Education Legislation
Laws governing educational institutions, curriculum standards, student finance, higher education, and educational quality assessment.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 1) (England) Regulations 2026
Activated legal provisions allowing schools to access social security data to verify free school meal eligibility starting June 2026.
These regulations bring section 33 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 into force on 1 June 2026 for England.
This legal change authorizes the Department for Education and other government departments to share social security, asylum support, and tax credit information with schools and local authorities.
The primary purpose of this information sharing is to verify eligibility for free school meals and to calculate financial assistance linked to child welfare and educational provision.
The Regulations brought Section 15 of the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 into force immediately, and brought Section 16 into force immediately for regulation-making purposes, setting its general commencement for September 1, 2026.
These 2026 Regulations, made by the Secretary of State, set the commencement dates for specific provisions within the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022, primarily bringing Section 15 (support for lifelong learning) into force the day after the Regulations are made, and implementing Section 16 (amendments to the Higher Education and Research Act 2017) immediately for regulation-making purposes, with its general commencement delayed until September 1, 2026.
Extended the procedural time limit for lodging Employment Tribunal complaints concerning the right to accompaniment during study or training discussions from three to six months by amending the 2010 Regulations.
These Regulations amend the existing Employee Study and Training (Procedural Requirements) Regulations 2010 by increasing the statutory time limit for an employee to present a complaint to an Employment Tribunal regarding an employer’s failure, or threat to fail, to allow accompaniment during a meeting about study or training, extending this period from three months to six months, with the change applying only to failures occurring on or after October 1st, 2026.
The Warwickshire County Council (Adult Education Functions) Regulations 2026
The Regulations transferred certain adult education functions from the Secretary of State to Warwickshire County Council and established conditions on their exercise.
These Regulations formally transfer specific adult education functions, originally held by the Secretary of State under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, to Warwickshire County Council concerning its local area, with effect from April 22, 2026, primarily for academic years starting after August 1, 2026, while explicitly excluding functions related to apprenticeship training and services for adults in detention, and subject the Council's new responsibilities to ongoing directions and guidance from the Secretary of State.
The Power to Award Degrees etc. (Spurgeon’s College) (Revocation) Order 2026
The Office for Students revoked the 2022 and 2025 Orders granting degree awarding powers to Spurgeon's College because the institution ceased to be a registered higher education provider.
This Order, made by the Office for Students under powers granted by the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, formally revokes the 2022 Order and the 2025 Amendment Order that previously granted degree-awarding powers to Spurgeon's College, because the college is no longer a registered higher education provider in England.
The Further Education (Initial Teacher Training) Regulations 2026
The Regulations mandated the specification of relevant ITT(FE) courses, established registration requirements for providers, imposed obligations to adhere to government guidance, required detailed information submission, and set a schedule for the publication of annual compliance reports.
These Regulations, made under the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022, establish a framework for quality assurance over Initial Teacher Training for Further Education (ITT(FE)) courses in England.
The rules mandate that educational institutions offering specified ITT(FE) courses must register with the Secretary of State, adhere to published guidance on course delivery and curriculum content, and provide regular, detailed information regarding their courses, students, and graduates, culminating in an annual public report by the Secretary of State summarizing sector compliance.
The Inspectors of Education, Children’s Services and Skills Order 2026
The Order officially appointed the named individuals as His Majesty's Inspectors of Education, Children's Services and Skills, effective March 11, 2026.
This Statutory Instrument, made by His Majesty in Council on March 10, 2026, officially appoints the individuals listed in the Schedule as His Majesty's Inspectors of Education, Children's Services and Skills, taking legal effect on March 11, 2026, under the powers granted by the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
The Diocese of Guildford (Educational Endowments) (St Bede’s Church of England Junior School) Order 2026
The Secretary of State appointed the Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance as trustee, authorized the sale of the former St Bede's Junior School assets, and consolidated the endowment under uniform statutory trusts for use by relevant Church of England schools in the Diocese.
This 2026 Order establishes the Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance as the new trustee for the endowment previously associated with St Bede's Church of England Junior School in Surrey after its premises ceased use for that purpose, authorizing the immediate transfer of assets and the subsequent consolidation of this endowment with the Diocese of Guildford Consolidated Educational Endowments Fund, where the capital and income will be managed under uniform statutory trusts for the benefit of current Church of England schools within the Diocese.