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Purpose of the Guidance The April 2026 Department for Education guidance on restrictive interventions provides schools with a comprehensive framework for understanding the safe, lawful and appropriate use of restrictive interventions, including reasonable force and seclusion. The guidance emphasises that while such interventions can have profound emotional and physical impacts on pupils, staff and families, there may be rare occasions where they are essential to maintain safety. The overall purpose is therefore twofold: to support schools in proactively reducing the need for restrictive interventions through prevention and de‑escalation, and to ensure that when interventions are necessary, they are carried out lawfully and proportionately.   Status of the Guidance and Legal Framework Only certain sections of the document are statutory, with legal force - most notably the requirements around recording and reporting the use of force, seclusion and restraint. These arise from th...

Introduction Martyn’s Law - formally the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 - is one of the most significant pieces of counter ‑ terrorism legislation introduced in the United Kingdom in recent years. It aims to enhance the safety and preparedness of publicly accessible venues and events in response to the ongoing threat of terrorism. The Act is named in honour of Martyn Hett, one of the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena bombing on 22 May 2017. The campaign for the law was led by his mother, Figen Murray OBE, whose efforts have been central in shaping the legislation.   The Act received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025, completing its passage through Parliament after several years of consultation, drafting and scrutiny.   It creates a legal duty for those responsible for certain premises and events to take “reasonably practicable steps” to improve security, prepare for terrorism ‑ related incidents, and reduce risk to the public. These duties are proportionate, tie...

  Introduction The Worker Protection Act 2023, formally enacted as 2023 c. 51, is a significant update to UK employment law designed to strengthen protections against workplace sexual harassment. Building on the Equality Act 2010, this Act introduces a clear statutory duty for employers to prevent sexual harassment rather than solely responding to incidents after they occur. Sexual harassment in this context includes unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, which has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment. The law applies across England, Wales, and Scotland, but does not extend to Northern Ireland. The Act came into force one year after receiving Royal Assent, on 26 October 2024, providing employers with time to implement preventative policies, training, and reporting mechanisms. Its introduction reflects a cultural shift in employment law, emphasising proactive safeguarding in workp...

  Children Missing Education – Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities and Schools The Department for Education’s statutory guidance on Children Missing Education (CME) sets out the legal duties placed on local authorities and the expectations for schools in England to ensure that every child of compulsory school age receives a suitable full-time education. Children missing education are those who are not registered at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise, for example through approved home education. Identifying and supporting these children is vital because they are at increased risk of harm, exploitation, neglect, disengagement from learning, and poorer long-term life outcomes. Early identification, rapid intervention and strong partnership working are essential principles underpinning the guidance. Legal duties and safeguarding context The guidance emphasises the fundamental right of every child to education and the statutory requirement for local a...

Purpose Working Together to Improve School Attendance is statutory guidance for maintained schools, academies, independent schools and local authorities in England. It sets out the roles, responsibilities, expectations, and interventions required to secure and sustain good attendance. The most recent update, published in August 2024, clarifies areas such as attendance coding, data-sharing, and legal expectations. Importantly, these changes do not represent a shift in overall policy but instead provide clearer guidance on the correct processes to follow. Key principles and rationale The central principle of the guidance is that attendance is everyone’s responsibility. Consistent attendance is strongly linked to attainment, wellbeing, social development, and children’s future life chances. However, barriers to regular attendance are often multi-dimensional, encompassing health issues, special educational needs, mental health difficulties, family or home circumstances, transport ch...

Introduction The Care Act 2014 is the most significant overhaul of adult social care legislation in England for over 60 years. Designed to bring together multiple pieces of older legislation into a single, coherent framework, it places the individual and their wellbeing at the heart of care and support. The Act modernises how people are assessed and supported, strengthens the rights of carers, and introduces new responsibilities for local authorities and care providers.   Who is the Care Act 2014 for? The Care Act applies to a wide range of individuals and services. Primarily, it is designed for adults in England with care and support needs, whether or not they receive support from a local authority. It also applies to carers - people who provide unpaid care for a relative or friend - and recognises their right to an assessment and appropriate support in their own right. Furthermore, the Act has significant implications for local authority staff, care providers, commissione...

The Department for Education (DfE) has published updated statutory guidance for RSHE, which replaces the 2019 version. Schools are required to implement the new guidance by September 2026. However, schools may begin using the updated content earlier if they are prepared. Training and resources are available to support early adoption. Introduction to RSHE Guidance (July 2025) Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) gives children the knowledge and skills to make informed, ethical choices about their health, wellbeing and relationships. It helps them grow into respectful, confident and kind individuals. RSHE supports their moral, social, mental and physical development. As the guidance states, “ Effective teaching will support prevention of harms by helping young people understand and identify when things are not right.” By law, all primary schools must teach relationships education. All secondary schools must teach relationships and sex education (RSE). Health education is also c...