London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 19, 2026

Ofsted to get new powers to tackle illegal unregistered schools in England

Ofsted to get new powers to tackle illegal unregistered schools in England

New legislation would give the schools regulator powers to crack down on unregistered schools operating illegally in England, ministers say.

The government says its Schools Bill will also introduce compulsory registers so children not receiving a full education can be identified.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said the bill would ensure "every child has access to an education they deserve".

But, Labour said the Conservatives were "failing our children".

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government was "obsessing over structures instead of improving children's experience in the classroom".

She said there was "no plan" to improve teaching or "tackle the exodus of school staff from our classrooms" and that Labour had proposals to boost new teacher numbers by 6,500.

The government's new Schools Bill will be formally announced in Tuesday's Queen's Speech - where Her Majesty will read out the legislation ministers intend to introduce during the next session of Parliament.

Releasing details of the bill ahead of that speech, the government said it would give the schools regulator Ofsted more powers to tackle illegal unregistered schools.

Ofsted defines an unregistered school as "an educational establishment that meets the legal definition of an independent (private) school, but is not registered with the Department for Education".

In 2019, Ofsted estimated that a fifth of unregistered schools were faith schools including 36 Islamic, 18 Jewish and 12 Christian schools.

Last year, the regulator warned that such schools "intentionally operate" outside of regulations that protect children's welfare, safety and education standards.

Chris Russell, from Ofsted, said the buildings were often "unsafe and squalid" and that many of the settings' offered a "narrow curriculum" that failed to meet children's educational needs.

He said legislation had not "kept up with the reality on the ground" and that institutions were "exploiting loopholes" in the law.

The government says introducing compulsory registers would ensure the "system can identify those who are not receiving a suitable full-time education".

The bill would also place a duty on local authorities to provide support to home-schooling families so that "no child falls through the cracks".

In October 2021, the Association of Directors of Children's Services estimated that there were around 81,2000 registered home educated children in England - although this was based on partial responses from local authorities.

The government says its Schools Bill would put in place proposals outlined in its white paper - a policy document - including implementing changes to how funding is allocated, requiring schools to publish an attendance policy to ensure children consistently attend school and supporting schools to become part of multi-academy trusts

Academy schools are state-funded directly by government and run independently from local councils. At the moment, 52% of pupils are at academies.

A Higher Education Bill is also expected to be included in the Queen's Speech. The legislation will introduction of the lifelong loan entitlement - allowing people to access a loan to retrain.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
England Tightens School Food Standards With Restrictions on Deep-Fried and High-Sugar Foods
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Proposed Asylum Centre
Michael Marra Elected Leader of Scottish Labour
BBC Cash Reserves Fall Sharply as Financial Pressures Mount
George Osborne Calls for UK to Rejoin EU Customs Union
UK Explores Joining Canada-Led Global Defence Bank
Thirlwall Inquiry Highlights Management Failures Surrounding Lucy Letby Crimes
Parliamentary Committee Calls for New UK Law to Address AI Risks to Human Rights
UK Considers Giving Regional Mayors Greater Oversight of Water Companies
UK Opposition Presses Burnham for Stronger Response to Russian Security Threats
Reform UK Faces Scrutiny Over £72 Million in Donations as Political Finance Rules Tighten
Millisecond Software Failure Behind UK Air-Traffic Outage That Cancelled More Than 2,000 Flights
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Energy Prices Complicate Inflation Outlook
Burnham Warns of Difficult Choices in October Budget as UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20.5 Million Non-Domicile Tax Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Heavy Losses After Collapse
Thirteenth Metropolitan Police Officer Dismissed Over Charing Cross Conduct
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
NHS Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Women With Incurable Breast Cancer
Software Defect Blamed for Major UK Air Traffic Disruption
Twenty Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies at County Durham NHS Trust
British Steel Costs Taxpayers £1.3 Million a Day as MPs Demand Long-Term Plan
UK Parliament Advances Sovereign Grant Reform Setting Royal Funding at £99.9 Million
King Charles Urges Human-Centred Approach to Artificial Intelligence at Scotland Summit
House of Lords Begins Scrutiny of Voting-Age and Political Finance Reforms
UK Labour Market Shows Growing Divide Between Younger and Older Workers
Nearly Seven in 10 UK Small Businesses Delay or Cancel Growth Plans as Costs Rise
Andy Burnham Reaffirms UK Net-Zero Target Amid North Sea Energy Debate
UK Parliament Demands Credible Financial and Decarbonisation Plan for British Steel
MPs Urge Government to Reject Thames Water Rescue Deal and Prepare Special Administration
Bank of England Holds Rate at 3.75% as Energy Shock Raises Inflation Risks
TUC Calls for Social Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Taxes on Bank Profits
UK Parliament Enters Conference Recess After Advancing Sovereign Grant Legislation
King Charles Hosts Artificial Intelligence Leaders at Dumfries House Summit
Nearly Seven in Ten UK Small Businesses Delay or Cancel Growth Plans as Costs Rise
Anthropic Details Malicious Use of Claude in Cyber, Weapons and Influence Operations
McLaren Announces £500 Million UK Investment and 1,000 New Jobs
Scotland and Wales Sign Cardiff Agreement to Deepen Cooperation on Shared Policy Priorities
UK Government Moves to Fully Fund Teacher Pay Award as Strike Threat Recedes
UK Competition Regulator Deepens Scrutiny of Microsoft’s Business Software and AI Market Position
NHS England Reforms Focus on Cutting Waiting Lists and Improving Digital Care
England Maintains Mandatory Housing Targets in Push for 1.5 Million New Homes
UK Government Plans Statutory Industrial Strategy Council to Strengthen Long-Term Economic Policy
Asthma Charity Warns of Major Gaps in Childhood Diagnostic Testing Across England
TUC Chief Paul Nowak Appointed to Bank of England Court
Bristol Opens £35 Million Deep-Tech Innovation Hub at Temple Quarter
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Housing Plan
Andy Burnham Deepens UK Defense and AI Cooperation With NATO and Canada
UK Government Announces Neonatal Safety Reforms After Thirlwall Inquiry
Bank of England Weighs Rate Decision as UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%
×