Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – LGA response

Responding to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill being introduced to Parliament today, Cllr Arooj Shah, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said:

“We are pleased government is acting on a long-standing call by the LGA for councils to have and maintain Children Not in School registers. 

“However this must be combined with powers for councils to meet face-to-face with children, which is vital to allow councils to ensure children are receiving a suitable education in a safe environment. 

“Unique identifiers for children is a positive step, and should be accompanied by wider reform to facilitate better information sharing including investment in systems and administrative support.

“It is also good councils will have greater powers to direct school admissions, and failing council-maintained schools will not automatically become academies, which we have long-called for. We would also like to see proposals around schools and safeguarding go further, with education providers named as a statutory safeguarding partner.”