The School Organisation Code (Appointed Day) (Wales) Order 2026

Made: 26 March 2026

The Welsh Ministers in exercise of the power conferred on them by section 39(4)(b) of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013[^f00001] (“the 2013 Act”) make the following Order.

The Welsh Ministers have consulted each local authority, the governing body of each maintained school, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, and such other persons they consider appropriate on a draft of the School Organisation Code (“the Code”) in accordance with section 39(1) of the 2013 Act.

In accordance with section 39(2) of the 2013 Act, a draft of the Code was laid before Senedd Cymru[^f00002] on 6 February 2026.

In accordance with section 39(3) of the 2013 Act, within a period of 40 days Senedd Cymru did not resolve not to approve the draft Code, and the Code was issued in the form of that draft.

Title

1

The title of this Order is the School Organisation Code (Appointed Day) (Wales) Order 2026.

Appointed day

2

The day appointed for the coming into force of the School Organisation Code (a copy of a draft of which was laid before Senedd Cymru on 6 February 2026) is 30 March 2026.

Signed

Lynne Neagle — Cabinet Secretary for Education, one of the Welsh Ministers — 26 March 2026

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order appoints 30 March 2026 as the day on which the School Organisation Code (“the Code”), issued under sections 38 and 39 of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 (“the 2013 Act”) by the Welsh Ministers, comes into force.

The Code replaces the School Organisation Code which came into force on 1 November 2018.

The Code imposes requirements and includes guidelines setting out aims, objectives or other matters in relation to school organisation proposals made under Part 3 of the 2013 Act. Under section 38(4) of the 2013 Act, it is the duty of the Welsh Ministers, local authorities, the governing body of a maintained school, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (“the Commission”) and other persons, when exercising functions under Part 3 of the 2013 Act, to act in accordance with any relevant provisions of the Code. In addition, any other person, when exercising any function for the purpose of the discharge by the Welsh Ministers, a local authority, the governing body of a maintained school or the Commission of functions under that Part, must act in accordance with any relevant provision of the Code.

The Code can be accessed on the internet at www.gov.wales.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2013 anaw 1.

[^f00002]: Any reference in the 2013 Act to the National Assembly for Wales now has effect as a reference to Senedd Cymru by virtue of section 150A(2) of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32).