What the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill means for home education in England | March 2026 update

A calm summary of what is changing and when for home educators under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. March 2026 update.

There has been a lot of anxiety around the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and what it could mean for home educating families in England. That concern is understandable. These proposals matter. But it is also important to stay rooted in what is actually happening, rather than letting fear run ahead of the facts.

The CWSB introduces changes to the way home education is regulated in England. On March 19th 2026 the Senedd voted in favour of the new 'Children Not In School' law for Wales too.

The first thing to say clearly is this: home education is still legal, and this Bill does not make it illegal. Parents would still be able to educate their children otherwise than at school.

Just as importantly, nothing is changing overnight. At time of writing - March 20th 2026, the Bill has not yet completed the parliamentary process. Amendments were made in the House of Lords, so it still has to return to the House of Commons for both Houses to agree the final wording. Only then can it receive Royal Assent and become law. Even after that, the changes would not usually begin straight away. There would still need to be a further commencement process, along with regulations, guidance and systems being put in place. The earliest point these measures could come into force is expected to be 2027, with August 2027 looking the most likely at present.

What stays the same

For all the discussion around new regulation, some important basics remain unchanged. Parents do not have to follow the National Curriculum, and there is no requirement for home educated children to take GCSEs. The legal duty remains to provide a full-time education suitable to a child’s age, ability, aptitude, and any special educational needs or disabilities.

That wording matters, because it leaves room for different approaches. There is no fixed legal definition of “full-time” in home education, and school hours are not directly comparable with one-to-one learning, flexible learning, autonomous education, or learning woven through daily life. Many families will recognise that real learning does not only happen between set hours on weekdays.

The document also refers to the long-cited 1985 case that suggested education should be both efficient and suitable. In plain terms, that means it should achieve what it sets out to achieve and prepare a child for life in modern society in a way that fits that individual child.

The biggest proposed change: a new register

The main change proposed in the Bill is a new Children Not In School register, often shortened to CNIS. This is not described as a home education register because not every child out of school is electively home educated. Some are out of school for other reasons, including being missing from education.

Under these proposals, the CNIS register would replace the more limited records local authorities currently hold for children who have been deregistered from school or whose parents have voluntarily joined a register. Families would be required to provide more information than they do under current arrangements, and local authorities may also be able to hold additional information where they consider it appropriate.

Failure to join the register when required could result in enforcement action, including a fine and a notice to satisfy, which is the first step towards a School Attendance Order.

In some cases, parents may need permission

One of the more significant proposed changes is that some parents would need permission to home educate. According to the Bill summary, this would apply in particular circumstances, including where a child with SEND has been placed in a specialist school by the local authority, and where a child has been subject to child protection investigations or plans within the previous five years.

That is a serious proposed change, but it is also important to be precise about it. This would not apply to every home educating family.

Greater oversight from local authorities

The Bill also points towards increased local authority oversight more broadly. Local authorities would be required to consider the child’s home when a family joins the CNIS register, including both new and existing home educators. Many families are likely to read that as pointing towards home visits becoming more common. Refusing such a visit could trigger a notice to satisfy.

Once on the register, families would also be expected to provide information about the education they are providing. The local authority could then accept that information, ask for more, or move towards enforcement through a notice to satisfy. Families would also need to keep the authority updated about certain changes, such as moving house or starting to use a new tutor or education provider.

This is clearly a move towards greater monitoring. That is why so many families are concerned. But concern is best paired with clarity. Increased oversight is not the same thing as an outright ban on home education.

Deregistration meetings may be piloted

Another point families may want to keep an eye on is the proposal for deregistration meetings. The Bill includes a pilot in some areas, with the possibility of wider rollout later if it is considered successful. Under this approach, children would remain on roll and continue attending school until a meeting could be arranged with the local authority and the school to discuss the parents’ decision to deregister.

That meeting would not itself prevent a family from home educating, unless one of the permission categories applied. However, depending on what followed, it could still trigger a notice to satisfy.

What this could mean for drop-off groups

There are also likely implications for some drop-off home ed groups (NOT groups where the parents stay) and other providers. The proposals suggest that such groups may in future be required to share information with the local authority about home educated children attending. There may be limits on how often an individual child can attend, with more detail to come later in secondary legislation.

Where a drop-off group is judged to be providing the majority of a child’s education, it could potentially be treated as an Independent Education Institution or school, with all the consequences that follow from that. This part will matter particularly to families who rely on co-ops, paid provision, learning communities, or regular drop-off sessions as part of a broader home ed approach.

So where does that leave families now?

In truth, it leaves families in a place that is both difficult and familiar. There is reason to be concerned. There is reason to keep watching closely. There is reason to speak up. But there is no reason to panic as though change is arriving tomorrow.

The Bill is not yet law. The final wording is not yet settled. The practical detail is still not in place. Secondary legislation and statutory guidance would still need to follow, and those details will matter a great deal.

For now, the most useful response is a steady one. Stay informed. Read carefully. Keep calm. Keep records. Stay connected to the wider home education community. Continue writing to your MP and members of the House of Lords, signing petitions, and sharing your family’s experience where appropriate. Accurate information matters. Scaremongering does not help families already carrying enough. We need calm, clear discussion, and we need to keep speaking up.

A calm conclusion

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill could bring in significant changes to how home education is overseen. That should not be minimised. But neither should families be left feeling that everything is about to change at once, or that home education is suddenly ending. That is not where things stand.

Home education remains legal. The Bill is not yet in force. The likely timeline is slower than many fear. And there is still a great deal of detail, scrutiny, and challenge yet to come.

So yes, stay alert. But stay grounded too.