Articles

The Government’s schools white paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, and the SEND consultation, Putting Children and Young People First, set out a major proposed restructuring of the schools and SEND system in England.

The supervision exemption was removed from the definition of regulated activity with children, as it applies to unpaid/voluntary roles, with effect from 1 September 2026.

Organisations that permit adults to work in a voluntary/unpaid capacity with children should now review those arrangements and decide whether to carry out enhanced DBS and Children's Barred List checks.

The start of the 2026/27 academic year brings another substantial package of legal, regulatory and guidance changes for independent schools.

Some changes take effect from 1 September 2026 and require immediate action. Others are already in force but may require schools to revisit their policies and practice, while several significant reforms remain on the horizon.

We highlight some of the key areas independent schools should have on their radar as the new academic year begins.

The start of the 2026/27 academic year brings another substantial package of legal, regulatory and guidance changes for academies and maintained schools.

Some changes take effect from 1 September 2026, others have already come into force during the year, and a further programme of education reform remains on the horizon.

Against that backdrop, we highlight some of the key areas schools should prioritise as the new academic year begins.

The EAT has confirmed that employment tribunals are not generally required to consider human rights arguments about freedom of expression where the claimant has not relied upon them.

The Department for Education has now published the 'for information' version of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026, ahead of it coming into force on 1 September 2026.