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Pupils: Chronic Illnesses

Asked by Andy MacNaeLabourDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 2 February 2026UIN 108059

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has assessed schools' adherence to the duty to care for students with medical conditions.

Answered by Georgia Gould

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions.

Ofsted consider how schools are discharging their statutory duties as part of inspections.

We intend to consult later this year on revising the ‘Supporting pupils at schools with medical conditions’ statutory guidance. This will seek views from schools, parents, health professionals, and other stakeholders on proposals to strengthen how schools meet their duties. The current guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf.

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