Paper copies statement: what to publish on your school website
A line telling parents they can ask for a free paper copy of anything on your website.
Check this on my websiteWho it applies to
- Published on
- The school's own website
- School type
- Academies and maintained schools
- School stage
- All stages, from early years to sixth form
- Does not apply to
- No school types are excluded
When it's due
Keep it up to date
There's no fixed date. Update it whenever something changes.
What's needed
State on the statutory information page on your website that paper copies of anything on it, and translations, Braille or audio versions, are free on request, and say who to ask.
What it must contain
1 part- Says translations, Braille and audio versions are free of charge tooMust: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.
What the official sources say
Set out in 2 official sources:
What academies must publish online
Academies and colleges should provide a paper copy of this information free of charge, if a parent or carer requests it.
Should: Recommended in official guidance, such as the DfE's. Not a legal requirement in itself.§ Why information must be published
School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
3 The governing body must provide a paper copy of the information published on the website without charge to parents on request.
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ SI 2012/1124 regulation 2(3), substituting regulation 10(3) of the 2008 Regulations
4 In regulation 11 (supplementary provisions relating to published documents)— a in paragraph (1) after “document” insert “or website”; b in paragraph (2)— i after “document”, the first time it appears, insert “or website”, and ii after “document”, the second time it appears, insert “or on the website”; c in paragraph (3)— i after “document”, save for the last time it appears, insert “or information on a website”, and ii after “document”, the last time it appears, insert “or information”; and d for paragraph (4) substitute— 4 Parents must not be charged for a copy of such a translation or Braille or audio tape version if they are entitled without charge to a paper copy of the original document or information published on the website.
Must: Required by law, statutory guidance or the academy's funding agreement.§ SI 2012/1124 regulation 2(4), amending regulation 11(1)-(4) of the 2008 Regulations
Questions schools ask
Do schools have to offer paper copies of website information?
Maintained schools must. For academies, it's recommended in official guidance, but isn't a legal requirement in itself.
What does the paper copies statement need to say?
Says translations, Braille and audio versions are free of charge too.
When do we need to update the paper copies statement?
Keep it up to date. There's no fixed date. Update it whenever something changes.
Where does the requirement for the paper copies statement come from?
It is set out in What academies must publish online and School Information (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.
Recent changes to the official guidance
None of the published updates to the official sources change this requirement.
We last checked these sources on 21 September 2026.
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Official sources last checked 21 September 2026 · register version 1.0.4