Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026

6 Promoting educational achievement

(1) Part 3 of the Children Act 1989 (support for children and families provided by local authorities in England) is amended as follows.

(2) In the italic heading before section 23ZZA, after “children” insert “and others”.

(3) After that italic heading insert—

“23ZZZA Educational achievement of children in need or in kinship care

(1) A local authority must take such steps as it considers appropriate for the purpose of promoting the educational achievement of children within subsection (2).

(2) The children within this subsection are—

(a) children for whom, by virtue of subsection (10)(a) or (b) of section 17, the authority is providing or has provided services under that section, and

(b) children in the authority’s area who live in kinship care (within the meaning of section 22I(1)).

(3) The steps that may be taken under subsection (1) include steps designed—

(a) to enable children within subsection (2) to overcome barriers to their educational achievement;

(b) to raise awareness of those barriers among, and to provide support for, persons who work with children within subsection (2);

(c) to improve educational attendance and engagement of children within subsection (2);

(d) to promote educational opportunities for children within subsection (2).

(4) Subsection (1) does not require a local authority to take steps in relation to a particular child.

(5) A local authority must appoint at least one person for the purpose of discharging the duty under subsection (1).

(6) A person appointed by a local authority under subsection (5) must be an officer employed by that authority or another local authority.”

(4) In section 23ZZA (information and advice for promoting educational achievement), in subsection (6), in the definition of “relevant child”—

(a) at the end of paragraph (a)(i) insert “or”;

(b) omit paragraph (a)(ii) (including the “or” at the end of that paragraph);

(c) omit the “or” at the end of paragraph (a)(iii);

(d) after paragraph (a) insert—

“(aa) a child with respect to whom a special guardianship order is in force,

(ab) a child with respect to whom a child arrangements order is in force, where the order provides that the child is to live with a person who is a kinship carer (within the meaning given by section 22I(6)) in relation to the child, or”.