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 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.

The increase in the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) employer contributions to 28.68% required governing bodies to make difficult decisions. Those decisions were rarely straightforward.

A significant new right for trade unions to access workplaces comes into force on 30 October 2026, and the Government has now finalised the Code of Practice that will govern it. Schools should prepare for how they are going to approach this from a strategic and logistical perspective.