to cooperate on admissions and place planning
From September 2026
- A cap on compulsory branded school uniform items
- Expanded free school meal (FSM) eligibility
- New statutory duty to support pupils with allergies
Pupils banned from using mobile phones in school during the school day Stricter home education rules Routine Ofsted inspections of academy trusts National