Wellbeing and Schools Act: What’s Changed?
What the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act means for your child
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is now law, after receiving Royal Assent on 29 April, and is known as the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act. This new law brings important changes to how children who are not in a traditional school setting are kept safe, supported and visible to local services.
For parents, the key point is that there is now stronger focus on both safeguarding and suitable education, whether your child is in school, learning at home or attending an alternative provision like Rosmini Hybrid Education Hub.
Children Not in School: being visible and supported
One of the biggest changes is around Children Not in School (CNIS). The Act introduces compulsory local authority registers so that children who are educated at home or in other non-school settings are known to the local council. This is to make sure that no child “falls through the gaps” and that families can be offered support when they need it, rather than being left to manage alone.
There is also a new duty on local authorities to provide support for parents who are home educating. This might include information, guidance or resources to help you make sure your child is receiving a suitable education at home.
Extra checks where there are safeguarding concerns
The new law is particularly careful about situations where there are existing safeguarding concerns. In cases involving Section 47 enquiries (where there are serious child protection concerns), child protection plans, or some specific specialist settings, parents will now need local authority consent before home education can go ahead.
The aim is to make sure that children who may be at higher risk remain visible and that decisions about their education are made with their safety and wellbeing at the centre.
Attendance, suitability and the learning environment
The Act also tightens up School Attendance Order processes. These orders are used when a child is not getting a suitable education and previous attempts to address the situation have not worked. Under the new law, there is more emphasis on looking not just at what is written down as the “curriculum”, but at the home and learning environment and whether it is genuinely in the child’s best interests.
For parents, this reinforces the long-standing idea that education must be suitable for your child’s age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs, but adds a clearer safeguarding lens to how that is checked.
Education’s role in safeguarding is strengthened
Another important change is that education settings now have a stronger, formal role in safeguarding. Safeguarding partners (like local authorities, health and police) must make sure education and childcare providers are actively involved in local safeguarding arrangements and represented at both strategic and day‑to‑day levels.
In practice, this means that schools, colleges, early years settings and alternative provisions are recognised as key partners in spotting concerns early, sharing information appropriately and helping to keep children safe.
How Rosmini Hybrid Education Hub supports you under the new law
Rosmini Hybrid Education Hub already works in a way that fits well with the expectations of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act. We provide a suitable learning environment where:
- Safeguarding requirements can be properly met and monitored
- Students remain visible to professionals
- Parents can be confident there is regular oversight of their child’s wellbeing and education
Because our model is hybrid, we can support students who are not suited to traditional school where daily attendance is the norm, while still offering the structure, routine and safeguarding that come with being part of a registered education setting.
