Families gathered in London to protest the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. While the atmosphere was filled with an amazing buzz and positive energy it’s become clear that the underlying legislative threats are intensifying. As the Bill moves through the Report Stage in the House of Lords we are seeing amendments that could fundamentally shift the balance of power between families and the state. .A Positive Rally and the Power of Young Voices
The protest march was a sea of colour and featured a very loud presence from the "Scrap the Schools Bill" car. Feedback from the police actually described it as one of the most pleasant rallies they have ever escorted through the city an the highlight for many was hearing from young speakers who shared their lived experiences of home education. You can find extensive video footage and photographs from the day on the Stop the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Facebook page and there are some videos from the march linked in last week’s update.
Universal Measures Hide Red Flags
During the rally speakers discussed how certain government proposals like universal breakfast clubs might have unintended consequences for child safety, hiding early warning signs of problems at home. Feeding every child regardless of need the state risks masking these vital indicators and making it harder to identify children who truly need help. This approach mirrors the proposed register which expands the “haystack” of data and treats all parents with suspicion instead of focusing resources where they are most needed.
CWSB Updates
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is still in the Report Stage in the House of Lords but discussions of the Children Not In School (CNIS) Registers have been delayed due to extensive debate of other amendments. We now expect the CNIS Register clauses to be debated on Wednesday 28 January 2026 after Peers have discussed amendments to the breakfast clubs and school uniform costs sections of the bill.
Randall has published a video on the Home Education Channel explaining the delay in the House of Lords:
As we discussed last week in our live update, Amendment 121A from Baroness Barran proposing that local authorities must consent before a child can be withdrawn from school if that child has ever been subject to child protection inquiries or proceedings or is classed as a Children in Need (CiN). This is a massive net that fails to account for malicious referrals, foster children or families who simply sought help for disability support. Fiona from Ed Yourself has published detailed write ups of both the government and Barran’s amendments, linked below.
Read the detailed breakdown:
Late Report Amendments by Baroness Barran: https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/20/late-report-amendments-baroness-barran/
Questioning New Government Amendments: https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/17/questioning-new-government-amendments/
AI, Ethics and the GDPR Override
The government is increasingly looking towards experimental AI to process data and identify potential “risks”, both to children and to the general public. This is happening alongside the “GDPR override” introduced by the Data (Use and Access) Act, incorporated into the CWS Bill through the latest round of government amendments. Trusting unproven technology with sensitive data is a dangerous step that could lead to biased outcomes and the rise of “parent blame”. We should be wary of any system that values an algorithm’s opinion over the lived experience of the person who knows the child best.
Action for this Week
Email Peers from the House of Lords ASAP and urge them to oppose Baroness Barran’s amendments before the next Report Stage session on Wednesday.
Keep in mind that the HoL email system has a very strict spam filter, so please vary your wording and avoid using templates that might cause all similar emails to be deleted from Peers’ inboxes.
Ask your MP to explain exactly what the “GDPR override” means for your family’s privacy, especially if your MP has previously replied to you stating that GDPR protections will still apply.
Join us on Friday for our weekly livestream on your choice of Facebook or YouTube
Follow:
Stop The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill for latest updates and news
Jenn Hodge - Doing Education Differently - Jenn will be sharing posts over this coming week to help spread the word in your groups and networks
Join our Facebook Group & Discord Server
TL;DR
Latest
Wellbeing Bill Rush For Easter | Ed Yourself: https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/24/wellbeing-bill-rush-for-easter/
In the seaside town where one in 50 pupils are home-schooled | The Times: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/education/article/home-schooling-blackpool-mental-health-z0f36ph9q [Archive link]
CWS Bill Legislative Updates
Randall’s CWSB Video Update:
Ed Yourself - Late Report Amendments: https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/20/late-report-amendments-baroness-barran/
Ed Yourself - Questioning New Amendments: https://edyourself.wordpress.com/2026/01/17/questioning-new-government-amendments/
Official Bill Page (Report Stage): https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3909
Digital ID, Data and AI
Education Secretary Summit Speech: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/education-secretary-speech-at-global-ai-safety-summit
Schools Week - AI Should Detect Learner Distress: https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ai-used-in-schools-should-detect-signs-of-learner-distress/
Big Brother Watch - Social Media Ban: https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/blog/the-telegraph-a-social-media-ban-for-youngsters-wont-actually-work-but-it-will-destroy-vital-freedoms/
Open Rights Group - Age-Gating Risks: https://www.openrightsgroup.org.uk/press-releases/under-16-social-media-ban-would-expand-age-gating-for-millions-and-silence-young-people/
Petitions and Consultations
#Together Open Letter (Digital ID): https://together.eaction.org.uk/childrens
Reclaim Rights for Children Petition: https://www.change.org/p/stop-dangerous-children-s-bill-no-to-digital-identifier-and-data-sharing
Young People and Work Call for Evidence (Closes 30th January): https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/young-people-and-work-report-call-for-evidence
Other News and Policy
EHE and Child Benefit Written Answer: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2026-01-07.HL13370.h
DBS Checks and Tutors Debate: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2026-01-19a.116.0
Autism Act Government Response: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autism-act-government-response-to-lords-select-committee-report
