Statutory Instruments with Clear Reports

02 March 2026

SL(6)755 – The School Organisation Code

Procedure: Other

A draft of the code must be laid before the Senedd. If, within 40 days (excluding any time when the Senedd is dissolved or is in recess for more than 4 days) of the draft being laid, the Senedd resolves not to approve the draft code then the Welsh Ministers must not issue the code.

If no such resolution is made, the Welsh Ministers must issue the code (in the form of the draft) and the code comes into force on a day specified in an order made by the Welsh Ministers.

The School Organisation Code is issued under sections 38 and 39 of the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 (“the Act”).  It is the third edition of the Code and it will come into force on 30 March 2026 and supersede the second edition of the Code published in 2018.

Section 38 of the Act provides that the Welsh Ministers must issue a code on school organisation.  The Code may impose requirements and may also include guidelines setting out aims, objectives and other matters. 

The Welsh Ministers, local authorities, governing bodies of maintained schools, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research and any other person proposing a school reorganisation must act in accordance with the requirements in the Code and must have regard to the guidelines in the Code when exercising any functions under Part 3 of the Act.

This Code has been laid in place of a previous version of the Code which was withdrawn in January 2025 following the Committee’s consideration of it.

Parent Act: School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013

Date Made:

Date Laid: 06 February 2026

Coming into force date: 30 March 2026