The news was announced in a Department for Education statement, which explained that the changes would form part of the forthcoming Education Bill.
The bill will also remove the requirement on local authorities to set up children’s trust boards and publish children and young people’s plans.
"Strong local partnerships are crucial to meeting the needs of all children, but a one-size-fits-all approach will not work," the statement said.
"That is why this government intends to remove much of the bureaucracy surrounding children’s trusts and allow schools to choose how best they may engage."
Statutory guidance on children’s trusts will be withdrawn in the autumn, as will the regulations underpinning children and young people’s plans.
Sir Paul Ennals, chief executive of the National Children’s Bureau, urged professionals not to fear the changes, since local areas will still be able to use children’s trusts to work together if they see fit. "All the reasons why children’s trusts were important remain," he said.
But he warned that removing the statutory basis of children’s trusts does pose risks. "Good local authorities do work in partnership anyway," he explained. "But the law has been helpful in getting the bad authorities working as well as the good ones."
