Children's Wellbeing and School Bill

Education Committee Open Non-inquiry session
Opened: 21 Jan 2025 Parliament page
5 Recommendations
8 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
5 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 9 events
23 May
2025
Report published
6 May
2025
Correspondence
23 Apr
2025
Correspondence
18 Mar
2025
Correspondence
28 Feb
2025
Report published
4 Feb
2025
Oral evidence
4 Feb
2025
Correspondence
4 Feb
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
7 Jan
2025
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
4 Feb 2025
View on parliament.uk
Children's wellbeing and School Bill
Clare Canning · Broadleaf Home Ed Co-operative Councillor Bev Craig · Local Government Association (LGA) Daniel Kebede · National Education Union Dr Rebecca Montacute · Sutton Trust John Barneby · Oasis Community Learning Kate Anstey · Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) Lindsey MacDonald · Magic Breakfast Sam Freedman · The Institute for Government Thomas Brooke · Office of the Schools Adjudicator
Title HC No. Published Items Response
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bi… HC 732 28 Feb 2025 13 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
13 results
2 Conclusion Not Addressed
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Government's compressed bill timetable obstructs effective select committee scrutiny
The Government did not, in this case, publish the Bill in draft. Nonetheless, the Bill’s timetable could have factored in time for our Committee to come to a considered view on its contents. Although the Minister for School Standards had … Read more
Government Response
The government defends its decision not to publish the Bill in draft and its compressed timetable, stating it aligns with legislative programme requirements and seeks to progress landmark reforms quickly.
Department for Education
View details
3 Conclusion Rejected
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Government disregarded guidelines and hindered scrutiny of Bill through poor engagement
The Government has neither followed its own guidelines, nor engaged as productively as we would have liked with our Committee over this Bill. The interval between introduction and Second Reading was not long enough for proper preparation by Members of … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the Committee's criticisms of its engagement and adherence to guidelines, stating it gave due consideration to the legislative process, provided briefings, and that the Bill's timing was in line with guidance for progressing manifesto commitments quickly.
Department for Education
View details
4 Recommendation Not Addressed
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Require Government to follow legislative guidelines and engage meaningfully with select committees
We recommend that the Government undertakes to follow the Cabinet Office Guide to Making Legislation and engage meaningfully, and in a timely way, with select committees as a way of improving policy making and building consensus on important legislation. We … Read more
Government Response
The government's response defends its past engagement process for the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill but does not address the recommendation to commit to following engagement guidelines with select committees more meaningfully in the future or to provide a memorandum to the Liaison Committee.
Department for Education
View details
5 Conclusion Not Addressed
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Tight government timetable forced selective committee scrutiny of bill contents
We would have liked to dedicate more time to a considered examination of the policy issues in the Bill and the mechanisms by which the Bill seeks to meet its policy aims. However, given the tight timetable the Government has … Read more
Government Response
The government defends its legislative timetable and decision not to publish the Bill in draft, stating its process was in line with guidance and aimed to progress reforms quickly, rather than directly addressing the Committee's wish for more time.
Department for Education
View details
6 Conclusion Rejected
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Care leavers experience a confusing patchwork of differing local authority entitlements.
Care leavers face a confusing patchwork of entitlements when they leave care. This is made more complex by the differing offers in each local authority and the fact that they are having to navigate this at a young age, often … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the concept of a National Care Offer, stating that local authorities are best placed to respond to local needs and a central framework would be bureaucratic. It instead highlights existing legislation and upcoming Bill changes aimed at strengthening care leavers' legal entitlements and support requirements.
Department for Education
View details
7 Conclusion Accepted
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Inadequate assessment of mental health for children and young people in care.
Young people in care are significantly more likely to have experienced trauma and adverse experiences than their peers, and therefore strong mental health support is crucial. Although local authorities are required to assess the emotional and mental health of children … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's concern that mental health assessments for children in care do not always happen in practice, despite existing requirements. It commits to reviewing and updating statutory guidance on 'Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children' to consider what changes are needed to further ensure support.
Department for Education
View details
8 Recommendation Rejected
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Implicit inclusion of children with SEND in breakfast clubs risks unequal access.
Despite the implicit inclusion of children with SEND in the Bill’s provisions on breakfast clubs, we consider that express inclusion of the needs of those children on the face of the Bill would be a much stronger safeguard against schools … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the importance of SEND accessibility but rejects placing express inclusion on the Bill's face, believing it would not alter the intended effect. It outlines existing funding and plans to test and learn from early adopter schools.
Department for Education
View details
9 Recommendation Accepted in Part
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Introduce auto-enrolment for all eligible children in free school meals without delay.
We consider that the arguments for auto-enrolment in free school meals for those children currently eligible are conclusive. In the interests of alleviating hunger in schools and improving health and educational outcomes for the poorest children, auto-enrolment must be brought … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of free school meals and commits to making it quicker and easier for families to sign up by upgrading the Eligibility Checking System and exploring options for data sharing and Universal Credit integration, but does not commit to full auto-enrolment.
Department for Education
View details
10 Recommendation Accepted
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Require local authorities to consult domestic abuse charities on FGDM decisions involving abuse.
We consider that local authorities should draw on the advice of specialist domestic abuse charities in coming to a decision on whether FGDM is in the child’s best interests where domestic abuse has occurred. (Conclusion, Paragraph 41)
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, committing to develop updated statutory guidance and best practice guidance with the support of specialist domestic abuse charities to help local authorities assess FGDM decisions where domestic abuse has occurred.
Department for Education
View details
11 Conclusion Acknowledged
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Government's new clause provides welcome additional clarity on teacher pay.
We welcome the additional clarity on teacher pay offered by the Government’s new clause and new schedule brought forward at Committee stage. (Conclusion, Paragraph 47)
Government Response
The government acknowledges the Committee's feedback regarding the clarity provided on teacher pay measures in the Bill.
Department for Education
View details
12 Conclusion Not Addressed
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Inadequate time and resources prevented detailed scrutiny of Bill's delegated powers.
We have not had the time or resource to comb through the Bill or take evidence on the delegated powers within it, although we note that the published Delegated Powers Memorandum for the Bill is 75 pages long. We stated … Read more
Government Response
The government thanks the Committee for reviewing the published documents and defends the detailed nature and justification of the Bill's delegated powers, without addressing the Committee's lack of time for detailed scrutiny.
Department for Education
View details
13 Conclusion Acknowledged
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Committee conducted urgent scrutiny of Children's Wellbeing Bill under government timetable constraints.
We have worked at pace on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to contribute to fulfil our scrutiny role within the parameters set by the Government’s timetable and increase transparency for the benefit of the House and, we hope, those … Read more
Government Response
The government expresses gratitude for the Committee's support, engagement, and the contributions of policy experts and stakeholders, acknowledging their work on the Bill and looking forward to further engagement.
Department for Education
View details
14 Recommendation Acknowledged
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Child…
Consider Chair's tabled New Clauses and amendments to address witness concerns and recommendations.
We draw the Government’s attention to the New Clauses and amendments tabled in the name of our Chair which seek to offer practical ways to meet the concerns and put into effect the recommendations we have heard in evidence from … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the Committee's work and the Chair's welcomed assurances on the tabled amendments, expressing gratitude for engagement and looking forward to further discussions as the Bill progresses.
Department for Education
View details
Government Response AI assessment · 13 of 5 classified
Accepted 2
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 3
Not Addressed 4
Rejected 3
Total 5 recs + 8 conclusions
Correspondence 5 letters
6 May 2025 To committee Letter from Minister for School Standards on Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill 01.05.25 -
Parliament page
23 Apr 2025 From committee Letter to Minister for Schools Standards on Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill dated 10.04.25
Parliament page
18 Mar 2025 To committee Letter from Minister for School Standards on Scrutiny of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, dated 6 March 2025
Parliament page
4 Feb 2025 CWS 05 - Written evidence from Broadleaf Home Ed Co-operative to Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill
Parliament page
7 Jan 2025 Correspondence with Minister for School Standards on Children’s Wellbeing Bill, dated 17.12.24; 18.12.24 and 27.12.24
Parliament page