Understanding the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: impacts and solutions 

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill represents a significant step in the UK government’s efforts to improve children’s social care and education. This legislation, while ambitious, has sparked much discussion regarding its implications for students, schools, and alternative education providers like Tute. In this blog, we delve into the key elements of the bill and explore what it means for the educational landscape. 

A closer look at the Bill 

The bill addresses three primary areas: 

1. Children’s social care: 

• Introducing family group decision-making to involve family networks in safeguarding and welfare discussions. 

• Strengthening multi-agency child protection teams to improve coordination among education, health, and social care providers. 

• Enhancing support for children in care, kinship care, and care leavers, including improved educational opportunities. 

• Tightening oversight and financial accountability for private care providers, including profit caps. 

2. Schools: 

• Expanding free breakfast club provision in primary schools. 

• Reinforcing school attendance through stricter policies and oversight of unregistered educational settings. 

• Requiring academies to follow the national curriculum and adhere to statutory pay scales for teachers. 

• Strengthening local authority powers over admissions and the establishment of pupil referral units (PRUs). 

3. General provisions: 

• Introducing consistent data identifiers for safeguarding purposes. 

• Enhancing financial and operational accountability for care and education providers. 

What does this mean for Tute? 

The children’s wellbeing and schools bill presents both opportunities and challenges for alternative provision providers like Tute. Here’s how we see its impact: 

1. Opportunities to support reintegration: 

• The bill’s focus on improving educational outcomes for vulnerable children aligns with Tute’s mission. Our flexible, online provision can help local authorities and schools bridge gaps for students transitioning between care, alternative provision, and mainstream education. 

2. Strengthened partnerships with local authorities: 

• The emphasis on family group decision-making and multi-agency safeguarding opens the door for greater collaboration. Tute’s evidence-based approach and rapid response capabilities can support these efforts. 

3. Meeting compliance standards: 

• The bill’s push for accountability means Tute will continue to demonstrate our commitment to safeguarding, data-sharing, and reporting. As a trusted provider vetted rigorously by the DfE through the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) and with plans to undergo OEAS inspection, we remain at the forefront of compliance and quality assurance. 

4. Flexibility in alternative provision: 

• With stricter oversight of unregistered settings, the demand for high-quality, compliant alternative provision is likely to grow. Tute’s tailored approach ensures we meet this need while supporting schools in preventing exclusions and maintaining attendance. Our no-contract, no-minimum-commitment model allows schools to create individualised pathways that address the specific needs of their students. 

Balancing the push for mainstream education 

While we agree with many aspects of the bill, we recognise that mainstream education is not the right fit for every student. A strong push towards mainstream reintegration must be balanced with understanding and supporting individual needs. For students who thrive outside the traditional classroom, alternative provision like Tute offers a vital lifeline. Our 80% reintegration success rate demonstrates how short- and medium-term interventions can help students return to mainstream settings where appropriate. 

Practical steps for schools and local authorities 

To maximise the potential of the children’s wellbeing and schools bill, here are some practical steps for schools and local authorities: 

• Leverage alternative provision: Use flexible providers like Tute to address gaps in education, especially for students who need immediate, personalised support. 

• Focus on early intervention: Prevent exclusions by providing short-term, targeted interventions to stabilise and support students. 

• Foster collaboration: Strengthen partnerships with local authorities and multi-agency teams to ensure cohesive support for vulnerable children.

A collaborative future 

At Tute, we are committed to working alongside schools, local authorities, and care providers to deliver tailored education solutions that align with the goals of the children’s wellbeing and schools bill. Whether it’s reintegrating students into mainstream education or providing a long-term alternative, our flexible approach ensures that every child has the opportunity to succeed. 

For more information on how Tute can support your school or local authority,

written by Vanessa Leach

Managing Director at Tute Education