Admissions
Statutory guidance that schools must follow when carrying out duties relating to school admissions.
Statutory guidance on how schools should organise and run their pupil admission appeals.
Summer-born children: school admission
Guidance about school admissions for children born in the summer.
Guidance for admission authorities on handling admission requests for summer born children
This is non-statutory guidance to help local authorities and other school admission authorities respond to parents’ requests for summer born children to be admitted out of their normal age group.
School admissions: pupil, service and early years premiums
Guidance about using the pupil premium, service premium or early years pupil premium oversubscription criteria in school admissions.
School applications for foreign national children and children resident outside England
Advice for state-funded school admission authorities, independent schools, local authorities and parents.
School admissions arrangements
How to object to admission arrangements and how admission authorities can apply for an in-year variation or appeal against a direction to admit a child.
Admission appeals for school places
Guidance to help admission authorities advise those involved with school admission appeals to understand their roles and responsibilities.
After-school clubs and other out of school settings
Keeping children safe in out-of-school settings: code of practice
This guide will help parents and carers choose a safe out-of-school setting for their children to attend. ‘Children’ refers to people who have not yet reached their 18th birthday.
The guidance is for organisations or individuals who provide community activities, tuition or after-school clubs for children, also known as out-of-school-settings (OOSS) providers, as well as their staff and volunteers.
Alternative Provision
Statutory guidance for local authorities, as well as headteachers and governing bodies of settings providing alternative provision.
Attendance
School behaviour and attendance: parental responsibility measures
Statutory guidance for schools, local authorities and the police on dealing with poor attendance and behaviour in schools.
Working together to improve school attendance
Guidance to help schools, academy trusts, governing bodies and local authorities maintain high levels of school attendance, including roles and responsibilities.
Mental health issues affecting a pupil's attendance: guidance for schools
Summary of responsibilities where a mental health issue is affecting attendance and examples of effective practice.
Behaviour
This publication provides advice to schools on behaviour in schools and the related legal duties of headteachers, and members of staff. It includes guidance on support for pupils to behave well and the powers of staff when responding to misbehaviour.
School suspensions and permanent exclusions
Guidance on the suspension and permanent exclusion of pupils from local-authority-maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units.
Behaviour and discipline in schools: guide for governing bodies
Guidance for school governing bodies on their role in creating their school's behaviour policy.
Preventing and tackling bullying
Guidance for schools on preventing and responding to bullying.
Use of reasonable force in schools
Guidance about the use of physical restraint in schools for governing bodies, headteachers and school staff.
Searching, screening and confiscation at school
Guidance explaining the powers schools have to screen and search pupils, and to confiscate items they find.
Guidance for school leaders and staff on managing drugs, drug-related incidents within schools and pastoral support for pupils.
Tackling Race and Faith Targeted Bullying Face To Face and Online: A Guide For Schools
A short guide for schools about how to respond to bullying connected with race or faith, whether it occurs online or offline.
Careers and Post-16
Careers guidance and access for education and training providers
Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on providing careers guidance.
Participation of young people: education, employment and training
Statutory guidance for local authorities on their duties relating to the participation of young people in education, employment or training.
16 to 19 study programmes: guide for providers
Information for education and training providers on the planning and delivery of study programmes.
Charging for school activities
Charging for school activities
Guidance to help schools set out their policies on charging for school activities and visits.
Children Missing Education
Statutory guidance for local authorities and advice for other groups on helping children who are missing education get back into it.
The purpose of a FAP is to ensure that vulnerable children, and those who are having difficulty in securing a school place in-year, are allocated a school place as quickly as possible, minimising the time the child is out of school.
Complaints
School complaints procedures: guidance for maintained schools
How local authority-maintained schools and maintained nurseries can set up or review their complaints procedures.
Best practice guidance for academies complaints procedures
This best practice document is aimed at academies and academy trusts and the person(s) with delegated responsibility for drafting complaints procedures and/or handling complaints.
Complaints to Ofsted about schools: guidance for parents
This document sets out some things you can do if you are concerned about a state-maintained school or academy.
Curriculum
National curriculum in England: framework for key stages 1 to 4
The full national curriculum framework for key stages 1 to 4, including programmes of study and attainment targets.
National curriculum in England: primary curriculum
The national curriculum primary programmes of study and attainment targets for key stages 1 and 2.
National curriculum in England: secondary curriculum
The national curriculum secondary programmes of study and attainment targets for key stages 3 and 4.
Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education
Statutory guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education.
Plan your relationships, sex and health curriculum
Information to help school leaders plan, develop and implement the new statutory curriculum.
Religious education in local-authority-maintained schools
Guidance to support the provision of high-quality religious education (RE) in local-authority-maintained schools.
RE and collective worship in academies and free schools
Guidance on religious education (RE) and collective worship for academies and free schools.
Teaching online safety in schools
Guidance supporting schools to teach pupils how to stay safe online within existing subjects.
Assessment principles: school curriculum
Recommended principles for schools to effectively assess their pupils’ progress against their school curriculum.
Political impartiality in schools
Explains schools’ legal duties on political impartiality to help school leaders, teachers and other staff consider these in teaching and extra-curricular activities.
Data & Information Sharing
The policies and processes schools and multi-academy trusts need to protect personal data and respond effectively to a personal data breach.
School to school service: how to transfer information
How schools and local authorities should securely send pupil records and other information using the school to school (S2S) system.
Information sharing advice for safeguarding practitioners
Guidance on information sharing for people who provide safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers.
Protection of children's biometric information in schools
Guidance for schools, sixth-form colleges, 16 to 19 academies and further education institutions wishing to use automated biometric recognition systems.
Data protection: privacy notice model documents
Suggested privacy notices for schools and local authorities to issue to staff, parents and pupils about the collection of data.
Data protection for education providers
Steps data protection officers and organisation heads of education providers should take to stay compliant with data protection laws after the transition period.
Early Years
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework
The standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5.
Early years foundation stage profile handbook
This handbook supports EYFS practitioners in making accurate judgements about each child's attainment.
Equality Act
Equality Act 2010: advice for schools
Guidance to help schools understand how the Equality Act affects them and how to fulfil their duties under the act.
Gender separation in mixed schools
What mixed schools must consider when separating classes by gender.
Facilities and Estate Management
Good estate management for schools
Advice for schools and responsible bodies to help manage their school buildings and land.
Guidance to help schools and local authorities understand their obligations in relation to the School Premises Regulations 2012 Primary and secondary school design (Academy)
This document gives information about primary and secondary school design in Academies. It includes information about space standards and links to useful publications.
Area guidelines and net capacity
Standards and guidance on the area of school buildings and grounds, and the number of pupil places available in mainstream school buildings.
Guidance to help schools and colleges manage their security effectively so they can meet their obligations.
Managing asbestos in your school or college
Guidance for school leaders, governors, local authorities and academy trusts about managing asbestos in schools and colleges.
Using CO₂ monitors and air cleaning units in education and care settings
How to use and maintain CO₂ monitors and air cleaning units to manage ventilation and improve air quality.
Energy efficiency: guidance for the school and further education college estate
This guidance sets out how schools and colleges can reduce their energy demand, consumption energy costs and carbon emissions.
Governance
Constitution of governing bodies of maintained schools
Statutory guidance setting out the arrangements for the constitution of governing bodies of all local-authority-maintained schools.
Governance handbook and competency framework
Guidance on the roles and duties of governing boards, and advice on the skills, knowledge and behaviours they need to be effective.
School governance regulations 2013
Guidance to help school leaders and governing bodies understand their obligations and duties.
Charities and charity trustees: school governors
What governors of foundation, voluntary aided, voluntary controlled and academy schools need to know about being charity trustees.
Governance structures and roles
An explanation of how governing boards of maintained schools and academy trusts are structured and descriptions of the roles and responsibilities of members.
External reviews of governance: guide for schools and academy trusts
How to arrange an effective external review of governance for your school or academy trust, and improve the performance of your board.
Length of the school week: minimum expectation
Information on the expectation that all mainstream state-funded schools should provide a school week of at least 32.5 hours by September 2023.
Health and wellbeing
The Department for Education's advice and information on health and safety.
Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school
Statutory guidance about the support that pupils with medical conditions should receive at school.
Guidance for schools about setting up and improving counselling services for pupils.
Mental health and behaviour in schools
How schools can support pupils whose mental health problems manifest themselves in behaviour.
Education for children with health needs who cannot attend school
Statutory guidance for local authorities and departmental advice for others ensuring children with health needs receive education.
Promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools and colleges
Find out what help you can get to develop a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing.
First aid in schools, early years and colleges
Guidance for employers in early years, schools and colleges on first aid provision.
Fire safety risk assessment: educational premises
Guidance about completing a fire safety risk assessment for people responsible for educational premises.
Preventing and controlling infections
This section provides general guidance for staff in settings on the prevention and control of infections. A proactive and preventive approach is advised, including the promotion of available immunisations.
Scarlet fever: managing outbreaks in schools and nurseries
Guidelines to help health protection teams control outbreaks of scarlet fever in schools, nurseries and other childcare settings.
Health and safety on educational visits
Guidance to help schools understand their obligations when undertaking educational visits and other out of school activities.
Emergency planning and response for education, childcare, and children’s social care settings
How educational and childcare settings should plan for and deal with emergencies, including significant public health incidents and severe weather.
Home education
Elective home education: guidance for local authorities
Guidance for local authorities and schools about children educated at home.
Elective home education: guidance for parents
Guidance produced to help parents understand their obligations and rights in relation to elective home education.
Independent, Boarding and Special Schools
Residential special schools: national minimum standards
Guidance for special schools providing residential accommodation for any child.
Further education residential accommodation: national minimum standards
Guidance for further education colleges and 16 to 19 academies providing residential accommodation for students aged under 18.
Visiting children in residential special schools and colleges
Statutory guidance for professionals supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in residential settings.
Non-Maintained Special Schools Regulations 2015
Guidance to help schools meet their obligations under the Non-Maintained Special Schools (England) Regulations 2015.
Regulating independent schools (Includes Independent School Standards Guidance)
How the DfE regulate and intervene in independent schools, and details of when the DfE take legal action against unregistered schools.
Boarding schools: national minimum standards
The national minimum standards that boarding schools must meet to safeguard and protect the children in their care.
Inspection
Statutory guidance on local authorities' and regional directors' responsibilities relating to schools and PRUs causing concern.
Inspecting schools: guide for maintained and academy schools
This guide gives a summary of what schools should expect and what they need to do as part of an Ofsted inspection.
Ofsted guidance on inspecting maintained schools and academies in England under the education inspection framework.
How Ofsted is revising inspection methodology to support the education inspection framework.
Education inspection framework (EIF)
This framework sets out Ofsted's inspection principles and the main judgements that inspectors make.
Independent schools inspection handbook
Ofsted guidance on inspecting non-association independent schools in England under the education inspection framework.
Inspectors talking to pupils on inspection
Guidance for Ofsted inspectors on talking to pupils during school inspections.
Inspecting teaching of the protected characteristics in schools
Guidance for inspectors on inspecting teaching of the protected characteristics during school inspections.
Inspecting schools: guidance for parents
A leaflet for parents and carers of children whose school is due for inspection.
Examinations
General Regulations for Approved Centres (JCQ)
These regulations have been produced to ensure that the integrity and security of the examination/assessment system is always maintained and is not brought into disrepute. The regulations adhere to the requirements of the qualification regulators in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (JCQ)
These regulations reflect a whole centre approach to access arrangements and reasonable adjustments.
Suspected Malpractice: Policies and Procedures (JCQ)
This document is intended for all those involved in or affected by malpractice incidents, including those who wish to report malpractice concerns regarding the delivery of general.
Guide for schools and colleges: 2023 (Ofqual)
This guide explains what schools, colleges and other exam or assessment centres can expect from awarding organisations regulated by Ofqual.
Looked-after children
Promoting the education of looked-after and previously looked-after children
Statutory guidance for local authorities to support looked-after and previously looked-after children's aspirations to achieve in further and higher education.
Pupil premium: virtual school heads’ responsibilities
How virtual school heads should manage the school-age pupil premium and the early years pupil premium for looked-after children.
Designated teacher for looked-after and previously looked-after children
Statutory guidance for local-authority-maintained schools carrying out duties for looked-after and previously looked-after children.
Virtual school head role extension to children with a social worker
How local authorities should extend the virtual school head role to champion children with a social worker and promote their education.
Children Act 1989: care planning, placement and case review
Statutory guidance about local authority support to children and families.
Children Act 1989: transition to adulthood for care leavers
Statutory guidance for local authorities on helping care leavers aged 16 and 17 prepare for adulthood.
Directors of children’s services: roles and responsibilities
Statutory guidance for local authorities with responsibility for education and children’s social services functions.
Improving looked-after children’s attainment in primary schools
Guidance for schools that describes the experience of primary schools that have worked well to support children in care.
Improving looked-after children’s attainment in secondary schools
Guidance for schools that describes the experience of secondary schools that have worked well to support children in care.
Parental responsibility
Parental responsibility: guide for schools and local authorities
Guidance for local authorities and schools dealing with adults who have legal rights and responsibilities for children at their school.
Radicalisation
Prevent duty guidance for England, Scotland and Wales
Prevent duty: additional advice for schools and childcare providers
Guidance for schools and childcare providers on preventing children and young people from being drawn into terrorism.
Prevent duty self-assessment tool for schools
Self-assessment tool to help schools in England review their responsibilities under the Prevent duty.
Remote education
Resources for developing remote education in schools and colleges
Information and resources to support school leaders in developing their remote education provision.
Providing remote education: guidance for schools
How schools can maintain their capability to provide remote education when it is not possible for some or all of their pupils to attend in person.
Help with accessing and buying resources for remote education
Information, guidance and support for teachers and leaders on educating pupils and students who are remote learning in schools and further education.
Safeguarding and remote education
Understand how to follow safeguarding procedures when planning remote education strategies and teaching remotely.
Safeguarding
Keeping children safe in education
Statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment.
Working together to safeguard children
Statutory guidance on inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Children who run away or go missing from home or care
Statutory guidance for local authorities and their partners to stop children going missing and to protect those who do.
Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked
Guidance for those working with children who may have been recruited or transported for the purposes of exploitation.
Criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults: county lines
Guidance for frontline professionals on dealing with county lines, part of the government’s approach to ending gang violence and exploitation.
Child abuse concerns: guide for practitioners
Guidance to help practitioners identify the signs of child abuse and neglect and understand what action to take.
Multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation
Multi-agency guidelines on FGM for those with statutory duties to safeguard children and vulnerable adults.
Child sexual exploitation: definition and guide for practitioners
Definition of child sexual exploitation, potential vulnerabilities and indicators of abuse and appropriate action to take in response.
Sharing nudes and semi-nudes: advice for education settings working with children and young people
Guidance on responding to incidents and safeguarding children and young people.
School meals
School food: guidance for governors
The governing board are responsible for the provision of school food. As a governor you play a crucial role in creating and embedding a great school food culture.
Standards for school food in England
Guidance on the standards for planning and providing food in schools.
School food standards: practical guide
Eating in school should be a pleasurable experience. These school food standards are designed to help children develop healthy eating habits, and ensure that they have the energy and nutrition they need to get the most from their whole school day. It’s important to cook food that looks good and tastes delicious.
Free school meals: guidance for schools and local authorities
Guidance for schools and local authorities about providing school meals including information on free school meal eligibility.
School uniform
School uniforms: guidance for schools
Sets out how schools should develop their school uniform policy.
Statutory guidance on developing a school uniform policy and managing uniform suppliers to ensure the cost of school uniforms is reasonable.
Setting up or changing the status of a school
Convert to an academy: guide for schools
How maintained schools can apply to convert to academy status.
Academies: making significant changes or closure by agreement
Guidance for academy trusts planning to make organisational changes or close an academy by mutual agreement with the Secretary of State.
School organisation: local-authority-maintained schools
Statutory guidance for proposers and decision makers about opening, closing or making organisation changes to local-authority-maintained schools.
Due diligence in academies and maintained schools
Best practice guidance for governing bodies of maintained schools, local authorities and academy trusts.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years
Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014.
SEND: guide for early years settings
A guide for early years settings on the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disability.
SEND: guide for further education providers
A guide for further education providers on the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disability.
SEND: guide for social care professionals
A guide for social care professionals on the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disability.
SEND: guide for health professionals
Guidance for health professionals on the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND).
Providing supported internships for young people with an EHC plan
Guidance on how to provide supported internships for young people with special educational needs and an education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Short breaks for disabled children
Statutory guidance about providing short breaks for disabled children to improve their welfare and quality of life.
How to appeal an SEN decision to SENDIST
The aim of the guide is to help you through the appeal process in the First-tier Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal.
High needs funding: 2022 to 2023 operational guidance
This guide describes how the 2022 to 2023 financial and academic year high needs funding system will work for all types of provision.
Staffing and employment in schools
Staffing and employment: advice for schools
Guidance for managing staff and employment issues.
Handling strike action in schools
Guidance on what to do when school staff go on strike.
Teacher misconduct
Teacher misconduct: regulating the teaching profession
Find out how misconduct in the teaching profession is regulated, investigated and managed.
Teacher misconduct: disciplinary procedures
Guidance on the teacher misconduct regulatory system and disciplinary procedures.
Teacher misconduct: information for teachers
Guidance for teachers who may be subject to the teacher disciplinary procedures.
Teacher misconduct: the prohibition of teachers
Guidance on how professional conduct hearing panels review teacher misconduct.
Transport
Home-to-school travel and transport
Statutory guidance on making home-to-school travel arrangements for children and young people, and on promoting sustainable travel.
Transport to education and training for people aged 16 and over
Statutory guidance for local authorities on supplying transport to students and trainees aged 16 and over.
Driving school minibuses advice: schools and local authorities
Advice on when a school employee with a car driving licence may drive a minibus and when a section 19 permit might be required.
What schools should publish online
What maintained schools must publish online
The information that schools maintained by their local authorities must or should publish on their websites.
What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online
Information that academies, including free schools, colleges and any educational institution with academy arrangements, must or should publish on their websites.
Whistleblowing
How ESFA handles whistleblowing disclosures
Information about how the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) handles whistleblowing disclosures about academies and post-16 providers.
Whistleblowing procedure for maintained schools
What schools maintained by the local authority should do when setting up their whistleblowing procedure.
This information is correct at the time of writing,. The law in this area is subject to change.
Coram Children’s Legal Centre cannot be held responsible if changes to the law outdate this publication. Individuals may print or photocopy information in CCLC publications for their personal use.
Professionals, organisations and institutions must obtain permission from the CCLC to print or photocopy our publications in full or in part.
On this page
This information is correct at the time of writing,. The law in this area is subject to change.
Coram Children’s Legal Centre cannot be held responsible if changes to the law outdate this publication. Individuals may print or photocopy information in CCLC publications for their personal use.
Professionals, organisations and institutions must obtain permission from the CCLC to print or photocopy our publications in full or in part.
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