Education Legislation
Laws governing educational institutions, curriculum standards, student finance, higher education, and educational quality assessment.
The Public Service Pension Schemes (Rectification of Unlawful Discrimination) (Tax) Regulations 2026
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.
The Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 (Commencement No. 4) Regulations 2026
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.
The Education (Information About Individual Pupils) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Expanded the categories of individual pupil data that schools in England must record and report, including kinship care status, breakfast club attendance, and the outcomes of school exclusion reviews.
These Regulations amend the Education (Information About Individual Pupils) (England) Regulations 2013 to expand the scope of data that schools in England must provide to the Secretary of State.
The document directs maintained schools, Academy schools, pupil referral units, and non-maintained special schools to collect and report new information regarding pupils in kinship care, eligibility details for free school meals, and daily attendance records for free breakfast clubs.
Furthermore, it mandates the reporting of "managed moves"—where a pupil transfers institutions by agreement to avoid exclusion—and detailed tracking of the exclusion process, including cancellations and reinstatement decisions by governing bodies or review panels.
The Power to Award Degrees etc. (New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering) (Amendment) Order 2026
Extended the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering's temporary degree-awarding powers until 30 November 2027.
This Order extends the period during which the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) is authorized to grant taught degrees.
It amends a 2023 Order to change the expiration date of these powers from 30 November 2026 to 30 November 2027.
The Order applies to the Office for Students and NMITE, following a review of the provider's educational standards and quality.
The Secretary of State appointed the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education as trustee for the endowment funds of the former Shaw Church of England Primary School Teacher's House and ordered that these assets be consolidated with existing diocesan educational endowments under uniform statutory trusts.
The Department for Education makes this Order, effective June 12, 2026, to address the endowment funds associated with the former teacher's house at Shaw Church of England Primary School in Wiltshire, whose premises are no longer used for that specific religious education purpose; it appoints the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education as the trustee for the net sale proceeds (£55,260 plus income) and mandates that these assets be consolidated with the Diocese of Salisbury Consolidated Educational Endowments, to be administered under the Uniform Statutory Trusts benefiting relevant Church of England schools within the Diocese.
Restricted postgraduate student loan eligibility to specific types of franchised providers and established a 300-student limit for unregistered teaching institutions.
This instrument amends the regulatory framework for postgraduate Master’s and Doctoral loans in England to restrict which franchised courses qualify for government student support.
It directs that courses starting on or after 1 September 2028 are only designated for finance if the teaching provider is either registered with the Office for Students (OfS), is a specific exempt public body, or is an unregistered "below-threshold" provider with fewer than 300 students.
The regulations apply to higher education providers in England and the Secretary of State, establishing a system for determining student populations, issuing status notices, and managing appeals.
The Power to Award Degrees etc. (Academy of Live Technology Ltd) Order 2026
The Office for Students authorised the Academy of Live Technology Ltd to grant taught awards up to master's level in specified technology, business, media, and arts subjects for a fixed term between July 2026 and June 2030.
This Statutory Instrument, The Power to Award Degrees etc. (Academy of Live Technology Ltd) Order 2026, formally authorizes the private education provider Academy of Live Technology Ltd to grant its own taught awards, up to and including master's level, in specific subjects including engineering, computing, business, media, and arts.
Made by the Office for Students under the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, this authorization takes effect on July 1, 2026, and is granted for a fixed term, expiring on June 30, 2030, applying only to students enrolled upon completing their course of study.
The Education (Educational Provision for Improving Behaviour) (Application to Academies and Pupil Referral Units and Minor Amendments) Regulations 2026
The regulations applied existing behaviour improvement powers under Section 29A of the 2002 Act and related 2010 Regulations to Academies and Pupil Referral Units in England, mandated specific review timings for pre-existing pupil requirements, and corrected references to Educational, Health and Care (EHC) plans in subordinate legislation.
These Regulations, legally enacted in May 2026 and commencing in July 2026, extend the powers outlined in Section 29A of the Education Act 2002, which govern educational provision aimed at improving pupil behaviour, to cover Academy schools and Pupil Referral Units across England, while also making several minor legislative corrections to related educational and health/social care continuity regulations, specifically updating obsolete terminology related to special educational needs.