Articles
Back to school 2026: key legal and regulatory priorities for independent schools
02 Sept 2026The 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.
Back to school 2026: key legal and regulatory priorities for academies and maintained schools
01 Sept 2026The 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.
Allergy safety in schools: speed read on what schools need to know about the new DfE guidance
10 Jul 2026The Department for Education (DfE) has published new guidance in relation to allergy safety in schools.
Managing data protection complaints in academies: navigating Section 164A and the three-stage complaints procedure
09 Jul 2026On 19 June 2026, Section 164A of the Data Protection Act 2018 introduced a formalised framework for how organisations, including schools, must handle data protection complaints. While the statutory requirements themselves are relatively procedural in nature, their interaction with existing school complaints frameworks, particularly the ISSR Part 7 parental complaints procedure, raises important practical questions.
In this article, we set out our view on how academies can most effectively manage these overlapping regimes, ensuring compliance while preserving fairness and operational efficiency.
DfE publishes revised guidance on suspensions and permanent exclusions
09 Jul 2026The Department for Education (DfE) has published a revised version of its statutory guidance Suspension and Permanent Exclusion from maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England, including pupil movement, which comes into force on 26 July 2026.
Managing data protection complaints in schools - navigating the Independent School standards
11 Jun 2026From 19 June 2026, Section 164A of the Data Protection Act 2018 introduces a formalised framework for how organisations, including schools, must handle data protection complaints. While the statutory requirements themselves are relatively procedural in nature, their interaction with existing school complaints frameworks, particularly the ISSR Part 7 parental complaints procedure, raises important practical questions.
In this article, we set out our view on how schools can most effectively manage these overlapping regimes, ensuring compliance while preserving fairness and operational efficiency.
