Revoked the temporary legal protections that preserved free school lunch eligibility for specific groups during the transition to Universal Credit.

This Order terminates the temporary protection of free school lunch eligibility for certain students in England starting 17 August 2026.

It amends the Welfare Reform Act 2012 (Commencement No. 30 and Transitory Provisions) Order 2018 by revoking the 'transitory provisions' that previously allowed individuals to retain their free meal status despite changes to the welfare system.

The Secretary of State for Education directs that any person relying on these specific transitional rules to qualify for free school lunches will cease to be eligible on the specified date.

Updated various childcare regulations to ban dangerous dog breeds from premises, broadened harm notification requirements, and adopted the July 2026 EYFS statutory frameworks.

These Regulations amend several existing statutory instruments to update childcare registration and welfare requirements in England.

The legislation prohibits the presence of banned dog breeds at childcare premises, lowers the threshold for notifying the Chief Inspector of child abuse or harm by removing the qualifier 'serious', and adopts updated statutory frameworks for learning, development, and staff qualifications.

It applies specifically to early years childminders, group and school-based providers, later years providers, and home child-carers registered on both the Early Years and General Childcare Registers.

Transferred the Northern School of Art from the further education sector to the higher education sector by reconstituting it as a higher education corporation.

This Order transitions the Northern School of Art from a further education corporation to a higher education corporation.

It exercises powers granted to the Secretary of State for Education under the Education Reform Act 1988 and applies to the institution located in England.

The Order designates August 1, 2026, as the formal date for this change in legal status and sector classification.

Capped student loan interest rates for Plan 2 and Plan 3 loans at 6% for the 2026/27 academic year in England and Wales.

These Regulations amend the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 to cap the interest rates for Plan 2 and Plan 3 student loans at 6% for a twelve-month period.

The order applies to student loan borrowers and repayment administrators in England and Wales, specifically targeting the interest calculations for undergraduate and postgraduate income-contingent loans.

The Secretary of State for Education and the Welsh Ministers exercise these powers to ensure that if the standard interest rate calculations exceed 6% between September 2026 and August 2027, the lower capped rate applies.

Expanded eligibility for free school lunches to pupils in maintained nursery schools in England whose parents receive Universal Credit.

This Order establishes free school lunch eligibility for registered pupils at maintained nursery schools in England if their parent receives Universal Credit and they do not already qualify under existing legislative criteria.

It directs school authorities to treat these pupils as eligible persons under section 512ZB(4A) of the Education Act 1996.

The provisions apply specifically to the education sector in England and involve parents who are recipients of Universal Credit.

Amended existing regulations to establish a new mandatory framework for financial recoupment between English local authorities for the education of looked after children with special educational needs from September 2026.

These Regulations amend the Inter-authority Recoupment (England) Regulations 2013 to establish new procedures for how local authorities in England reimburse one another for the cost of educating looked after children.

The instrument mandates that for education provided from 1st September 2026, a child's 'home' authority must pay a 'providing' authority for costs associated with a child who has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or attends a special school.

If authorities cannot agree on a figure within six months of a claim, the home authority must pay the total expenditure incurred by the providing authority, including transport costs but excluding Dedicated Schools Grant funding.

The Regulations apply to local authorities in England and Wales but specifically govern the financial relationship between English home and providing authorities.

Adjusted tax rules and extended reporting deadlines for public service pension members receiving discrimination remedy payments.

This instrument modifies the tax treatment of public service pension schemes to facilitate the rectification of unlawful discrimination as required by the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022.

It amends previous regulations to allow members to submit 'scheme pays' notices digitally via HMRC, extends deadlines for reporting increased tax liabilities, and provides specific tax frameworks for Armed Forces, judicial, and local government pension schemes.

The regulations apply to scheme administrators, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and members of public service schemes—including judges and teachers—who are eligible for a discrimination remedy.

Activated specific legal provisions for higher education free speech complaints and registration conditions through a phased commencement in 2026 and 2027.

This statutory instrument brings into force specific provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 according to a staggered timeline. It directs the Office for Students to implement a free speech complaints scheme starting September 1, 2026, specifically for staff, non-student members, and visiting speakers at registered higher education providers in England.

The regulations also authorize the enforcement of mandatory freedom of speech registration conditions starting April 1, 2027, though they exclude certain requirements related to students' unions and student-initiated complaints from this commencement phase.