The government will implement Section 4 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act on 30 September 2026. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 2) (England) Regulations 2026 activate the highly controversial information-sharing clauses. State agencies will soon share children’s data across multiple services under the vague justification of promoting welfare. Officials can completely bypass the common law duty of confidence when dealing with children. Consistent identifiers form a core part of this immediate rollout. The children not in school provisions remain paused pending further consultation.
The Department for Education missed EOTAS entirely in its main SEND reform consultation. Officials have now launched a dedicated SEND reform: education otherwise than at school consultation. The proposals demonstrate a profound lack of understanding regarding complex children. The government wants to link EOTAS to a school or treat it as a short-term arrangement. This ignores children suffering from severe school-based trauma or compromised immune systems.
The consultation also outlines a dangerous plan to strip tribunals of their power over EOTAS provision. The new system will prevent tribunals from ruling on the specific bespoke provision currently detailed in Section F of an EHCP. Tribunals will only rule on placement in Section I. Local authorities will gain the power to end an EOTAS arrangement without parents having any legal mechanism to restore it. You must complete this consultation before it closes on 18 September 2026.
At time of writing, our community has raised £33,701 to fund an urgent judicial review. The Challenge the risk of reducing rights to family life crowdfunder aims to test whether the state can legally override suitable parental education decisions.
Juliet and Michelle hosted a fundraising livestream this past weekend alongside some fantastic guests to support the ongoing legal challenge. The community came together to share inspiring stories, answer vital questions and build momentum for the fight ahead. You can catch up on all the crucial conversations by watching the YouTube replay. Please keep this vital energy going and donate to the crowdfunder today.
Top Stories
Fundraising Stream: The Power of Many:
Crowdfunder: Challenge the risk of reducing rights to family life: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/challenge-the-risk-of-reducing
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 2) (England) Regulations 2026: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2026/803
SEND reform: education otherwise than at school: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-education-otherwise-than-at-school
News
The North East games shop which is creating a safe space for home-educated children - Chronicle Live: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-east-games-shop-creating-34234981
Home-schooling mum’s charity forced to halt trips after bus breaks down - The Bury Times: https://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/26274053.whitefield-charitys-appeal-funds-bus-breaks/
SEND
Email EOTAS Families Secondary Age Or Older: https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/07/11/email-eotas-families-secondary-age-or-older/
Digital ID/Data/AI
Wanted: Government to fix the ICO: https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/wanted-government-to-fix-the-ico/
Office for Digital Identities and Attributes 2026 Annual Report: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/office-for-digital-identities-and-attributes-2026-annual-report
Joint Letter: Protect VPNs: https://www.openrightsgroup.org/publications/joint-letter-protect-vpns/
Parliament
Government Record on Education, Employment and Welfare - Motion to Take Note (16 Jul 2026) - Baroness Cash: ...Exchange research has found that 83% of the highest-performing schools serving disadvantaged children are academies or free schools but, inexplicably, this Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act will end that success by returning to the old default of central control, without a shred of evidence of how that will affect outcomes. This Government have said that they want to...: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2026-07-16a.698.5&s=%22children+not+in+school%22+OR+%22home+school+education%22+OR+%22wellbeing+act%22+OR+%22schools+act%22#g727.0
Written Ministerial Statements — Department for Education: Protecting all vulnerable babies better – a government response (15 Jul 2026) - Bridget Phillipson: ...social care, health, policing, justice, housing and wider public services. It builds on the most significant reform to children’s social care in a generation through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 and delivers against this government’s commitment to keep families together and children safe, to intervene earlier where children are at risk, and to strengthen child...: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2026-07-15.hcws253.h&s=%22children+not+in+school%22+OR+%22home+school+education%22+OR+%22wellbeing+act%22+OR+%22schools+act%22#ghcws253.0
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Establishment of Schools) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026 - Motion to Approve - Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Establishment of Schools) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026 - Motion to Approve: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2026-07-13a.398.2&s=%22children+not+in+school%22+OR+%22home+school+education%22+OR+%22wellbeing+act%22+OR+%22schools+act%22
Written Answers — Department for Education: Kinship Care (14 Jul 2026) - Josh MacAlister: The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 now requires local authorities to publish a Kinship Local Offer, setting out available support and consulting relevant stakeholders before publication In February 2026, the department launched seven Kinship Zones which will test the impact of providing kinship carers a weekly financial allowance. The pilot will run for three and a half years,...: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2026-07-06.16072.h&s=%22children+not+in+school%22+OR+%22home+school+education%22+OR+%22wellbeing+act%22+OR+%22schools+act%22#g16072.r0
Written Answers — Department for Education: Adoption and Children in Care: Standards (13 Jul 2026) - Josh MacAlister: ...however challenging their experiences have been. The plan can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/delivering-the-ch ildrens-social-care-reset. Our Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act will drive forward our reforms and place a new duty on local authorities to provide Staying Close support to care leavers up to the age of 25 and to publish information about their...: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2026-07-03.15791.h&s=%22children+not+in+school%22+OR+%22home+school+education%22+OR+%22wellbeing+act%22+OR+%22schools+act%22#g15791.r0
Statistics/Reports/Publications
Local government reorganisation: supporting adult social care, public health and children’s services: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-government-reorganisation-supporting-adult-social-care-public-health-and-childrens-services
Statistics: pupil projections: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-pupil-projections
Essential digital skills standards: 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/essential-digital-skills-standards-2026
Unpaid carers action plan: recognise, refer, reach: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unpaid-carers-action-plan-recognise-refer-reach
Millions of unpaid carers to get recognition and earlier support: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-unpaid-carers-to-get-recognition-and-earlier-support
Pupil parent matched data (PPMD): how we use and share data: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-parent-matched-data-ppmd-how-we-use-and-share-data
Consultations/Inquiries/Petitions
Post-16 Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications: 2027 proposed subject content: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-16-level-2-and-level-3-qualifications-2027-proposed-subject-content
Carer’s Allowance: call for evidence: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/carers-allowance-call-for-evidence
Smart Data: multi-sector call for evidence: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/smart-data-multi-sector-call-for-evidence
Make Work Pay: workplace monitoring technologies: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/make-work-pay-workplace-monitoring-technologies
Updating foster care standards and guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/updating-foster-care-standards-and-guidance
Increasing the retention period for adoption records: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/increasing-the-retention-period-for-adoption-records
National Lottery Good Causes: Fund what matters to you: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/national-lottery-good-causes-fund-what-matters-to-you
Watch this space: a new strategic direction for UK media - green paper and public consultation: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/watch-this-space-a-new-strategic-direction-for-uk-media-green-paper-and-public-consultation
Children’s Commissioner: The Big Future Survey: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/the-big-future/
Other
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2026: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2026/812
The Childcare (Miscellaneous Amendments) (England) Regulations 2026: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2026/796
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