Citation and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (Commencement No. 2) (England) Regulations 2026.

(2) In these Regulations—

“ the 2000 Act ” means the Care Standards Act 2000 ( 2 );

“ the Act ” means the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 .

Commencement of provisions

2. Where a provision of the Act specified in any of regulations 3 to 6 is already in force for certain purposes by virtue of section 78(1)(a) of the Act, that regulation applies in relation to the provision so far as it is not already in force(3).

Provisions coming into force on 15th July 2026

3. The following provisions of the Act come into force on 15th July 2026—

(a)section 1 (family group decision-making);

(b)section 12 (accommodation of looked after children: regional co-operation arrangements);

(c)in section 14 (powers of CIECSS in relation to parent undertakings), subsections (4) and (5), and subsection (1) so far as it relates to them;

(d)in section 15 (power of CIECSS to impose monetary penalties)—

(i)subsection (2), only in so far as it inserts the following provisions into the 2000 Act—

(aa)section 30ZC(2) to (6) (power of CIECSS to impose monetary penalties);

(bb)section 30ZD (CIECSS monetary penalties: publication of information);

(ii)subsections (3), (4), (5) and (6)(a); and

(iii)subsection (1) so far as it relates to subsections (2) to (6)(a);

(e)section 16 (financial oversight);

(f)in section 18 (power of Secretary of State to impose monetary penalties)—

(i)subsection (1), only in so far as it inserts the following provisions into the 2000 Act—

(aa)section 30ZM(1)(a);

(bb)section 30ZM(2) and (3); and

(ii)subsection (2);

(g)section 19 (procedure for imposing monetary penalties);

(h)section 20 (information sharing);

(i)section 30 (free breakfast club provision in primary schools in England), only in so far as it inserts section 551B(2) to (7) (free breakfast club provision in primary schools in England) into the Education Act 1996(4);

(j)in section 44 (independent educational institution standards)—

(i)subsection (3); and

(ii)subsection (1) so far as it relates to subsection (3);

(k)section 47 (deregistration by agreement).

Provision coming into force on 17th August 2026

4. Section 32 (free school lunches: eligibility) of the Act comes into force on 17th August 2026.

Provisions coming into force on 1st September 2026

5. The following provisions of the Act come into force on 1st September 2026—

(a)section 11 (children in temporary accommodation);

(b)section 35 (school uniforms: limits on branded items);

(c)section 65 (amendments to invitation process for establishment of new schools);

(d)section 66 (certain proposals to establish new schools: publication requirements etc);

(e)section 67 (establishment of pupil referral units);

(f)section 68 (process for considering, approving and implementing proposals for the establishment of new schools) and Schedule 4 (establishment of new schools: amendments to Schedule 2 to the Education and Inspections Act 2006)(5);

(g)section 69 (transitional provision).

Provisions coming into force on 30th September 2026

6. The following provisions of the Act come into force on 30th September 2026—

(a)section 4 (information sharing and consistent identifiers), only in so far as it inserts the following provisions into the Children Act 2004(6)—

(i)section 16LA (duty to share information), and

(ii)section 16LB (information standards);

(b)section 8 (local offer for care leavers);

(c)section 9 (care leavers not to be regarded as becoming homeless intentionally).