Petitions against the Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill
Actions to take now.
I know many families don’t have the time or capacity to get heavily involved in the protests - but signing and sharing a petition takes just a couple of minutes, and it does make a difference.
Our voices must be heard. We need to make it harder for the government to ignore us, and easier for them to be held accountable.
📜 How laws are made
A bill must pass through both Houses of Parliament - read how it works here - before it can become law. Because this bill started in the Commons (unlike the 2022 Schools Bill, which started in the Lords), the process takes time. Nothing changes until the bill is fully passed and even then, sections of the law must be ‘commenced’ before coming into force.
Even if this bill becomes law, there will still be further delays as details of secondary legislation (regulations and statutory guidance) are worked out. Only after this would relevant sections of the bill be put into effect.
💬 It’s crucial to keep raising concerns. You can write to your MP using this link. Explain why this bill affects you and your family—every letter counts.
📖 Read about the bill’s key issues here.
Handy links to everything are on this sharable webpage.
There are many petitions relating to the Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill and education currently circulating; let's keep the government busy!
At 10,000 signatures, the government must respond.
At 100,000, a parliamentary debate is considered.
That might seem out of reach, but it isn’t. The home educating community alone is well over 100,000 and many families in mainstream education are also struggling to have their children's needs met. Together, we can break that target.
Please sign and share them widely. Every voice counts. These affect all parents, not just home educators:
DEFINITELY DO THIS ONE: Withdraw the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, currently only at 2.7K:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722377
Don't introduce a unique identifier and increase home ed regulations, at 4.5k:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/702270
Make GCSE's free for home ed children, at 13k:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700413
Remove CWS bill clauses and provide tangible support to home educators, at 10.6k:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/716515
Introduce an attendance code for those flexischooling, at 5k:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/708358
Create a special envoy for home education, at 196:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/714481
Allow 10 fine free days off school, at 146k:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700047
Review state education and students wellbeing, especially for children with SEN, at 159:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/703964
📅 Upcoming protests
18th of May: Family friendly demonstration and march.
2pm - meet at Whitehall with your placards and banners.
Stand alongside countless others who oppose this bill and what would be the greatest overreach and erosion of parental rights in the 150-year history of the Education Act.
This family-friendly march will begin in Whitehall and conclude in Hyde Park, where a line-up of inspiring speakers will highlight the most harmful aspects of the bill—and share what true measures to support children's wellbeing should look like.
Let’s show the government that families will not stand by in silence.
Event on Facebook - the march route will be published here when finalised.
Also sign and share this open letter to ask the Secretary of State for Education (England) and the Secretary of State for Education (Wales) to withdraw clauses from the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that do not reflect a free and democratic society.
#ChildrensWellbeingBill #AreYouListeningNow #HomeEducation
