As the sun sets on one government and rises on another, the UK’s landscape of children’s education and wellbeing is set to experience transformative changes under the new Labour government led by Keir Starmer. Triumphing with a landslide victory in the recent general election, the Labour Party has wasted no time in introducing its first major piece of legislation—the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 2025.
The contrast between the previous Conservative government’s policies and the new Labour administration’s approach is stark. The former is criticized for its failure to adequately address children’s mental health, rising childhood poverty, and the increasing corporatization of schools and social care. Key issues highlighted include the necessity for high-quality interaction between children and principal adults, state funding aimed at alleviating poverty, and education tailored to individual needs.
The new bill seeks to address these critical issues by ensuring seamless cooperation among professionals working with children, exemplified by introducing a unique identifier number for each child, much like the NHS number for adults. This initiative is designed to improve the efficiency of care and protection services. Uniform standards of professional conduct for adults in teaching and caring roles will also be established, aimed at enhancing investigative and disciplinary procedures.
For children in care, the bill proposes robust support for kinship carers, ensuring they receive the necessary support and advice. It also aims to shield children in non-family care settings from harsh disciplinary practices and extends support for care leavers up to age 25. To curb profiteering, the bill includes measures to monitor profits from state funding provided to private companies in care services.
School policies within the bill include introducing universal breakfast clubs in primary schools, aiming to ease the financial strain on parents by limiting branded school uniform items. Additionally, the bill emphasizes the importance of tracking school absenteeism and keeping a closer eye on home-schooled children to ensure they receive a quality education.
A significant component of the legislation addresses concerns related to academies and multi-academy trusts (MATs). These institutions, operating independently of local authorities, have faced criticism over harsh disciplinary policies, frequent exclusions, and financial mismanagement. The bill mandates that academies and MATs adhere to the national curriculum and requires all teachers, regardless of the type of school, either hold or be working towards qualified teacher status. It also seeks to enhance cooperation between academies, MATs, and local education authorities, alongside enforcing stricter financial scrutiny and accountability.
While these reforms are broadly welcomed, the article suggests cautious steps forward and calls for deeper investigative efforts into profiteering within the education and care sectors. Future considerations might include restricting children’s smartphone access and fostering stakeholder governance in educational and public services, with a strong emphasis on regional devolution and greater local control.
In conclusion, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 2025 signals a positive shift towards bettering the lives of children and young people in the UK. Nevertheless, additional, more daring reforms could be necessary to fully rehabilitate the national approach to children’s education and care.
