The School Website
Requirements Guide 2026/27

Stay compliant. Stay confident. Stay Always Ready.

Everything schools, academies, colleges and trusts must publish online, across 26 areas, with the status of every item and the source named.

We want schools to feel ready, not warned.

Current as at 31 July 2026. The DfE guidance last changed on 24 October 2024, and we check it every week.

Staying compliant is not about ticking boxes. It is about showing that your school or trust is well run, transparent and focused on its pupils. The strongest schools do not wait for an inspection to update their website. They use it all year to show how they actually work.

Here is what our audits keep showing. Most schools are close. Very few are finished. The average score across 247 audits in 2025 was 80.2 per cent, and only 6.5 per cent were fully compliant. The gap is not effort, it is drift.

Drift is the problem. Not you.

Which is why this guide is built around a routine rather than a rescue. Read the checklist once to see where you stand, then work an area at a time. You are closer than you think.

The most confident schools and trusts are now:

• Using their website to evidence the quality of education and inclusion in action.
• Linking policies and practice clearly so visitors, inspectors and families see consistency.
• Publishing everything required, and going a step further by providing plain-language context and examples.

From our training workshops and recent surveys, it’s clear that school staff:

• Want help prioritising what really matters for inspection readiness.
• Need time-saving tools for keeping the site up to date.
• Often aren’t confident about whether their current setup meets all the requirements, especially for SEND, curriculum, and policies.

Here is the honest version of our advice, and it is the whole reason we talk about Always Ready.

Across 247 school website audits in 2025 the average score was 80.2 per cent. Only 6.5 per cent of schools were fully compliant. Read those two numbers together and the picture is clear: almost everyone is close, and almost nobody is finished. The gap is not effort or care. It is drift.

Nobody is failing. Everyone is just busy.

So the fix is not a bigger push before an inspection. It is a smaller one, repeated. Take one area a month from the checklist below and twenty six areas becomes twenty minutes, not a lost weekend. Give each area an owner. Tie the seasonal ones to the calendar. Check the page as a parent would, not as an auditor would.

Compliance does not need a deadline. It needs a habit.

Ready, not warned.

• Use our School Website Requirements Checklist to see exactly what needs to be published.
• If you need expert help, ask us about a Pro School Website Audit, you’ll receive a written report and step-by-step support.
• Join our free compliance workshops to stay updated throughout the year.

Our in-house team supports hundreds of schools and trusts every year. We listen closely to what inspectors look for and what real users experience. Here’s what we know for certain: compliance isn’t just about ticking boxes, it’s about building confidence.

So before you dive into the full checklist, here are nine key strategies to help you get it right, and keep it right.

Your website is read as evidence of how the school is run

This is the phrase we hear most often, and it is worth taking seriously: if there are issues on the website, there are likely issues in school. Fair or not, your site is the first thing anyone looks at, and it forms a view before a single conversation happens.

Our own audit data backs it up. Across 247 school website audits in 2025 the average score was 80.2 per cent, yet only 6.5 per cent of schools were fully compliant. That gap is almost never neglect. It is drift.

Nobody is failing. Everyone is just busy.

So start with the pages that carry the most weight: safeguarding, SEND, curriculum, admissions, policies, governance and contact details. See what our 2025 audit data actually shows.

Make key information easy to find

Publishing something is not the same as making it findable. We regularly hear of inspectors spending ten minutes hunting for statutory content and giving up, and parents do exactly the same thing, they just do not tell you.

Use the labels people expect. Curriculum, not Teaching and Learning. Admissions, not Joining Us. Policies, not Documents. Nobody should need to understand your internal structure to find a term date.

Two pieces of reading that will change how you lay out a site: what parents actually notice on a school website and the five most important pages on a school website.

Safeguarding is the one to get right first

If your safeguarding information is unclear or out of date, nothing else on the site will rescue it. Inspection planning is informed by what is on your website, and safeguarding is where attention lands first.

Make sure a visitor can find, without hunting: your child protection and safeguarding policy, current and dated, the name and contact details of your designated safeguarding lead, and how to raise a concern.

Worth reading: what inspectors look for in your safeguarding web content, and our school website safeguarding checklist. For trusts, what Ofsted looks for at trust level is the one to share with your central team.

Build the routine, not the rescue

Almost every compliance problem we find was created slowly. A policy passes its review date. A PDF is replaced in one place but not another. A staff member changes role. A link quietly breaks. None of it is dramatic, and all of it adds up.

Compliance does not need a deadline. It needs a habit.

Pick a rhythm you can actually keep. One area a month works well, because it turns twenty six areas into twenty minutes rather than a lost weekend. Tie the seasonal ones to the calendar: admissions before application windows, PE and sport premium and pupil premium to their deadlines, governance after any change of membership.

If you want a method rather than a vague intention, follow our step by step compliance audit.

Accessibility, and the exemption almost everyone gets wrong

This is the area where we see confident, confidently wrong advice in both directions, so here is the accurate position.

Schools are partially exempt from the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018. The exemption does not cover content people need in order to use a service, for example a form for school meal preferences. So it is an overstatement to say a school must make its entire website meet WCAG 2.2 AA. It is equally wrong to say the regulations do not apply to schools, because a partially exempt organisation still has to publish an accessibility statement.

And do not confuse two different things. The accessibility statement is a web page about how accessible your site is, under the 2018 regulations. The accessibility plan is a separate duty under the Equality Act 2010 about disabled pupils and the curriculum, and it belongs with your SEND information. See area 26 in the checklist below for what the statement must contain.

Good practice regardless: real alt text, headings in order, links that say where they go, readable PDFs rather than scans, and pages that work on a phone.

Do not wait to be warned

Schools sometimes ask whether they need a tool that alerts them when inspection related activity appears in their website traffic. Our answer has not changed. By the time you are relying on an alert, the useful work should already be done.

Alerts make people react. Systems help people prepare.

That is the whole idea behind Always Ready. Not panic, not a scramble in the week before, just a site that is accurate all year because somebody has a routine and knows who owns each area. It is calmer, it takes less time, and it holds up when somebody does look.

We wrote about the difference here: an Ofsted ready school website means always ready, not Ofsted panicked. If you would rather see the current picture across your own site, Website Insights gives you it in one view.

Managing compliance school by school is where trusts lose time. Central teams need to see which schools have completed an update, where information is missing, which policies are due for review, and whether anything is inconsistent across the estate.

Trust level duties are easy to miss too, because they usually sit with the central team rather than with whoever edits a school site. Governance details, executive pay bands, the whistleblowing procedure, governance changes within 14 days, any Notice to Improve, and from this year a summary statement of how funds are distributed across your schools, published by 31 January. Those are all in area 24 below.

The Schudio MAT Portal exists for exactly this, one place to manage policies, shared content and compliance oversight across every school website. Also worth reading: what is changing in multi academy trust inspections.

Write it for parents, not for inspectors

The best compliance work and the best marketing turn out to be the same job. A safeguarding page a worried parent can actually follow is also the page that reads well in an inspection. A curriculum page that explains what a child will learn beats one that lists documents.

Our audits and our parent research keep landing in the same place. People do not read school websites, they scan them looking for one specific thing, and they give up faster than anyone expects.

So write the sentence before the document. Say what the policy means for a family, then put the PDF underneath it. More on what parents look for before visiting a school and what they actually notice when they get there.

Know which duties are actually yours

This is the one that catches out the most careful schools, and it is why every area in the checklist below states its status separately.

For the same item, the duty is often a must for a maintained school and a should for an academy. Behaviour policy, charging and remissions, the Ofsted report and the whole of test, exam and assessment results all work that way. Some duties exist only for trusts. Some apply only above a threshold, gender pay gap reporting being the obvious one at 250 or more employees.

Working from a generic checklist means doing work you do not need to do, or missing work you do. Read the status for your own type of school, and if you are a trust, read area 24 as well.

Schools are using AI to help manage website content, and we think that is sensible when it is done with your eyes open. Our position is unchanged and fairly simple.

AI is genuinely good at the tedious parts: spotting pages that have gone stale, flagging documents past their review date, checking that a policy is where it should be, tightening writing that has grown woolly.

It should not be writing your statutory policy content, and it should not be trusted to decide what a requirement means. We have watched AI confidently invent a deadline that does not exist, which is precisely how the belief spread that allergy policies became a legal requirement in September 2026. They did not. That date belongs to the school uniform change.

Every requirement in this guide names its source, so you can check us. That is the standard we would apply to anything AI hands you as well. More on how we think about it: how to use AI for school website compliance.

Policies might not be the most exciting content on your website, but they are among the most important. Not just because they’re required, but because they’re often one of the first places inspectors, parents and other stakeholders look when judging how well-run your school or trust is.

It’s not just about publishing your policies. It’s about making them clear, accessible and easy to manage over time.

Why Presentation Matters

Your policy page may not change often, but it must stand the test of time. Many schools redesign their website every 3, 4 years, so the way you present policies today is likely to stick for a while. If your documents are in one long, hard-to-navigate list, or links are broken, it doesn’t just frustrate visitors, it can lead to serious compliance concerns. Inspectors may flag missing or outdated content even if your policy is technically live somewhere on the site.

And remember: some policies must include references to legislation in the introduction or overview. This is a common oversight, so double-check before uploading.

Click Here to see an Example of the Schudio Document Groups Module

How to Display Policies Effectively

• Group policies into categories (e.g. Safeguarding, Curriculum, Finance). This is far easier for users to scan and understand.
• Style the policy section clearly. Even something simple like an icon or download button improves usability.
• Avoid dead links and outdated files. This is one of the most common (and unnecessary) compliance failures.
• Enable in-page previews where possible. This keeps users on your site and aligns with accessibility expectations.
• Use readable, accessible PDF files, not scanned documents or huge downloads.

The Schudio Solution: Document Groups

• All Schudio-powered websites include a powerful feature called Document Groups. This module lets you:
• Upload policies once and display them in multiple places on your website.
• Automatically update all versions when a policy is changed, no duplicate uploads.
• Sort and group policies into a structured, user-friendly layout.
• Embed live, searchable document sections anywhere on your site.

For example, your SEND policy might appear both on your Policies page and your SEND page. Update it once, and it’s updated everywhere.

Managing Policies Across Multi-Academy Trusts

For MATs, the need for centralised policy control is even more critical.
Using the Schudio MAT Portal, trusts can:
✔ Upload and manage policy documents centrally
✔ Distribute and publish documents across all school websites, even if schools use different website providers
✔ Automatically update policy links trust-wide from one dashboard
✔ Reduce admin time and ensure consistent compliance across the trust
This doesn’t just make policy management easier. It protects your schools from accidental non-compliance, ensures consistency, and gives peace of mind at leadership level.

Final Tip

Don’t treat your policies like background files. Treat them like front-facing evidence of your school’s or trust’s commitment to excellence, transparency, and statutory responsibility. Display them well, and manage them smartly. If you need help reviewing your current setup or want to centralise policy management for your MAT, get in touch with our team. We’re happy to help.

The statutory requirements for school and college websites continue to evolve, and staying compliant means staying proactive.

This checklist is built from the Department for Education publish online guidance, the Academy Trust Handbook and the statutory guidance that sits alongside them, and every area names its source. Whether you’re preparing for an inspection or just want to stay ahead, this is your go-to tool.

As always, if you need support while working through the checklist, our team is here to help. You can book a free call any time.

This checklist brings together all the statutory requirements and best practice recommendations for maintained schools, academies, FE colleges, and Multi-Academy Trusts.
It is designed to be practical and easy to use, especially when paired with the School Website Compliance Software or included as part of any Schudio School Website Design Package.
Use it to:

• Track your compliance status clearly
• Assign responsibility to team members
• Set reminders and build a routine that works all year round
• Ensure your website reflects the quality of your school

Let’s make compliance simple, and turn your school website into a strength, not a stress.

What foundation and voluntary-aided schools must publish

Foundation and voluntary-aided schools must publish their admission arrangements to comply with the:

• school admissions code
• school admission appeals code

September admissions, normal point of entry

By 15 March each year, the school must publish on its website the admission arrangements for children who will be starting school at the normal point of entry in September of the following year. It must retain them there for the whole of the academic year in which offers for places are made.

The admission arrangements must explain:

• how the school considers applications for places in each relevant age group (that is, the age group in which children are normally admitted)
• how many children the school intends to admit in each relevant age group (known as the published admission number, or PAN)
• what a parent or carer needs to do if they want to apply for their child to attend the school
• how the school allocates places, if there are more applicants than places available

Where applicable, schools must also explain how:

• children are selected for a place, if the school is selective
• a parent or carer of a primary-age child can request that the school delay or defer their child’s entry to reception, and the process for requesting admission outside the normal age group
• how many external applicants the school intends to admit into the sixth form

In-year admissions

By 31 August each year, the school must publish how it will manage in-year applications for places (that is, applications for places in the middle of a school year, or to start in the September of a year which is not the normal point of entry).

If the governing body manages those applications, the school must provide:

• an application form
• supplementary information, if necessary

If the local authority manages those applications, the school must publish a link to the in-year co-ordination scheme.

Admission appeals

By 28 February each year, the school must publish a timetable setting out how it will organise and hear admission appeals.

This timetable must:

• include a deadline that allows a parent or carer at least 20 school days from the date of notification that their application was unsuccessful to prepare and lodge a written appeal
• include reasonable deadlines for:
• a parent or carer to submit additional evidence
• admission authorities to submit their evidence
• the clerk to send appeal papers to the panel and parties
• ensure that a parent or carer lodging an appeal receives at least 10 school days’ notice of their appeal hearing
• ensure that decision letters are sent within 5 school days of the hearing, wherever possible

Further guidance is available in the school admission appeals code.

What community and voluntary-controlled schools must publish

Community and voluntary-controlled schools must publish a link to the local authority’s website for parents and carers who wish to find out about the school’s admission and appeal arrangements. It is the local authority that manages both processes.

What academy trusts must publish

Academy trusts must publish their admission arrangements to comply with the:

• school admissions code
• school admission appeals code

The school admissions and appeals codes do not apply to special academies, alternative provision settings or stand-alone 16 to 19 institutions.

September admissions, normal point of entry

By 15 March each year, the trust must publish on its website the admission arrangements for children who will be starting school at the normal point of entry in September of the following year. It must retain them there for the whole of the academic year in which offers for places are made.

The admission arrangements must explain:

• how the trust considers applications for places in each relevant age group (that is, the age group in which children are normally admitted to its schools)
• how many children the trust intends to admit in each relevant age group (known as the published admission number, or PAN)
• what a parent or carer needs to do if they want to apply for their child to attend one of the trust’s schools
• how the trust allocates places if there are more applicants than places available

Where applicable, the trust must also explain how:

• children applying to a selective school are selected for a place
• a parent or carer of a primary-age child can request that a school delay or defer their child’s entry to reception, and the process for requesting admission outside the normal age group
• how many external applicants a school intends to admit into the sixth form

In-year admissions

By 31 August each year, the trust must publish how it will manage in-year applications for places (that is, applications for places in the middle of a school year, or to start in the September of a year which is not the normal point of entry).

If the trust manages those applications, it must provide:

• an application form
• supplementary information, if necessary

If the local authority manages those applications, the trust must publish a link to the in-year application co-ordination scheme.

Admission appeals

By 28 February each year, the trust must publish a timetable setting out how it will organise and hear admission appeals.

This timetable must:

• include a deadline that allows a parent or carer at least 20 school days from the date of notification that their application was unsuccessful to prepare and lodge a written appeal
• include reasonable deadlines for:
• a parent or carer to submit additional evidence
• admission authorities to submit their evidence
• the clerk to send appeal papers to the panel and parties
• ensure that a parent or carer lodging an appeal receives at least 10 school days’ notice of their appeal hearing
• ensure that decision letters are sent within 5 school days of the hearing, wherever possible

Further guidance is available in the school admission appeals code.

What 16 to 19 academies and FE colleges should publish

16 to 19 academies and FE colleges should publish their admission arrangements.

The school admissions and appeals codes do not apply to these settings.

By the September of the academic year before the one in which they will apply, 16 to 19 academies and FE colleges should publish their arrangements. Parents, carers and young people will use these to make an informed choice, so they should remain unchanged during that year.

The admission arrangements should include details of:

• the open days planned
• how to apply for a place
• whether the 16 to 19 academy or FE college gives priority to applications from pupils enrolled at particular schools

What academy trusts must publish
Academy trusts must publish their audited annual report and accounts on their website by 31 January each year. Guidance is available in the academy trust handbook.

What FE colleges must publish
By 31 January each year, FE colleges must publish their annual report and audited financial statements in an easily accessible location on their website and retain them there for 2 years.

What schools must publish
Schools must publish their behaviour policy. It must comply with section 89 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
Guidance on developing and publishing a behaviour policy is available.

What academies should publish
Academies should publish their behaviour policy, including their anti-bullying strategy. Guidance on developing and publishing a behaviour policy is available.

What FE colleges should publish
FE colleges should publish their behaviour policy, including their anti-bullying strategy.

What secondary schools must publish

Secondary schools must publish information about how they deliver careers guidance to pupils in years 7 to 13.

For the current academic year, this must include:

• the name and contact details of the school’s careers lead
• a summary of its careers programme, including details of how pupils, parents, carers, teachers and employers can access information about it
• how the school measures and assesses the programme’s impact on pupils
• the date by which it will review this information

Secondary schools must publish a policy statement to comply with section 42B of the Education Act 1997, known as the ‘provider access legislation’.

This statement must set out the circumstances in which they will give providers of technical education and apprenticeships access to year 8 to 13 pupils, as applicable.

Statutory guidance on providing careers guidance is available.

What secondary academies and 16 to 19 academies must publish

Secondary academies and 16 to 19 academies must publish a policy statement to comply with section 42B of the Education Act 1997, known as the ‘provider access legislation’.

This statement must set out the circumstances in which they will give providers of technical education and apprenticeships access to year 8 to 13 pupils, as applicable.

What secondary academies, 16 to 19 academies and FE colleges should publish

Secondary academies, 16 to 19 academies and FE colleges should publish information about how they deliver careers guidance to years 7 to 13, as appropriate to their setting and required by their funding or accountability agreement.

For the current academic year, this should include:

• the name and contact details of their careers lead
• a summary of the careers programme, including details of how young people, parents, carers, teachers and employers can access information about it
• how the academy or college measures and assesses the programme’s impact on young people
• the date by which it will review this information

Statutory guidance on providing careers guidance is available.

What schools must publish

Schools must publish their:

• charging policy, giving details of activities for which they will charge parents and carers
• remissions policy, giving details of any circumstances in which they will wholly or partly waive any charge they would otherwise expect parents and carers to pay

Guidance on charging for school activities is available. Sections 449 to 462 of the Education Act 1996 set out the law on charging in schools maintained by local authorities.

What academies should publish

Academies should publish their:

• charging policy, giving details of activities for which they will charge parents and carers
• remissions policy, giving details of the circumstances in which they will wholly or partly waive any charge they would otherwise expect parents and carers to pay

Guidance on charging for school activities is available. Sections 449 to 462 of the Education Act 1996 set out the law on charging in schools maintained by local authorities. Academies are required by their funding agreement to comply.

What schools must publish

Schools must publish their complaints policy to comply with section 29 of the Education Act 2002. The best practice guidance supports them to set up and review their complaints procedures.

They must also publish the details of any arrangements for handling complaints from parents and carers about the support they provide for pupils with special educational needs (SEN). They must do this as part of their SEN information report.

What academy schools and trusts must make available

All academies and trusts (with the exception of 16-19 academies) must have a complaints procedure that meets the requirements in the standard at the Education (Independent School Standards (England) Regulations 2014 Schedule 1, Part 7. The complaints procedure must be available to parents and carers of children attending an academy.

What academy schools must publish

Academy schools must publish the details of any arrangements for handling complaints from parents and carers about the support they provide for pupils with special educational needs (SEN). They must do this as part of their SEN information report.

What academy trusts and FE colleges must publish

Academy trusts must publish details of their whistleblowing procedure.

FE colleges must publish their whistleblowing policy and regularly review it.

What all schools must publish

All schools must publish:

• their postal address
• their telephone number
• the name of the member of staff who deals with queries from parents and carers, and the public

What mainstream schools must publish

Mainstream schools must also publish the name and contact details of their special educational needs co-ordinator.

What academies and FE colleges should publish

Academies and FE colleges should publish:

• their postal address
• their telephone number
• the name of the member of staff who deals with queries from parents and carers, and the public
• the name of their headteacher or principal
• the name and contact details of the chair of their governing body, if applicable
• the contact details of their academy trust and a link to its website, if applicable

What mainstream academy schools must publish

Mainstream academy schools must also publish in their SEN information report the name and contact details of their special educational needs co-ordinator.

What all schools must publish

All schools must publish:

• the content of the curriculum in each academic year for every subject, including mandatory subjects such as religious education (RE). This applies even if it is taught as part of another subject or known by another name
• information to make parents and carers aware they have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of RE
• how parents, carers or other members of the public can find out more about the curriculum
• an accessibility plan that sets out how, over time, they will increase the extent to which disabled pupils participate in the curriculum

What schools with key stage 1 provision must publish

Schools with key stage 1 provision must publish a list of any phonics or reading schemes they use.

What schools with key stage 4 provision must publish

Schools with key stage 4 provision must publish a list of the key stage 4 courses they offer, including GCSEs.

What all schools should publish

Alongside the content of their music curriculum, all schools are expected to publish information about their music development plan. A template is available to support with this.

What all academies must publish

Academies must publish their policy on relationships education or relationships and sex education. They should consult parents and carers when developing and reviewing it. It must meet pupils’, parents’ and carers’ needs, and reflect the community the academy serves.

What all academies should publish

All academies should publish:

• the content of the curriculum in each academic year for every subject, including mandatory subjects such as religious education (RE). This applies even if it is taught as part of another subject or known by another name
• information to make parents and carers aware they have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of RE
• how parents, carers or other members of the public can find out more about the curriculum

Alongside the content of their music curriculum, all academies are expected to publish information about their music development plan. A template is available to support with this.

Where applicable, they should also publish a list of the:

• key stage 1 phonics or reading schemes they use
• key stage 4 courses, including GCSEs, available
• 16 to 19 qualifications they offer

Academies must prepare an accessibility plan that sets out how, over time, they will increase the extent to which disabled pupils participate in the curriculum.

What academies with 16 to 19 provision should publish

Academies with 16 to 19 provision should also publish information on how their curriculum meets the 16 to 19 study programme requirements.

What schools should publish
Schools should publish a statement setting out their ethos and values.

What academies and FE colleges should publish
Academies and FE colleges should publish a statement setting out their ethos and values.

What academy trusts must publish

Academy trusts must publish the number of employees whose salary and related benefits exceeded £100,000 during the previous academic year ended 31 August. They must present this information in:

• an easily accessible form
• £10,000 bandings

The requirements to publish financial information are set out in the academy trust handbook.

What FE colleges must publish

FE colleges must publish in their annual accounts the salaries of higher-paid staff, in line with the college accounts direction.

What schools must publish

Schools must publish:

• the number of their employees, if any, whose gross annual salary exceeds £100,000, presenting this information in £10,000 bandings, DfE recommends using a table to display this
• a link to the dedicated webpage for their school on the schools financial benchmarking service

What schools must publish

Schools must publish information about their governing body and its committees, in line with the constitution of governing bodies of maintained schools.

What schools should publish

Schools should publish information about the structure and remit of the governing body and any committees, including the full names of their chairs.

Schools should publish, about each governor who has served at any time over the past 12 months:

• their full names
• the date they were appointed
• their term of office
• the date they stepped down, where this applies
• who appointed them, in accordance with the governing body’s instrument of governance
• their attendance record at governing body and committee meetings over the last academic year

Schools should publish governors’ relevant business, financial and pecuniary interests, including:

• governance roles in other educational institutions
• any material interests arising from relationships between governors or relationships between governors and school staff, including spouses, partners and close relatives

Schools should also publish this information for associate members, and whether they have voting rights on any committee they have been appointed to.

DfE also encourages schools to publish easily accessible data about the diversity of:

• their board
• any associated committees

There is no prescriptive way to collect this data, but schools may choose to follow a similar approach to that they use to collate the diversity data of pupils.

Board or committee members can opt out of sharing their information, such as protected characteristics, including after the data has been published.

Schools must ensure that individuals cannot be identified, which may be a particular issue when board or committee member levels are low. Guidance on the Equality Act 2010 and data protection in schools is available.

What academy trusts must publish

Academy trusts must publish the following in an easily accessible format on their website:

• a memorandum of association
• their articles of association
• the names of trust members and academy trustees
• the relevant business and financial interests of members, trustees, local governors and accounting officers
• their funding agreement
• any supplemental funding agreement
• up-to-date details of governance arrangements

Further guidance is available in the academy trust handbook.

What academy trusts should publish

DfE encourages academy trusts to publish easily accessible data about the diversity of:

• their board
• any associated committees

There is no prescriptive way to collect this data, but trusts may choose to follow a similar approach to that they use to publish the diversity data of pupils.

Board or committee members can opt out of sharing their information, such as protected characteristics, including after the data has been published.

Trusts must ensure that individuals cannot be identified, which may be a particular issue when board or committee member levels are low. Guidance on the Equality Act 2010 and data protection in schools is available.

What FE colleges and 16 to 19 academies must publish

FE colleges must publish:

• their submitted annual accountability statement (part 2) within 3 months of the start of the academic year, that is, by 1 December
• regular reviews of how well the education or training provided by the college meets local needs, in particular those related to employment
• a statement in their annual report on the development of governors and governance professionals

They should publish a summary of the outcomes of their external governance review and the associated action plan (at least every 3 years, with updates following the annual governance self-assessment).

What FE colleges should publish

FE colleges should publish the following:

• their governing body’s structure and responsibilities
• details of any committees
• the names of the chair and governors
• information on governor recruitment, such as selection procedures and the work of any search committee

They may wish simply to publish their governors’ handbook, which should include all of this information.

They should also publish their instrument and articles of government.

DfE encourages FE colleges to make an energy and carbon reporting disclosure equivalent to that set out in the Companies (Directors’ Report) and Limited Liability Partnerships (Energy and Carbon Report) Regulations 2018. Guidance is available in the college accounts direction.

What schools must publish

Schools must publish either a:

• copy of their most recent Ofsted report, or
• link to the report on the Ofsted website

What academies should publish

Academies should publish either a:

• copy of their most recent Ofsted report, or
• link to the report on the Ofsted website

What schools with 250 or more employees must publish

Schools with 250 or more employees must, in line with the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017:

• report their gender pay gap information to the government via the gender pay gap service
• publish this information in a prominent place on their website within one year of their ‘snapshot date’, which, for most public authority employers, will be 31 March

Statutory guidance on the gender pay gap information employers must report is available.

What schools with 250 or more employees may wish to publish

Most public authority employers, including schools, do not need to publish a written statement on their public-facing website.

However, schools with 250 or more employees may wish to publish:

• a supporting narrative to explain their gender pay gap
• an action plan that sets out how they plan to address it

What schools with fewer than 250 employees should publish

Schools with fewer than 250 employees:

• are not required to comply with the regulations, but
• should give serious consideration to the business benefits of doing so

Guidance on who counts as an employee is available.

For schools interested in looking at their ethnicity pay gap, guidance for employers on voluntary ethnicity pay reporting is also available.

What academy trusts, academies and FE colleges with 250 or more employees must publish

Academy trusts, academies and FE colleges with 250 or more employees must, in line with the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017:

• report their gender pay gap information to the government via the gender pay gap service
• publish this information in a prominent place on their website within one year of their ‘snapshot date’, which, for most public authority employers, will be 31 March

Statutory guidance on the gender pay gap information employers must report is available.

What academy trusts, academies and FE colleges with 250 or more employees may wish to publish

Most public authority employers, including academy trusts, academies and FE colleges, do not need to publish a written statement on their public-facing website.

However, academy trusts, academies and FE colleges with 250 or more employees may wish to publish:

• a supporting narrative to explain their gender pay gap
• an action plan that sets out how they plan to address it

What academy trusts, academies and FE colleges with fewer than 250 employees should publish

Academy trusts, academies and FE colleges with fewer than 250 employees:

• are not required to comply with the regulations, but
• should give serious consideration to the business benefits of doing so

Guidance on who counts as an employee is available.

For academy trusts, academies and FE colleges interested in looking at their ethnicity pay gap, guidance for employers on voluntary ethnicity pay reporting is also available.

What all schools must publish

Schools that receive PE and sport premium funding must publish, by 31 July each year:

• the amount of premium received
• a full breakdown of how it has been or will be spent
• the impact seen by the school on pupils’ participation and attainment in PE and sport
• how this improvement will be sustained

By 31 July each year, schools are required to publish the percentage of pupils in their year 6 cohort who have met the national curriculum requirement to:

• swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
• use a range of strokes effectively, for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke
• perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations

Further guidance is available in the conditions of grant document.

If a school downloads a copy of its digital form return and uses this as its published report, it must ensure the form is converted to HTML format. This is to meet accessibility requirements.

What academies with primary-aged pupils must publish

Academies that receive PE and sport premium funding must publish, by 31 July each year:

• the amount of premium funding received
• a full breakdown of how it has been or will be spent
• the impact seen by the school on pupils’ participation and attainment in PE and sport
• how this improvement will be sustained

By 31 July each year, the academy must also publish the percentage of pupils in year 6 who have met the national curriculum requirement to:

• swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
• use a range of strokes effectively, for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke
• perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations

Further guidance is available in the conditions of grant document.

If a school downloads a copy of its digital form return and uses this as its published report, it must ensure the form is converted to HTML format. This is to meet accessibility requirements.

What schools must publish

Schools must publish:

• details of how they comply with the public sector equality duty, updating this every year
• their equality objectives, updating these at least every 4 years

The Equality Act 2010: advice for schools provides guidance on how schools can show they have complied, as required by the Equality Act 2010 and the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017.

What academies and FE colleges must publish

Academies and FE colleges must publish:

• details of how they comply with the public sector equality duty, updating this every year
• their equality objectives, updating these at least every 4 years

The Equality Act 2010: advice for schools provides guidance on how an academy school can show it has complied, as required by the Equality Act 2010 and the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017.

What FE colleges should publish

FE colleges should publish:

• an annual equality, diversity and inclusion review, including data on protected characteristics at these levels:
• board
• executive leadership
• staff
• student
• the actions taken to address disparities

What schools must publish

Schools that receive pupil premium funding must publish a strategy statement on their school website by 31 December each year.

It must explain:

• how the school’s pupil premium funding is being spent
• the education outcomes being achieved for disadvantaged pupils

Schools must publish the statement in the DfE template provided on the pupil premium guidance page.

DfE recommends that schools plan their pupil premium spending over 3 years. If they do so, they must still update their statement annually to reflect:

• their spending activity for the current academic year
• the impact of pupil premium in the previous academic year

What academies must publish

Academies that receive pupil premium funding must publish a strategy statement on their school website by 31 December each year.

It must explain:

• how the academy is spending its pupil premium funding
• the education outcomes which disadvantaged pupils are achieving

Academies must publish their statement in the DfE template provided on the pupil premium guidance page.

DfE recommends that academies plan their pupil premium spending over 3 years. If they do so, they must still update their statement annually to reflect:

• their spending activity for the current academic year
• the impact of pupil premium in the previous academic year

What schools should publish
Schools should publish information about their remote education provision.

What academies should publish
Academies should publish information about their remote education provision.

What schools should publish

Schools should publish the:

• official start time of the compulsory school day
• official end time of the compulsory school day
• total time this amounts to in a typical week, including breaks but not after-school activities

What academies should publish

Academies should publish the:

• official start time of the compulsory school day
• official end time of the compulsory school day
• total time this amounts to in a typical week, including breaks but not after-school activities

What schools should publish

Schools whose pupils are required to wear a uniform should publish an easily understandable policy on their website, in line with statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms.

It should include information about:

• optional or required items
• items that will be worn only at certain times of year (for example, winter or summer uniform)
• items that must be branded or can be generic
• whether items can be bought only from a specific retailer or more widely
• where second-hand uniform can be purchased

What academies should publish

Academies whose pupils are required to wear a uniform should publish an easily understandable policy on their website, in line with statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms.

It should include information about:

• optional or required items
• items that will be worn only at certain times of year (for example, winter or summer uniform)
• items that must be branded or can be generic
• whether items can be bought only from a specific retailer or more widely
• where second-hand uniform can be purchased

What schools must publish

Schools must publish an SEN information report. It should be updated annually and any changes to the information occurring during the year should be updated as soon as possible.

To comply with section 69 of the Children and Families Act 2014, the report must contain:

• the SEN information specified in Schedule 1 to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, statutory guidance is available in paragraphs 6.79 to 6.82 of the SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years
• additional information about the:
• arrangements for the admission of disabled pupils
• steps the school has taken to prevent disabled pupils from being treated less favourably than other pupils
• facilities it provides to help disabled pupils access the school
• accessibility plan it has prepared under paragraph 3 of Schedule 10 to the Equality Act 2010 to:
• increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the curriculum
• improve the physical environment to increase the extent to which disabled pupils can take advantage of the educational benefits, facilities or services provided or offered
• improve the way disabled pupils can access information that is easily accessible to pupils who are not disabled

What academy schools must publish

Academy schools must publish an SEN information report. It should be updated annually and any changes to the information occurring during the year should be updated as soon as possible.

To comply with section 69 of the Children and Families Act 2014, the report must contain:

• the SEN information specified in Schedule 1 to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, statutory guidance is available in paragraphs 6.79 to 6.82 of the SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years
• additional information about the:
• arrangements for the admission of disabled pupils
• steps the school has taken to prevent disabled pupils being treated less favourably than other pupils
• facilities it provides to help disabled pupils access the school
• accessibility plan it has prepared under paragraph 3 of Schedule 10 to the Equality Act 2010 to:
• increase the extent to which disabled pupils can participate in the curriculum
• improve the physical environment to increase the extent to which disabled pupils can take advantage of the educational benefits, facilities or services provided or offered
• improve the way disabled pupils can access information that is easily accessible to pupils who are not disabled

What all schools must or should publish

All schools must publish a link to the compare school and college performance service and their performance measures page on it.

Key stage 2

Primary schools must publish their most recent key stage 2 performance measures, as published by the Secretary of State, comprising:

• the percentage of their pupils who achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined)
• the percentage of their pupils who achieved a higher standard in reading, writing and maths (combined)
• their pupils’ average scaled score in:
• reading
• maths

It will not be possible to calculate key stage 1 to key stage 2 progress measures for 2023 to 2024 or 2024 to 2025 academic years. This is because there is no key stage 1 baseline available to calculate primary progress measures for these years, because of Covid disruption.

For the 2023 to 2024 academic year, primary schools do not have to publish progress scores in reading, writing or maths, as the Secretary of State is not publishing these.

Key stage 4

Secondary schools must publish their most recent key stage 4 performance measures, as published by the Secretary of State, comprising:

• their Progress 8 score
• the percentage of their pupils who achieved a grade 5 or above in GCSE English and GCSE maths
• their Attainment 8 score

They should also publish:

• the percentage of their pupils staying in education or going into employment after key stage 4
• the percentage of their pupils who were entered for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc)
• their EBacc average point score (APS)

Key stage 5 (16 to 18)

Secondary schools with sixth forms must publish their most recent 16 to 18 performance measures, as published by the Secretary of State, comprising their students’ headline:

• progress (value added) measures
• attainment measures
• retention measures
• destination measures

They do not have to publish value added measures for the 2022 to 2023 academic year, as the Secretary of State is not publishing these.

They do not have to publish English and maths progress measures for the 2022 to 2023 or 2023 to 2024 academic years, as the Secretary of State is not publishing these.

What all academies should publish

All academies should publish a link to the compare school and college performance service and to their own performance measures page on it.

Key stage 2

Academies with key stage 2 pupils should publish their most recent key stage 2 performance measures, as published by the Secretary of State, comprising:

• the percentage of their pupils who achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined)
• the percentage of their pupils who achieved a higher standard in reading, writing and maths (combined)
• their pupils’ average scaled score in:
• reading
• maths

It will not be possible to calculate key stage 1 to key stage 2 progress measures for the 2023 to 2024 or 2024 to 2025 academic years. There is no key stage 1 baseline available to calculate primary progress measures for these years because of Covid-19 disruption.

For the 2023 to 2024 academic year, academies do not have to publish progress scores in reading, writing or maths, as the Secretary of State is not publishing these.

Key stage 4

Academies with key stage 4 pupils should publish their most recent key stage 4 performance measures, as published by the Secretary of State, comprising:

• their Progress 8 score
• the percentage of their pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in GCSE English and GCSE maths
• their Attainment 8 score
• the percentage of their pupils staying in education or going into employment after key stage 4
• the percentage of their pupils who were entered for the English Baccalaureate (EBacc)
• their EBacc average point score (APS)

Key stage 5 (16 to 18)

Academies and FE colleges with students aged 16 to 18 should publish their most recent 16 to 18 performance measures, as published by the Secretary of State, comprising their students’ headline:

• progress (value added) measures
• attainment measures
• retention measures
• destination measures

They do not have to publish value added measures for the 2022 to 2023 academic year, as the Secretary of State is not publishing these.

They do not have to publish English and maths progress measures for the 2022 to 2023 or 2023 to 2024 academic years, as the Secretary of State is not publishing these.

What to publish

• Your child protection and safeguarding policy, current and dated
• The name and contact details of your designated safeguarding lead
• The name of your deputy designated safeguarding lead where you have one
• How a parent, pupil or member of the public can raise a concern
• Your approach to online safety, where it is covered separately
• Links to local safeguarding partner arrangements where relevant

Source: Keeping Children Safe in Education, statutory safeguarding guidance

What FE colleges in intervention must publish

FE colleges in intervention must:

• publish the FE Commissioner’s summary intervention report on their website, within 14 days of the report being issued
• keep it on the website until the notice to improve is lifted

This requirement is set out in college oversight: support and intervention. It provides public accountability for the college and transparency relating to the work of the FE Commissioner.

What academy trusts must publish

• Academy Trust Handbook 1.55. Publish up to date governance arrangements in a readily accessible format: the structure and remit of the members, trustees and committees, the names of the chair, all trustees and the accounting officer, who sits on each committee, and the register of interests.
• Academy Trust Handbook 2.35. Publish, in a separate readily accessible form, the number of employees whose benefits exceeded 100,000 pounds in the year ended 31 August, in bands of 10,000 pounds. Off payroll arrangements over 100,000 pounds are included as if the person were an employee.
• Academy Trust Handbook 2.48. Agree a whistleblowing procedure and publish it on the trust’s website.
• Academy Trust Handbook 2.54. Notify DfE of governance changes within 14 calendar days, and update the trust website and Companies House accordingly.
• Academy Trust Handbook 5.32. NEW for multi academy trusts. Publish on the trust website, by 31 January, a summary statement accompanying the annual accounts, outlining how funds are distributed across the trust’s schools. It should match the annual accounts notes on central services and funds. The first statement is due by 31 January 2027.
• Academy Trust Handbook 6.21. If issued with a Notice to Improve, publish it on the trust website within 14 days and keep it there until it is lifted.

Source: Academy Trust Handbook 2026, effective 1 October 2026

What to publish

• Publish your allergy safety policy on your website, and make it available in hard copy on request
• Keep it under review, and make sure staff and parents know where to find it
• Applies to maintained schools including special schools but excluding maintained nursery schools, pupil referral units, and academies including free schools and alternative provision academies but excluding 16 to 19 academies

Source: DfE, allergy safety in schools, statutory guidance published 6 July 2026

What to publish

• Publish an accessibility statement on your website, as an HTML page rather than a document
• Say whether the site is fully, partially or not compliant with the accessibility standard
• Name the parts that do not meet the standard and say why, including where content is exempt
• Explain how someone can get an accessible alternative to content they cannot use
• Give a way to report accessibility problems, and link to the enforcement procedure
• Review and update the statement at least once a year, and after any major change
• Link to it prominently, the footer of every page is the usual home

Source: Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018, regulations 4 and 8, and DfE and GDS guidance last updated 30 September 2024

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