Be connected: Schools and academy trusts, October 2026

01 October 2026

Welcome back. The autumn term is arguably the most demanding for any school or trust leader. New statutory duties, updated guidance, fresh inspection criteria and a busy events calendar all converge from September.

This edition brings together everything you need to get your arms around the changes, with links to the detail. We hope it helps.

Policy and regulatory.
Case law.
Support and guidance.
Training and events.
In the media.

Policy and regulatory

On the horizon: Key legal and policy changes for schools in 2026/27

A lot has changed this year. New safeguarding guidance, updated attendance rules, inclusion duties, Martyn's Law, and reforms to the Academy Trust Handbook are all live.

Our annual horizon-scanning piece pulls the most significant legal and policy changes together in one place, so you can prioritise with confidence and go into the term clear on what needs your attention and what to keep an eye out for this year.

School attendance: What the new guidance really means

The updated Working Together guidance is now in force but, importantly, it clarifies the law rather than resets it. Schools with inconsistent processes will feel the gap quickly.

More about the updated guidance

Alongside this, your Attendance Benchmark for Improving Education (ABIE) is now a live performance measure. Do you know yours, and what you're expected to do with it?

More about ABIE data

EHRC consultation: What it means for Equality Act duties

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is revising its Equality Act guidance for schools, and the proposed changes carry real weight.

Schools are being asked to treat underachievement or unexplained behaviour as a possible indicator of disability, to consider reasonable adjustments proactively, and to revisit policies on single-sex facilities and sport.

SEND reform: EOTAS consultation response

Education Otherwise Than at School (EOTAS) numbers have risen 90% in four years, and the children involved are among the most vulnerable in the education system. Our SEND team has submitted its response to the government's consultation, analysing what the proposals get right and where the gaps remain.

Inclusion bases and your inclusion strategy

New guidance on inclusion bases is now in force, and Ofsted's new inspection framework places inclusion front and centre. Schools receiving the Inclusive Mainstream Fund must publish their strategy by 31 December, but with inspections starting now, that deadline offers little comfort.

We’ve published two pieces this term covering what the guidance means in practice and we’re also hosting a webinar later this month to help you build a compliant strategy for your school.

New duty explained

What the inclusion base guidance means

Developing an inclusion strategy webinar

15 October 2026 | 12pm-1pm | Online

Gain clear, actionable steps to meet Ofsted’s inspection criteria for inclusion.

KCSiE 2026: What you need to know

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) 2026 is now statutory. Changes span safeguarding definitions, DSL cover arrangements, online search requirements for recruitment, child-on-child abuse, gender-questioning pupils, filtering and monitoring, and the removal of the volunteer supervision exemption.

Our full guide sets out every key change and the steps schools need to take, with individual articles on each area if you want the detail.

The new information sharing duty: A guide for DPOs

A new statutory duty to share information is now in force, and it changes the risk calculation for schools when deciding whether to pass on sensitive data. The instinct to say ‘no’ is no longer a safe default.

This piece sets out the practical steps your Data Protection Officer (DPO) and safeguarding lead need to take, the decisions that now need revisiting, and where the boundaries of the new duty lie.

Martyn's Law: What schools need to do

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 applies to most secondary schools, academies and sixth form colleges, with compliance duties taking effect in Spring 2027.

The Home Office's final statutory guidance is already published. Standard-tier requirements focus on documented procedures and trained staff. For most schools, this is about formalising what you already have in place. If you haven’t already, start the governance conversation now.

Employment and HR: Autumn 2026 update for schools

A round-up of employment and HR changes with direct implications for schools this term, covering what school leaders and people managers need to know as they head into the autumn.

Whether your focus is contracts, sickness absence, grievance processes or the people agenda more broadly, this update covers the issues your team is most likely to face.

Academy Trust Handbook 2026: Staff exits and executive pay

The 2026 Handbook introduces the most significant changes to staff severance payment rules in years. From 1 October, trusts must meet a new numerical prospects-of-success threshold, follow stricter DfE prior approval requirements and keep full documented records.

Staff exits

On executive pay, the Handbook also brings greater transparency requirements and stronger governance expectations around remuneration committee decisions.

Executive pay changes

Case law

AI in the courtroom: What it means for your school

AI-powered legal tools have reduced the cost and effort of issuing pre-action correspondence, and schools are feeling it. Letters Before Claim that were once reserved for well-resourced claimants are now reaching headteachers' inboxes with increasing frequency.

This piece looks at what this means for how schools respond, and why a letter that looks serious still needs to be assessed carefully.

EHCP disputes: Two cases every school should read

Two cases already this term relating to EHCP responsibility.

First, the High Court confirmed that judicial review is not a shortcut around the First-tier Tribunal, even where tribunal delays are significant. Schools receiving Letters Before Claim from families trying to bypass the FTT process should take note.

Enfield London Borough Council v Edwards

Second, an Upper Tribunal decision clarified the 'ordinary residence' test that determines which local authority is responsible when a pupil moves area, with direct implications for how schools manage annual reviews and EHC plan maintenance.

LW, R (On the Application Of) v London Borough of Islington

High Court strikes out £2.8m claim against 11 education defendants

In KDY v Langham, the High Court struck out the entire Particulars of Claim and dismissed damages claims exceeding £2.8m against all 11 defendants, including schools, an academy trust and a local authority.

We acted for two groups of defendants. The judgment addresses human rights, misfeasance, secondary victim claims and data protection arguments, and provides clear guidance on where such claims succeed and where they fail.

The ICO's next two years: What it means for schools and trusts

The ICO has published its draft corporate strategy for 2026 to 2028, with four priorities: children's data, AI transparency, responsible use of public data, and cyber resilience. All four land squarely in schools.

EdTech procurement, AI governance and incident response planning are explicitly in the regulator's sights. Knowing where the ICO is looking is an opportunity to get ahead, not just something to file away.

When the Family Court comes knocking: What every school leader should know

Most school leaders don't expect a court order to land on their desk. But Family Court proceedings arising from safeguarding referrals aren't uncommon, and getting the response wrong can have serious consequences.

This piece sets out the practical steps: handling initial disclosures, making referrals without delay, and complying with court orders correctly and on time. Essential reading before the term gets busy.

Be prepared for the 2026/27 academic year

New statutory duties. Updated guidance. Fresh inspection criteria. In case you missed our full back-to-school guide at the start of term, here it is for your ease of reference. It brings together everything you need to act on, all on one page, with links to the detail across all the key areas.

Practical solutions for managing school complaints

Our latest research found that 90% of school leaders say parents are escalating complaints to formal stages more quickly than two years ago, with 23% reporting they have lost staff as a result. Victoria Hatton sets out the practical frameworks, tools and training that can help your school get on top of this now.

#EdInfluence Series 5: Self-care, curiosity and belonging

Nick MacKenzie and Iain Blatherwick look back on the most recent series of our leadership podcast, reflecting on the themes that ran through eight conversations with inspiring leaders in schools, further, higher education and beyond.

From 'time with no purpose' to the shift from 'they' to 'we', this is well worth a read - and if you have your headphones to hand – a thought-provoking listen for anyone who leads in a sector where the ground keeps moving. Series 6 is in production. Catch up on series 5 before it arrives.

Read the series round-up

Training and events

Autumn term webinars

Our autumn webinar programme is now live. Sessions cover the issues at the top of school and trust leaders' agendas this term, including inclusion strategy, attendance, safeguarding and more.

If you missed our recent panel discussion with guest speakers from CST and PLMR on managing parental complaints, that’s now available on demand and it’s not to be missed!

Find out more

Upcoming events

We’ll be out and about this autumn and hope to see you. Come and find us at:

Schools North East Summit

8 October 2026 | Newcastle upon Tyne

Find out more

CST Annual Conference 2026

15 and 16 October 2026 | Birmingham

Find out more

CST People and Culture Conference 2026

10 November 2026 | Birmingham

Find out more

The Education People Show 2026

11 November 2026 | Kent

Find out more

Training programmes for 2026/27

Our training and CPD programmes for school and trust leaders have been updated for the 2026/27 academic year. Programmes cover safeguarding governance, safer recruitment, SEND, exclusions, HR, data protection and more, all designed and delivered by our lawyers and HR consultants.

Find out more

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