What the Act is
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. Part 1 covers children’s social care and safeguarding, and Part 2 covers schools. Part 3 gives the government a power to make regulations restricting children’s access to some online services.
Most of it does not start straight away. Section 78 brought some sections into force at Royal Assent or two months later, and the rest start on dates set by commencement regulations. The status below is from legislation.gov.uk, which was revised to 30 September 2026, and the three sets of commencement regulations published there. We checked on 20 October 2026.
In force now
| Measure | Section | In force from |
|---|---|---|
| Duty to have regard to the mobile phones guidance | 36 | 29 June 2026 |
| Information sharing for free school meals | 33 | 1 June 2026 |
| Free breakfast clubs in primary schools (part) | 30 | 15 July 2026, for some purposes |
| Free school lunch eligibility | 32 | 17 August 2026 |
| Allergy safety policies in schools | 34 | 1 September 2026 |
| Limit of three branded uniform items | 35 | 1 September 2026 |
| Housing authorities telling schools when a child is in temporary accommodation | 11 | 1 September 2026 |
| Duty to share information to safeguard children | 4 (new section 16LA) | 30 September 2026 |
Not in force yet
| Measure | Section | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Education and childcare agencies in local safeguarding arrangements | 2 | Only for making regulations |
| Multi-agency child protection teams | 3 | Only for making regulations. The DfE’s aim is 2027. |
| Consistent identifier for children | 4 (new section 16LC) | Only for making regulations |
| Local authority consent before some children are withdrawn for home education | 37 | Only for making regulations |
| Children not in school registers | 38 | Only for making regulations |
“Only for making regulations” means the section exists so ministers can prepare the detail, but the duties in it don’t apply to schools yet.
The information sharing duty
This is the change most likely to affect a DSL now. Section 4 adds section 16LA to the Children Act 2004, in force since 30 September 2026. Where the duty applies, an organisation that holds information it considers relevant to safeguarding or promoting a child’s welfare must share it with another organisation covered by the duty, if it considers that sharing may help that organisation’s safeguarding or welfare work. The same applies when another covered organisation asks for it.
There is one exception. The duty doesn’t apply if the organisation considers that sharing would be more detrimental to the child than not sharing. A disclosure under the section does not breach any duty of confidence.
The DfE published statutory guidance on the duty in September 2026, “Information sharing to safeguard children and young people”. It lists education among the sectors it applies to and says organisations covered by the duty must have regard to it. KCSIE 2026 paragraph 144 says the duty is meant to give staff more confidence to share information appropriately and in good time.
Section 4 also inserts section 16LB, which lets the government publish information standards for how safeguarding information is recorded. Organisations covered by a standard will have to have regard to it. None had been published when we checked.
Education in local safeguarding arrangements
Section 2 amends section 16E of the Children Act 2004. Once in force, safeguarding partners (the local authority, the integrated care board and the police) will have to include designated childcare or education agencies in their local arrangements.
The DfE’s policy summary is clear that schools will not become a fourth statutory safeguarding partner. The aim is for education to be represented at both operational and strategic level. KCSIE 2026 says it made changes to multi-agency working “ahead of any legislation changes”. Paragraph 135 already expects safeguarding partners to name schools as relevant agencies, and once named, schools must co-operate with the published arrangements.
Multi-agency child protection teams
Section 3 will require the safeguarding partners in each area to set up one or more multi-agency child protection teams to support the local authority’s child protection enquiries under section 47 of the Children Act 1989. The DfE’s policy summary says the aim is for them to come into force in 2027, after public consultation on the regulations.
Children not in school and removal from roll
These sections matter for DSLs but have no start date yet.
- Section 38 will require every local authority to keep a register of children not in school.
- Section 37 will mean parents need the local authority’s consent to withdraw a child from school for home education if the child is the subject of section 47 enquiries, is on a child protection plan or has been in the last five years, or attends a special school under arrangements made by a local authority. When a parent tells the school they plan to withdraw their child, the school will have to notify the local authority.
Until these sections start, the current rules on removing a pupil from the register still apply. There is more detail in our guide to children not in school registers and home education.
Other changes for schools
- Mobile phones. Schools must have regard to the DfE’s Mobile phones in schools guidance. See our guide to the phones guidance.
- Allergy safety. Schools covered by the duty to support pupils with medical conditions must have an allergy safety policy, review it every year and publish it on their website.
- Temporary accommodation. Local housing authorities must tell a child’s school when the child is placed in temporary accommodation. KCSIE 2026 Annex A covers this.