All the new school rules coming into force across England this September – and one can save parents £50

MANY parents sending their children back to school this week may be unaware of several new rules. These term-time changes could help families cut costs, with one expected to save as much as £50. A number of new school rules will come into force from September 1 this year Credit: PA Rules on uniforms, school dinners, mobile phones, safeguarding and more are all set to change when children return to school this week. With so many rules taking effect, it is no surprise that parents have questions, and may need a quick refresher before the new school term begins. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! English state schools will be given attendance targets to help improve rates All English state schools will now have attendance targets that they have to hit Credit: Alamy The Department for Education will set all state schools in England an attendance target, as one in five pupils continue to miss at least 10 per cent of schooling. Schools have also been encouraged to offer more activities on Fridays to improve attendance at the end of the week. Pupils will not be punished if a school’s attendance misses its targets, but the Department for Education will contact the school to make sure they are taking adequate action. Parents, however, will still receive a penalty notice if a child accumulates 10 unauthorised absences during a rolling 10-school-week period, starting at £80 per parent. All schools must follow statutory guidance to improve allergy safety All schools must implement statutory allergy requirements as part of Benedict’s Law Credit: Alamy From September, schools are expected to implement the statutory requirements of Benedict’s Law to improve allergy safety. This includes the development and publication of a whole-school allergy policy, as well as comprehensive allergy and emergency response training for all staff. Most read in The Sun Schools must also hold spare in-date EpiPens and adrenaline devices on site and create individual action plans for all pupils with serious allergies. Schools can only limit branded uniform items to a maximum of three pieces Schools can only require parents to buy three branded uniform items from this term Credit: Getty Parents will be able to cut costs on uniform items this year, as schools can only limit branded uniform items to a maximum of three pieces. This will include jumpers, blazers, trousers and skirts, with the new rule hoping to improve affordability and reduce household costs. Ties are not included in restrictions for secondary schools, meaning four branded items are permitted if one of these is a tie. Under the new school rules, families are expected to be able to save around £50. Free school meals is extended to even more children Over half a million more children are set to become eligible for Free School Meals Credit: Alamy Announced by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer last year, all children in families who receive Universal Credit will now receive free school meals. This is expected to lead to more than half a million more school pupils being entitled to free meals, saving families around £495 per year. Research from Child Poverty Action Group, however, revealed that more than half of parents with newly eligible children may not realise their kids qualify. To check eligibility, parents can register online using the Government Free School Meals page, or through their local council. Mobile phones will be completely banned in schools Mobile phones will still be banned in schools from the start of term Credit: Getty Following on from regulations that came into force at the end of June, UK schools must now be mobile phone-free by law. This means that children cannot access their phones during lessons, time between lessons, break times or lunchtimes. Other smart technology that has similar functions, such as receiving notifications and the ability to send messages, will also be restricted. Volunteers supervised by teachers will now require a full DBS check Anyone regularly volunteering with children will now need to get a full DBS check Credit: Alamy Previously, if a parent or volunteer regularly helped out at a school, they did not require a full criminal background check as long as a teacher was supervising them. Now, if a volunteer helps children regularly, they must also have a full background check. This includes volunteers who teach, train, look after and supervise children overnight or more than three times a week over a four week period. Comment now