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BRITISH EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIERS ASSOCIATION (BESA)


Passing the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill


Comment by BESA’s Policy Manager, PETER DOYLE


One of the Government’s immediate priorities is seeing the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill pass through Parliament and make it onto the statute books. The Bill contains a number of provisions around children’s social care, Academies, school uniforms, breakfast clubs, teacher qualifications, and Ofsted reform. It’s clear that the Government did not expect the bill to take as long as it has done to progress through Parliament, and the scale of opposition has taken them by surprise. Going into the next Parliamentary year they will be keen to get it through as quickly as possible so they can immediately move onto their next legislative priorities for education. SEND Review


The most immediate and important piece of work coming down the track is the upcoming SEND Review, which was originally due for publication this summer but has since been delayed till the Autumn. Any changes will likely face fierce opposition from the influential and highly organised parental groups. One of the main sticking points will be around the future of Education, Health and Care Plans – if the Government seeks to change the status of these (or ditch them entirely) it will need to consider how it brings people along with them. From a political point of view, it will be interesting to see how the Government changes its approach to engaging backbenchers given challenges it has experienced in changing personal independence payments.


Curriculum & Assessment Review


The Government can make significant changes to the national curriculum without seeking further approval from Parliament – such as changing curriculum content, guidance, and some changes to national assessments. Whereas changes such as extending curriculum requirements or the scope of the national curriculum would require the Secretary of State to seek legislative approval.


The important thing here is that this isn’t necessarily contingent on the scale of the changes, it’s more closely related to the nature of the changes themselves.


If the Secretary of State does need to seek legislative approval for changes to the national curriculum, then it would be reasonable to expect the period between the final report and those changes being implemented to be significantly extended. Child Poverty


Though the outcome of the work of the Child Poverty Taskforce is not yet known (due this Autumn), there are some areas which are likely to be under consideration which would require new legislation. Local Authorities would be an obvious choice to be the main delivery body for poverty-reduction services. Any changes to a LA’s legal obligations would require primary legislation


Another area which the Government would need to seek legislation would be the removal of the two-child benefit cap – something which campaigners have long called for. Whilst it was anticipated that the Government would move to legislate against the cap, Bridget Phillipson said that this was “something that [the taskforce] were considering” the Government has since indicated that they would no longer be able to commit to removing it to cover expenditure in other areas of welfare. How could changes be packaged?


The Government is preparing for another busy year of legislative timetabling. The key moment to learn how any education-related legislative changes will be packaged will be the State Opening of Parliament.


Given the limited time expected for new legislation, ministers may opt to consolidate most measures into a single bill. This approach can speed up the passage of legislation, as all provisions are considered together. However, if certain elements of the bill face significant opposition, it can delay the entire package, potentially slowing progress rather than accelerating it.


September 2025


Reversing attendance decline through a whole school approach to mental health We hear from KATIE ALEXANDER, Deputy Head at Carr Mill


Primary School.


Reversing low attendance and persistent absence is never a quick fix. Four years ago, Carr Mill Primary School had the highest persistent absence rate in the borough of St Helens. We knew simply enforcing policies wouldn’t bring about meaningful change – we needed to understand the reasons behind the data and work in partnership with families to give our children the opportunities they deserve.


Carr Mill is situated in one of the 10% most deprived areas in England, and many of our families have faced challenges that shaped how they view education. This had created a sense of disconnect and, at times, mistrust between home and school. We recognised early on that building strong relationships with families would be key – and that meant showing, through our actions, that we genuinely cared about their children, not just their attendance or behaviour. We needed to lead a culture shift – not just tweaking policies, but rethinking how we work day to day. We drew inspiration from Hywel Roberts’ concept of ‘bothered-ness’, which quickly became a core part of our ethos. It reminded us that the first step in rebuilding trust was to demonstrate that we were truly invested in each child’s wellbeing and future.


This trust building took time, but gradually our community started to believe in us. One parent told us: “No other school provides support like you do. You gave me support, even when I wasn’t ready to receive it.” That comment sums up what we’ve worked to achieve. Now, families regularly choose to hold meetings with external agencies in school because they see it as a safe, supportive space.


Alongside this cultural shift, we also strengthened support for children’s mental health and wellbeing. We partnered with Barnardo’s and introduced the PATHS Programme for Schools (UK Version) – an evidence-based social and emotional learning programme. All children from Nursery to Year 6 access PATHS sessions twice a week. It has normalised daily conversations about mental health and created a shared language for emotional support and strategies children can use. Our Barnardo’s B Buddies (peer mentors) help younger children practise these strategies together. The PATHS Programme has given staff the tools and CPD to identify and respond to children in need. Our ‘graduated response to mental health’ enables early, targeted support. When a referral is needed, staff can provide meaningful information that helps the Mental Health Support Team identify the most effective interventions.


The impact has been significant. Attendance has improved from 92% to 94.7%, exceeding the local authority average. Persistent absence has dropped from 30% in 2022 to 14% in July 2025. Referrals to Tier 3 mental health services have reduced by 75%. Staff have also received recognition as the school secured the Tes Schools Awards Pupil Mental Health Initiative of the Year 2025. It’s often said “it takes a village to raise a child”. Four years ago, we weren’t that village. Today, we are – rooted in our community, working side by side with families to help every child gain the support they need to become the best version of themselves.


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