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How the Thames Barrier works, and when it is scheduled to close.

• Updated: 14 October 2025

Minimum working age and pay for children, how to apply for performance licences and what local council bylaws say about employing children, paying someone over 16

• Minimum ages children can work

  Part-time work Children can work part-time from the age of 14. In some…

• Paying children and young people

  Children under 16 School-aged children are not entitled to the National…

• Performance licences and supervision for children

  A child may need a licence if they’re under school leaving age and taking…

• Restrictions on child employment

  There are several restrictions on when and where children are allowed to…

• Local council rules for child employment permits

  Most local councils say that businesses intending to employ school-aged…

Types of school and how they're run - community schools, academies, free schools, faith schools, state boarding schools.

• Overview

  All children in England between the ages of 5 and 16 are entitled to a…

• Faith schools

  Faith schools have to follow the national curriculum, but they can choose…

• Free schools

  Free schools are funded by the government but are not run by the local…

• Academies

  Academies receive funding directly from the government and are run by an…

• City technology colleges

  City technology colleges and ‘ the city college for the technology of the…

• State boarding schools

  State boarding schools provide free education but charge fees for…

• Private schools

  Private schools (also known as ‘independent schools’) charge fees to…

You can be prosecuted if your child has unauthorised absence from school - truancy, help with getting your child to school, and legal action to enforce school attendance

Education Secretary confirms all pupils will sit a mandatory reading test at age 13 to drive up reading standards.

• Updated: 21 October 2025

Childcare for your children before and after school - after-school clubs, breakfast clubs, homework clubs, childminders

The English national curriculum means children in different schools (at primary and secondary level) study the same subjects to similar standards - it's split into key stages with tests

Check if VAT is due on payments linked to private school fees and find out what you can reclaim VAT on.

• Updated: 2 June 2025

How independent schools must collect and submit data for the school-level annual school census (SLASC).

• Updated: 11 February 2025

The rules for working on Sundays, opt in, opt out arrangements, rules for shop and betting shop workers