Tag: 2026

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 2 July 2026.

New data reveals 32,100 “Phantom NEETS” are being left to drift without help, with up to half of 16 and 17-year-olds unaccounted for in one area.

Thousands of vulnerable teenagers risk missing out on support because local authorities do not always have complete information about whether young people are in education, employment, or training.

Building on the Milburn Review, the government is providing additional support and tools to help councils identify those at risk earlier and intervene more effectively.

New data reported by councils reveals a stark postcode lottery in the data on youngsters who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), with 32,100 so-called “Phantom NEETS” going unaccounted for.  

Data varies across councils, with North Lincolnshire Council reporting that it is missing information for nearly half of its 16- and 17-year-olds. In comparison, four councils report knowing the whereabouts of all of them.

Overall, official statistics published in March show that an estimated 57,000 16-and 17-year-olds are NEET.

The Education Secretary is today writing to all councils setting out expectations for improving the identification and support of young people at risk of becoming NEET. A separate letter will also be sent to 26 councils facing the greatest challenges, who do not know the activities of 3% or more of their teenagers, with improvement plans agreed over the next six months supported by new tools and guidance being made available.

This includes a new Risk of NEET Indicator (RONI) tool that is being rolled out to councils. It brings together factors like poor attendance, special educational needs, and care experience to help identify young people at risk sooner. 

Meanwhile, new guidance for schools and colleges is being published today that will also help staff identify and support those most likely to drop out.  

Existing data shows that participation in education and apprenticeships ranges massively across the country, from 71.8% to 94.2%, highlighting the need for targeted support to keep kids learning. 

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 

This is one of the defining challenges of this government. Fixing it is crucial to the prosperity of our country: we cannot afford to let a generation of young people drift away from opportunity and more fulfilled lives.   

Accurate, timely tracking is not a box-ticking exercise, it’s the difference between a young person getting support early or falling through the cracks entirely. While local authorities do incredibly difficult work, often against real constraints, it’s not consistent enough.

We’re supporting councils to intervene early to help, as part of our new deal for young people, to ensure they realise their potential through worthwhile training and stable careers.

As part of the government’s drive to boost youth employment, the Department for Work and Pensions has commissioned a major investigation spearheaded by Alan Milburn to determine the barriers preventing the young from accessing work. 

To tackle the over one million young people currently NEET, the government is delivering the biggest youth employment reforms in a generation – backed by £2.5 billion – to support almost one million young people and help deliver up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. A new £2,000 incentive for small businesses taking on a 16-24 year old apprentice will help remove the barriers to accessing lifechanging courses. 

From the Autumn 2026, we are expanding the Jobs Guarantee to all eligible 18- to 24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit and have been looking for work for 18 months. They will benefit from 25 hours/week of fully subsidised six-month paid work. Young people on the scheme will be paid at the relevant minimum wage and also receive fully funded wrap around support. The government is also piloting automatic enrolment into further education for those without a confirmed place. 

Meanwhile, reforms to vocational and technical education, including by introducing V Levels and expanding T Levels, will break down barriers to education by helping to end the snobbery around hands-on learning. 

This action forms part of the government’s wider mission to make sure every young person, regardless of where they grow up, has the chance to get on in life.   

RONI tools draw together risk factors such as poor school attendance, mental health needs, special educational needs and care experience, enabling a risk score to be assigned to individual young people and targeted support to be provided. This could be securing a college place, arranging mental health support, or organising taster sessions to draw young people back into education and training. 

For young people held back by health conditions, a further £3.5 billion is being invested by the end of the decade to help them into work. 

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 1 July 2026.

School teachers to see pay boosted over the next 2 years, as part of 17% increase since the general election, backed by significant additional investment.

School teachers and leaders will see their pay increase by 6.5% over the next 2 years, after the Education Secretary accepted the School Teachers Review Body’s pay recommendations in full today (1 July 2026).

Teachers will receive an increase of 3.5% from September 2026, followed by 3% from September 2027, delivering a cumulative 17% rise since the general election.

In further evidence of this government’s continued investment in public services, additional funding of £1.8 billion will be provided to schools over 2 years, supporting pay rises for hard working teachers and support staff.

Schools, like the rest of the public sector, will need to continue to play their part and will be expected to find the first 1% of each pay award through continued efforts to maximise value from their budgets.

An additional £485 million will be provided to colleges and other further education providers over 2 years so they can continue to recruit and retain more excellent teachers and deliver high quality vocational, academic and technical courses.

To ensure taxpayers’ money is being invested where it is needed most, the government will also put curbs on academy trust executive pay.

From September, trusts will need to seek government approval before advertising roles over £174,000, bringing the sector in line with other public sector workforces including the NHS and colleges. Annual increases for executives will also be brought in line with the wider school workforce, meaning executives will not be able to receive pay rises higher than those set for classroom teachers.

Education Secretary Bridget Philipson said:

Our brilliant school and college teachers go above and beyond every day, and I’m determined that dedication is not just recognised, but rewarded.

This multi-year deal, backed by significant additional investment, shows the immense value we place in our teachers, while giving schools and colleges certainty over pay and their budgets.

It’s also right that classroom teachers are not seeing executive pay rise faster than their own – or set at excessive levels in the first place – so tighter controls will mean unjustifiable exec salaries become a thing of the past, helping level the playing field for school staff and drive every pound towards classrooms.

The announcement today means school teachers will see an increase in their pay of 17% since this government took power – equating to almost £7,900 over 4 years – with the average school teacher salary rising to over £52,800 from September 2026 and over £54,400 from September 2027.

It builds on significantly improved recruitment and retention figures, with over 4,500 more teachers in secondary schools, special schools and colleges since 2024 reaching over 70% of the government’s commitment to recruit 6,500 new teachers with three years to go.

And beyond those figures, fewer schoolteachers are leaving the profession and there has been a 13% rise in the number of people choosing to train to teach this year – a post-pandemic record – signalling a strong pipeline for the future.

The government’s Maximising value for pupils programme will play a vital role in supporting schools to get the best value from their budgets, by offering better deals on areas like energy, recruitment, and banking. Schools across the country are already reaping the rewards, including – Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust – which increased its annual interest income from £16,000 to over £1.1 million by reviewing its banking arrangements.

The government’s work to tackle child poverty, in particular lifting the 2-child benefit limit, is also widely recognised as supporting teachers and easing pressure on school finances, with schools increasingly going above and beyond to support young people in their day-to-day lives over the past decade. Over 1.5 million children in Great Britain will benefit from the removal of the 2-child limit, and 450,000 children will be lifted out of poverty.