Tag: Department for Education

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 11 December 2025.

Plans for a new Child Protection Authority unveiled as part of government strategy to protect children from predators and abuse.

Reforms to protect children from abuse will be significantly strengthened through the creation of a new Child Protection Authority, tasked with identifying emerging threats and driving accountability across the system. 

The proposals for a new public body will strengthen England’s child protection system by providing national oversight, ensuring that vulnerable children are not failed by the authorities who are supposed to protect them.  

At present, intelligence on harms can be fragmented, data analysis patchy, and lessons from serious cases slow to translate into practice. The Child Protection Authority will address these issues head on by providing strong leadership to ensure good child protection practice is embedded consistently across local areas. 

Safeguarding failures allowed grooming gangs to operate in many towns and cities and led to horrifying cases like that of Sara Sharif, and the Child Protection Authority will tackle these underlying systemic issues – delivering on a key recommendation from the Casey Audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse. 

It comes alongside a broad package of measures being introduced through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which will ensure that agencies responsible for looking after children are working together closely and sharing relevant information, to get frontline expertise to where it’s needed and ensure no child falls through the cracks.  

It also sits alongside the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs announced by the Home Secretary this week. Chaired by Baroness Anne Longfield, the inquiry will examine the actions of the police, councils, social services and other agencies, both locally and nationally, making sure any wrongdoing or cover-ups are brought to light and holding those responsible to account – backed by £65 million of funding.  

The Child Protection Authority delivers on a key recommendation from IICSA’s report and problems identified by the Casey Audit into group-based child sexual exploitation.  

It will help protect children from harms including sexual exploitation and abuse, domestic violence, trafficking, organised crime, and other complex risks. 

Minister for Children and Families, Josh MacAlister said:  

Every child deserves to grow up safe, and we owe it to victims and survivors to confront the problems that have allowed abuse and exploitation to go unchecked.  

The creation of a Child Protection Authority is a key part of our response to the massive failings which have been exposed by the grooming gangs scandal and by horrifying child protection cases like that of Sara Sharif. 

The government is taking broad action to build a more expert, decisive and focused child protection system, and this consultation is vital as we step up protections for children, and we want to hear from practitioners, experts, families and survivors to make sure we get this right.

Alexis Jay, author of the IICSA report, said: 

I am pleased to see the publication of this consultation on the establishment of the Child Protection Authority. 

These proposals are a positive step in the implementation of the second recommendation in my final report and reflect detailed discussions with ministers and officials. I look forward to continuing to work with the department in the design of this new national body to help keep children safe. 

I would encourage anyone with an interest in child protection to respond.  

Sir David Holmes CBE, Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel chair, said:

Every child deserves to grow up safe from harm, abuse, and neglect. The Panel’s work is driven by this principle. That’s why we support the Government’s decision to establish a Child Protection Authority in England — a significant step forward in creating a clearer, more unified child protection system.

The Child Protection Authority will absorb and build on the foundations laid by our Panel, ensuring that national learning from serious incidents translates into practical improvements that frontline professionals can implement. This is an opportunity to deliver a system that is even more evidence-based, collaborative, and focused on outcomes for children. We will work closely with government, safeguarding partners, and practitioners to shape this new authority and ensure it reflects the voices of those who work tirelessly to protect children every day.

We urge everyone who works with children to respond to the consultation so together we can build a system that puts children first.

The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, said:

We welcome the government’s progress in implementing IICSA’s recommendations and, if carefully designed and implemented, the new Child Protection Authority will play a key role in this, supported by specialist bodies such as the CSA Centre.

The number of children supported through a child protection plan due to concerns of child sexual abuse has fallen from 25% to an all-time low of 3.5% in the last 30 years, so today’s publication of new, more detailed data, is a welcome first step in better understanding the reasons for that startling decline.

Better data and analysis will also enhance the CSA Centre’s implementation of evidence-based resources into practice, including our Response Pathway, with initiatives such as our practice leads programme, so we can support professionals to better identify and respond to concerns of child sexual abuse.

Catherine Worboyes, Interim Director of Children and Adult Social Care Pathfinders at Redbridge Local Authority, said:

It has felt like a long time coming, but I’m really pleased that we’re putting one of the main IICSA recommendations into practice by setting up a Child Protection Authority (CPA). As a practice leader, I genuinely believe it is going to make a difference, bringing together the fantastic learning across the multi-agency partners and consistently embedding it across a national system.

In the past learning has not always led to improvements, with a child protection system which has lacked national authority. The CPA is an opportunity to enhance accountability, authority and system development, through better understanding of child led data to prevent emerging risks.

Alongside this, the government is also strengthening child protection through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.  

This includes mandatory sharing of relevant information between public authorities and introducing laws to allow the creation of a Single Unique Identifier to help link data across safeguarding agencies.  

Elsewhere, mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse was introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill on 25 February 2025, and the child safety duties under the Online Safety Act 2023 commenced in July 2025. 

The consultation is proposing that the new body will have powers to hold organisations including safeguarding partners to account on child protection. This will involve working closely with inspectorates and partners such as healthcare professionals, social workers and the police to improve practice. Frontline enforcement in criminal cases will remain with the police.  

The government is consulting on the powers the Child Protection Authority should have, as well its organisational model and governance structure, shaped by feedback from the sector. The Establishing a Child Protection Authority consultation will run for 12 weeks.

The Department for Education is also publishing new analysis and data on child sexual abuse and exploitation in response to a recommendation in Baroness Casey’s Audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, recognising that transparency is essential in maintaining accountability. 

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 11 December 2025.

Around 50,000 specialist places to be created nationwide – making sure more children with SEND can thrive alongside their friends at their local school.

Children with SEND will benefit from a brilliant education close to home as the government announces at least £3 billion to create tens of thousands of new specialist places in mainstream schools.

The Education Secretary has today (11 December 2025) announced a transformational expansion of specialist, calm learning spaces in mainstream schools, equipped with facilities to support children with special educational needs and disabilities, following the launch of the largest national conversation on SEND in a generation.

It will mean young people won’t have to travel miles from home to have their needs met, and can instead get support in tailor-made spaces with the right facilities while also mixing with other classes for subjects or parts of the day that are appropriate for them. 

For too long, children with SEND have been forgotten, with families forced to fight for the support they deserve and a school place that meets their needs. At least 180,000 pupils with SEND currently receive transport to school – journeys that for many are longer than 3 miles, and for 9% are in single occupancy vehicles such as taxis. 

In addition, the government has confirmed it will deliver on all 10,000 places – in all areas – due to be created by planned special free schools. It will do this either by building the planned schools, or by giving local authorities the funding to create the equivalent number of specialist places themselves – often more quickly than through free school projects.  This is on top of the tens of thousands of places created through the new £3 billion investment.

Today’s announcement will lay the groundwork for significant future reform of the SEND support system – helping to make schools inclusive by design, so every child, in every corner of the country can have their needs met where they live.  We will set out more details in the Schools White Paper and subsequent allocation of funding on how this investment will support pupils in mainstream settings, as well as how we will ensure specialist places in mainstream become a core part of the local school offer in all parts of the country.  

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: 

A child’s background should not determine where they end up. Education is the route to opportunity, and opportunity should be for every child, regardless of their individual needs and circumstances.

For too many families, the reality has been very different, but this government will fix the broken education system for children and young people with SEND by making sure that their local school is also the right school. Ahead our reforms next year, we’re laying the foundations of a new system that shifts children with SEND from forgotten to included and earns the confidence of parents. 

This £3 billion investment will transform lives. It will open the door to opportunity for tens of thousands of children with SEND, giving them the chance to learn, belong and succeed in their local community. This is how we build an education system that works for every child.

Today’s cash boost – which will see 2026 to 2027 allocations issued in spring – builds on the £740 million already invested to create over 10,000 specialist places.  

It will help create calming spaces, supporting children with needs such as autism or ADHD who may feel overstimulated by busy school environments, as well as breakout spaces for children who need more support – giving children the helping hand they need to access mainstream education.  

Anna Heaton, Executive Principal and Trust Lead for Secondary SEND and Inclusion:  

At Delta Academies Trust, inclusion means doing all we can to break down barriers to learning, enabling all our learners to participate and achieve together. 

Our resourced provision units provide a bridge back to learning for our most vulnerable learners and help us ensure pupils access the support they need to fulfil their potential. This results in greatly improved attendance and engagement in learning, but the benefits for our pupils and their families go far beyond this in terms of improving mental health and wellbeing.   

One family told us that the resourced provision unit had transformed their child from one who didn’t want to do anything and couldn’t see a future, into someone who wants to learn and wants to talk about what they will do next.

The government is also today confirming the outcome of its review of mainstream free schools. To prioritise the investment in specialist places being announced today, a number of mainstream free school projects will not go ahead, reflecting the government’s commitment to putting school places where they’re needed most, now and in the future.   

The number of primary school pupils has been falling since 2019, with the number of secondary school pupils due to begin falling from next year. Meanwhile, the number of young people with SEND has risen to at least 1.7 million – an increase of 400,000 pupils since 2020.  

Those projects that will continue are those that meet the needs of communities, responding to demographic and housing demand without creating surplus places. New schools that provide a unique offer for students who would otherwise not get it, without damaging the viability of existing local schools and colleges, will also be supported. 

The capital investment is part of the government’s £38 billion investment in the education estate from 2025 to 2026 to 2029 to 2030, which also includes funding for the expansion of the School rebuilding programme – driving up the standards of classrooms across the country. The government has confirmed today that applications for the further 250 rebuilding projects will open in the new year and that those schools with the most severe need will be prioritised to ensure every child can achieve and thrive.  

Today’s announcement is a pivotal step to improving the life chances of children with SEND across the country, but the work will not, and cannot, stop here.  

Full plans to improve the SEND system will be set out through the Schools White Paper early in the new year.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 9 December 2025.

Education Secretary announces reforms to tighten rules on fraud in the student finance system that cost taxpayers £2m in 2022/23.

Students and taxpayers will have greater confidence in higher education as tough new reforms through our Plan for Change tighten controls on university franchising arrangements and make sure public money is used as intended, shoring up the reputation of our world-class sector.

Franchiser providers with 300 or more students will soon face mandatory regulation by the Office for Students and be required to meet the same standards as universities or be completely cut off from accessing student loan funding in 2028/29. 

Franchising allows universities to subcontract teaching to other organisations—such as colleges or private training providers delivering specialist courses like health or business. When done well, it can widen access, however rapid growth and inconsistent oversight that this government inherited have left parts of the system open to abuse.

The government is determined to ensure every student receives high-quality education, with the new measures putting students and their outcomes before profits as regulators could face fines or suspension of their registration if they have concerns about poor-quality provision, financial exploitation, or fraudulent practices. 

This poor practice has real consequences for young people’s futures and cost £2 million to the public purse in 2022/23 alone.

As part of the crack down, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will write to all providers setting out the changes and warning that poor-quality or exploitative arrangements must be cleaned up or closed down.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 

Too many rogue operators have treated students as a route to fast cash, not as people investing in their future.  

Those days are over. If you use public money, you will be held accountable and face proper scrutiny. 

Our higher education sector is one of Britain’s greatest strengths. Through our Plan for Change we are determined to protect its reputation, putting students first and making sure every pound from the public purse is well spent.

The number of students at franchised providers has more than doubled in five years, with nearly sixty percent taught at providers not directly regulated by the Office for Students.

With students on franchised courses currently far more likely to drop out and far less likely to progress into work or further study. Just three-quarters complete their courses – compared with almost nine in ten across the rest of the sector. 

These measures will crackdown on courses where there are clear signs of exploitation, such as admitting students who are unlikely to succeed – for example, those with very poor English language skills or students who have low attendance rates and those who are using their place at the provider purely to access public money.  

These robust reforms come as the Government publishes the outcomes of its consultation, proposing measures to strengthen oversight of higher education franchising. Regulations to enable the changes to HE franchising will be laid before Parliament in Spring 2026. 

These reforms will work alongside tougher OfS registration conditions on management and governance standards, stronger system controls to prevent fraud, and cross-government work led by the Public Sector Fraud Authority.

Measures outlined in the Post-16 White paper to lift quality, shut down poor practice, and tighten controls on public money to ensure a higher education system that provides quality for all students regardless of where they study as part of our Plan for Change. 

Vivienne Stern MBE, Chief Executive of Universities UK said:

It is vital that franchise provision is underpinned by high and robust standards and we support this step, which will help to protect the higher education sector’s world-renowned reputation for quality.  

UUK’s members have been taking extensive actions to tighten controls, and we have long championed the introduction of measures requiring franchise partners to register with the OfS.

The Office for Students is also strengthening its own regulatory regime for franchising, including tougher initial registration conditions on governance and the management of public money, publishing annual data on outcomes for franchised students, and consulting on new requirements for universities overseeing franchise partnerships. 

Office for Students, Director of Regulation, Philippa Pickford said:

Today’s announcement will help ensure students studying under subcontractual arrangements are getting a high quality higher education, as well as giving taxpayers confidence that public funding is being used appropriately.

We have been raising concerns about poor practices that have been exposed in some subcontractual arrangements for some time, and plan to announce a response to our own consultation on subcontractual arrangements in higher education in early 2026.

This summer, we also announced reforms to our registration process that will allow us to register institutions that will deliver high quality higher education and treat their students fairly.

Ministers will also legislate, when parliamentary time allows, to give the OfS stronger powers to act quickly where quality is compromised or public money is at risk, ensuring problems in franchised provision can be dealt with more rapidly in future.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 12 November 2025.

Every school to be set an individual minimum target to improve attendance and set up every child to achieve and thrive.

Children stand to gain millions more days of learning as the Education Secretary has set every school an individual minimum attendance improvement target – part of an urgent drive to restore absence to pre-pandemic levels. 

Last year saw the biggest improvement in overall attendance in a decade, with the government overseeing 5.3 million more days in school and 140,000 fewer persistently absent pupils as part of its Plan for Change.  

But with 1 in 3 schools failing to improve, the Department for Education is today (Wednesday 12th) setting out a roadmap for every school to double down on its efforts to support pupils back to class, as research shows the importance of every day in school for children’s opportunity in life and future earnings.

From this month, every school will be issued with AI-powered minimum attendance improvement targets to ensure children are in school and ready to achieve.  The attendance baseline improvement expectation (ABIE) will be based on schools’ circumstances – including location, pupil needs and deprivation. 

The department is also using AI and data to give more support to schools to meet the minimum expectations, by linking them up with high performing schools with similar circumstances. These top schools will be identified within each school’s ABIE report.

This comes alongside 36 new Attendance and Behaviour Hubs launching today, which will offer direct one-to-one support reaching tens of thousands of pupils across hundreds of schools, as wider sharing of best practice through events and open days. 

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

We can only deliver opportunity for children in our country if they’re in school, achieving and thriving. That’s why I want every school to play its part in getting attendance back to – and beyond – pre-pandemic levels.

We’ve already delivered the biggest improvement in attendance in a decade and now we’re building a school system for the future with free breakfast clubs, more mental health support and a curriculum and enrichment offer to match. But we must go further. 

By working jointly with schools to set individual targets, we’re tackling variation head-on. Our best schools already have a brilliant approach to attendance, and now we’re driving that focus everywhere so that all children are supported to attend school and learn.

Research also identifies a significant attendance drop-off during Key Stage 3 as pupils struggle to settle in to secondary school life and emerging issues start to surface. 

That is why schools will now receive a best practice toolkit targeting these critical transition moments – like the jump from primary to secondary and Year 7 to 8 – giving them proven strategies to keep children engaged. 

At CHS South in Manchester, the school encourages strong starts to secondary school by creating a sense of community with parents and pupils. Parents say the strategies, like family cooking classes in the summer before year 7 have eased anxiety around the transition.  

Sue Burke, Deputy Headteacher and Attendance Lead, CHS South, Manchester: 

Our ambition is that no-one is left behind or left on the outside looking in. We welcome and celebrate our young people and their families from their very first interaction with us, which in turn creates a community of belonging.   

Attendance is a whole staff team effort and we are particularly proud of our attendance team, who work with relentless drive offering support and empathy to students and their families, while also providing skilful and personalised challenge when needed.

King’s Leadership Academy Warrington, one of the best practice examples in the new toolkit, creates an environment where all children can belong and thrive with weekly enrichment sessions where pupils choose activities including crochet, gardening and sign language.

This work to offer more enrichment opportunity has seen huge success in improving pupil attendance with one severely absent pupil now coming in to school more regularly so she can be part of the school’s community outreach programme to deliver reading support to younger children. 

Umar Hussain, Kings Leadership Academy headteacher, said: 

At King’s every day and every lesson counts. We create many opportunities to interact with our students and it’s those moments that build a genuine sense of belonging.  

Our students matter to us, every child is noticed and greeted throughout the day, whether during lesson transitions, break times, or with a handshake and words of praise in lessons. Through these daily interactions, our students feel valued and connected, which helps them become happy, confident learners who want to attend school every day. 

The government is tackling barriers to attendance head-on: from calling for schools to provide a base level of enrichment opportunities getting more children excited to attend, limiting branded uniform items to minimise social and financial pressure, and rolling out free breakfast clubs so no child starts the day hungry. 

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 4 November 2025.

Government to set out plans to bring the curriculum into the modern day and help young people step into the future.

Children and young people will leave school fully equipped to thrive in the modern world of work under reforms to breathe new life into the national curriculum unveiled today.  

Responding to the recommendations of Professor Becky Francis’s Curriculum and Assessment Review (5 November 2025), the government has confirmed steps to ensure every young person has a cast-iron grip on the basics of reading, science and maths, alongside the knowledge and skills required for life and work over the next decade – raising school standards and boosting opportunity under the Plan for Change. 

The revitalised curriculum is a core part of how the government will deliver the Prime Minister’s target of two-thirds of young people participating in higher-level learning by age 25, ensuring they have the skills needed to get on in life.

For the first time, primary aged children will gain vital skills like how to spot fake news and identify misinformation and disinformation, helping them develop the critical thinking needed to challenge what they see and protect them from online harms. Primary pupils will also learn more about the fundamentals of money, recognising that children are now consumers often before they reach secondary school, while bringing important changes to strengthen children’s reading.

The government will introduce a new statutory reading test in year 8 and a strengthening of writing assessment in year 6 to spot pupils who need extra support at a crucial point in their development. Currently around 1 in 4 children leave primary school without being able to properly read and too many are leaving school without passing their GCSE English. The new year 8 test will pinpoint those who could benefit from further stretch, while repairing falling standards in the “lost years” at the start of secondary, when too many working-class young people fall behind.

Under the new arrangements, arts GCSEs will be given equal status to humanities and languages, recognising their value in boosting confidence and broadening skills for a competitive job market. To complement this, a new core enrichment entitlement will offer all pupils access to civic engagement, arts and culture, nature and adventure, sport, and life skills to build resilience and opportunity.

Schools will also be expected to work towards offering triple science GCSE as standard, which comes alongside the government exploring a new qualification for 16-18 year olds in data science and AI – helping more young people succeed in the science and tech careers that power our economy.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

It has been over a decade since the national curriculum was updated, and it’s more crucial than ever that young people are equipped to face the challenges of today, so they can seize the exciting opportunities that life has to offer.

The path to our country’s renewal runs through our schools: they must be an epicentre of the strongest possible foundations of knowledge, and the skills to excel in the modern world. 

From the fundamentals of reading to the present danger of spotting fake news, as part of our Plan for Change, these landmark reforms will help young people step boldly into the future, with the knowledge to achieve and the skills to thrive as the world around us continues to rapidly evolve.

The government will publish a new oracy framework to ensure more young people become confident and effective speakers, building on the success of the reading and writing frameworks, and help teachers strengthen their teaching of oracy through practical tips, tried-and-tested strategies and examples of best practice.  

Evidence shows that increased participation in extra-curricular activities is associated with higher academic outcomes, so the government is also setting out a new core enrichment entitlement, so that every child – wherever they go to school – has access to sport, the arts and more. 

The government will publish a new set of enrichment benchmarks with schools asked to ensure every child has access to activities across five categories of enrichment. Ofsted will consider as part of routine inspection how this expectation is being met, with information also made available to parents through a new information service – school profiles.  

Key reforms include: 

• Making citizenship compulsory in primary, ensuring all pupils learn media literacy and financial literacy, law and rights, democracy and government, and climate education early on. 
• Replacing the narrowly focused computer science GCSE with a broader, future-facing computing GCSE and exploring a new qualification in data science and AI for 16–18-year-olds.  
• Changes to school performance measures – removal of the EBacc and reforms to Progress 8 – to encourage students to study a greater breadth of GCSE subjects including the arts, humanities and languages alongside English, maths and science. This follows the failure of the EBacc measure to encourage take up of subjects including languages and constraining student choice. 
• Supporting schools to develop a triple science offer, ahead of introducing a statutory entitlement for all GCSE pupils. 
• A new primary oracy framework, and a new combined secondary oracy, reading and writing framework so these are embedded across the whole curriculum.  
• Exploring a new language qualification which banks progress and motivates pupils to want to continue studying, complementing existing GCSEs and A levels. 
• A new core enrichment entitlement for every pupil – covering civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoor and adventure; sport and physical activities; and developing wider life skills.   

For the first time, the new national curriculum will be digital and machine-readable, to support teachers to more easily sequence their school curricula. 

The new curriculum will be implemented in full, for first teaching from September 2028. Government will aim to publish the final revised national curriculum by spring 2027 – giving schools four terms to prepare for the changes.

Supportive quotes:

Ruth Marvel OBE, Chief Executive, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said:

We are delighted that the Government has pledged to create a new enrichment entitlement. This is a watershed moment that will ensure every pupil, no matter their background, can experience an enriched education and have equitable access to the activities and experiences that engage, inspire and develop, as a complement to the academic curriculum.

At DofE we see every day the positive impact enrichment opportunities have on young people and their communities: they boost confidence and essential life skills, develop independence and social capital, improve wellbeing and resilience, and support belonging, school attendance and attainment.

We look forward to continuing to work with Government to make the vision of an enrichment entitlement a reality for all.

Jane Gratton, Deputy Director of Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said: 

It is essential that every young person finishes their education with the knowledge and skills to move successfully into working life. 

Business will welcome curriculum changes that improve employability – such as team working, oracy, literacy, digital and financial skills. It’s crucial that every student can access an appropriate qualification pathway to help keep them engaged – and in education or work.  

With business, education providers and Government working together – we can ensure our future workforce is ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Kate Varah, Co-CEO and Executive Director, National Theatre, said:

The National Theatre welcomes the government’s commitment to put the arts and creativity back at the heart of school life and ensure that every child has access to high-quality education, wherever they grow up.

Access to drama and arts subjects are an essential part of a broad, rich and inclusive curriculum. They introduce a huge body of knowledge and skills, helping students to build their understanding of the world, and supporting them to develop independence alongside key skills including confidence, problem solving, collaboration and self-expression.

Removal of the EBacc, a stronger Drama curriculum at Key Stages 1-3, ensuring that content studied is representative of modern society, and entitlement to extra-curricular arts enrichment are all vital steps towards equal access to arts education.

Our Artistic Director Indhu Rubasingham and I look forward to working with the government and partners across the country to ensure all young people can enjoy a high-quality Drama education, and benefit from the essential skills for life and work that it provides.

Sir Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, said:

The Government’s response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review shows principled determination to build on the very best practice that has been developed by schools. It spurs ambition and innovation while recognising the increasingly complex challenges faced by the sector.

The demands that reform places on teachers have been acknowledged, with a sensible implementation timeline and signposting of reputable sources of support.

Prof. Andrew Charlton-Perez OBE, University of Reading, said:

It’s brilliant that all children will now learn about climate and nature at school. This will help the next generation to be better informed and choose their own future path. It will put young people, and the UK economy, in a stronger position to benefit from the green transition that the world is already going through. I can see many opportunities to shape the core climate education content in Science and Geography. The rare opportunity to ensure the detail in the curriculum is up to date with the latest science should not be missed.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 28 October 2025.

Bridget Phillipson wants all schools and colleges to be RAAC-free as she sets timelines for complete removal.

Every single child in England to be learning in classrooms free from RAAC as the Education Secretary sets out timelines for removing Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) from all schools and colleges- calling time on the crumbling school estate. 

The government is rebuilding pride in our education system, setting out plans to permanently remove the dangerous concrete from all schools and colleges with RAAC, except those in the School Rebuilding Programme, ahead of the next general election. 

For schools with RAAC being rebuilt through the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP), all will be in delivery in the same timeframe, with more than half already underway. 

The move, part of the government’s plans for national renewal, will help break down barriers to opportunity by removing RAAC for good, with more than 42,000 pupils already learning in RAAC free classrooms. 

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:    

We inherited a crumbling education estate, but I won’t let that be our legacy. 

After years of neglect we are giving every child a safe and high-quality classroom where they can focus on learning – by setting clear timelines for the permanent removal of RAAC from schools and colleges. It’s what parents expect, it’s what children deserve and it’s what we are delivering.    

It’s about more than just buildings – it’s about showing children that their education matters, their futures matter, and this government is determined to give them the best possible start in life. 

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England and 237 had confirmed RAAC, all of which are providing full time face-to-face education for all pupils. One hundred and twenty three schools with RAAC will be rebuilt through the School Rebuilding Programme and 108 schools and colleges are getting government grants for RAAC removal, with works delivered through their responsible body – usually the local authority or Trust. Six schools and colleges have alternative arrangements, including buildings not being part of their estate in the longer term. 

Last month, the Department for Education updated on progress on RAAC removal in schools and colleges in England. Today, the government has confirmed that RAAC has been permanently removed from 62 schools and colleges.   

It comes following the Department for Education announcing £38 billion in education capital investment over the next 5 years, taking it to levels not seen since 2010.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 15 October 2025.

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

A national focus on reading at the start of secondary school will drive up standards to ensure every young person can achieve and thrive, as the government announces a mandatory reading test for all children at age 13.  

The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson will tell a major schools conference today that for millions of young people, reading is “the passport to the rest of their lives,” with too many currently held back from the rest of their education – and the wider world – by an inability to read. 

All pupils will take the test in year 8 – marking a significant step forward in driving up standards in core literacy skills which will help young people to unlock everything else school has to offer.

This new measure will set clear expectations to support parents, teachers and pupils alike – identifying gaps early and targeting help for those who need it, while enabling the most able to go further.

Speaking at the Confederation of School Trusts conference today, the Education Secretary will set out the core tenets of the government’s forthcoming schools white paper, which will lay the path for national renewal to take schools into the 2030s.

 Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: 

There is one barrier in particular I worry is locking young people out. Because before a child can even begin to engage in everything their school has to offer, they must first be able to read.

When they can’t, the sense of dejection sets in. Engagement seeps away. Attendance follows.

Reading holds the key to so much. There is no foundation more important.

So we will introduce a statutory assessment in year 8 to assess reading fluency and comprehension. 

We’ll test progress at this key point when too many children either spin their wheels or fall further behind. 

Invaluable data for schools to make sure no child’s need for more, for a helping hand, can slip through the cracks.

Children’s reading journey begins in the earliest years, and the government will build on the success of the phonics programme, setting a new ambition for 90% of children to be meeting the expected standard in the Phonics Screening Check. 

The government is expanding its support in reception year through the English Hubs programme, putting a laser-focus on the children that struggle the most, alongside reforms to boost the quality of education in the early years, and wider family support through Best Start Family Hubs.  

Chief Executive, Lift Schools, Rebecca Boomer-Clark, said:

Reading is the key that unlocks everything, both learning and engagement.  Having a national ambition for 90% of children passing the phonics check and the introduction of reading tests at Year 8 are both very positive steps forward. 

We set ourselves a network 90% goal for primary phonics in 2021 and have been testing reading ability across our mainstream schools from Year 2 – Year 10 for the last few years. This has provided us with invaluable information and insight on how to get children back on track – it has driven significant leaps forward in how our children and young people read and as a result how they can engage fully in their learning. This work is critically important for all children, but especially so for those from more disadvantaged backgrounds.

Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, Jonathan Douglas, said:

The National Year of Reading 2026 will be a pivotal moment to make reading feel relevant, exciting and rewarding. In collaboration with the Department for Education and multi-sector partners, we are excited to spark a movement that puts reading back at the heart of our culture.

Our research shows that twice as many children and young people who enjoy reading in their free time have above average reading skills than children who don’t enjoy it. This finding is important at a time when children and young people’s reading skills are cause for concern, particularly for those from disadvantaged communities. Reading for enjoyment is one of the most powerful drivers of a child’s academic success and wellbeing, but it’s also about so much more than attainment. The joy of getting lost in a story, of discovering new ideas, or seeing yourself reflected in a book, should be an everyday part of school life. Embedding that joy into education enriches childhood and builds the foundation for lifelong learning,

Data from the new statutory assessment will be made available to Ofsted and government, but individual schools’ results will not be published – as with the phonics check. Schools will make children’s results available to parents. 

The test will provide a snapshot in time and the government’s expectation is that it is not an assessment children need to revise for.

The plans build on the Government’s National Year of Reading, which will unite parents, schools, libraries and businesses to get people reading and help reverse the decline in reading for pleasure among young people. 

The government is already supporting an improvement in reading and writing skills, including through new training for teachers in secondary school to support young people to read, and a £1million fund to support schools with the greatest need to purchase reading programmes and other resources to support struggling readers.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 6 October 2025.

Aspiring teachers can get up to £31,000 tax free through bursaries and scholarships, as the government boosts efforts to attract more great teachers.

Talented people with the potential to become brilliant teachers are being offered bursaries and scholarships worth up to £31,000 to train to teach in subjects including chemistry, maths, physics, and computing that will help boost outcomes for young people across the country.

The government has made tangible progress to fix the foundations of education through its Plan for Change – attendance is up, with over five million fewer days of absence this year compared to last, and teacher recruitment and retention is also up, with over 2,300 more teachers in secondary and special schools across England.

In particular, the government has seen an increase in those training in Physics and Computing up by 33 per cent and 42 per cent, alongside languages and maths up by around 15 per cent compared to last year.

As part of today’s package, bursaries for teacher trainees in further education will also be available, with £31,000 for those teaching in key shortage STEM subjects, £15,000 for SEND-specialist trainees and £10,000 for those training to teach English. This reflects the importance that the government places on supporting colleges and other FE institutions to train and recruit high-quality teachers.

We are also offering schools up to £29,000 to cover the cost of training apprentices in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and computing, as well as £20,000 in modern foreign languages, meaning apprentices pay nothing for their training and will earn a salary while they are training before moving on to a qualified teacher salary. The Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship (PGTA), a popular route into teaching, has seen a 55 per cent growth offering a brilliant way for people to gain the hands-on skills and experience they need in the classroom from day one to become expert teachers and build a successful career in teaching. PGTA funding will for the first time, will be equivalent to the ITT incentives in all subjects.

Getting more exceptional teachers in front of every classroom with a passion to inspire the next generation will drive high and rising standards in schools and boost outcomes for every young person, so no child is left behind. Recent data shows that more than one in ten maths lessons in the last year was taught by a non-specialist teacher, whilst only 72.2 per cent of physics lessons were taught by a teacher with a relevant post A-level qualification. Funding announced today will make sure that children and young people have high-quality, specialist teachers in these key shortage subjects.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:

Inspirational teachers changed my life and change the lives of millions of children every day – this government is determined that we have more brilliant teachers, in more schools, improving the life chances of more children and young people.

Through our Plan for Change we’ve already begun to move the dial, with more teachers in our schools this year than last, and big increases in people accepting teaching training places in subjects including chemistry, physics, and maths.

But there is more to do, and we need talented people with the passion and drive to inspire the next generation – working their magic, making school a place pupils want to be, boosting outcomes and transforming the lives of our young people.

Action is already being taken to tackle the systemic challenges that the sector faces which drive high workload and poor wellbeing, with the government announcing teacher pay awards of almost 10% over two years and working with schools and colleges to improve staff wellbeing and workload through the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, setting out commitments from government, schools, and colleges.

The launch of the new teacher training incentives today, comes ahead of the Education Secretary addressing teachers and school leaders from across the Southwest of England to highlight that there are still groups of children for whom school just isn’t working.  

This includes children with special educational needs and disabilities, children from disadvantaged communities and white working-class children who have historically poor outcomes year on year, with wide variations in outcomes across the country. Too many pupils feel disengaged from school and that education just isn’t for them.

She will call on teachers and leaders to work together to break that cycle and set these children up for success.

Plans to make sure every young person, wherever they grow up, have the opportunity to succeed will be set out in the Schools White Paper later this autumn. This will drive a once in a generation reset between those left behind, pupils and schools, to give every child the opportunities they deserve in life.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 24 September 2025.

Almost 10,000 high-achieving young people will receive letters from students at Kings College London encouraging them to consider a university education.

Thousands of teenagers in some of the country’s most deprived and under-represented areas are being inspired by their peers to apply for university through personalised letters in the post. 

The letters contain real-life success stories written by current university students with similar upbringings, showing how it is possible to break the link between background and success. 

Almost 10,000 pupils at schools and colleges with the lowest progression rates to higher education have been identified through Department for Education data and will be targeted by the initiative. 

The letters, all written by students at King’s College London, will share personal stories and challenge the perception that university is only for the privileged.   

They highlight how higher education, or an apprenticeship, can open the door to life-changing opportunities, as part of the government’s Plan for Change. 

On average, disadvantaged pupils are more than a third less likely to go to university compared to their peers, according to the latest data. 

The postcode gap is even greater, with teenagers in Redbridge in London being almost three times more likely to progress to higher education than those growing up in Knowsley, Merseyside. 

The letters come ahead of major reforms to higher education that will boost access and participation as part of government’s Plan for Change.   

The Department for Education is already expanding opportunities for young people from all backgrounds through the Youth Guarantee, encouraging them to take up high-quality technical qualifications and apprenticeships, ensuring choice is broadened and every pathway leads to success. 

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 

Talent, aspiration and hard work – not postcode or background – should decide a young person’s future. 

Universities need to do more to make sure they’re reaching the most talented people in our country wherever they come from – youngsters who need a bit of encouragement to see that a degree isn’t only for a privileged few. 

I’m proud that we’ve been able to support this brilliant initiative – which comes ahead of further steps from government to break the link between young people’s background and success through our Post-16 and Skills White Paper.

Significant postcode divides exist not only in the number of pupils going to university, but also in the numbers of young people not in education, employment or training.  

For example, the latest estimates shows that young people in Blackpool in the North West are almost twelve times more likely to be NEET at age 16 or 17 compared with young people in Barnet in North West London. 

Through the government’s pioneering new Youth Guarantee, every 18-21-year-old in England will have help to access an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities or help to find a job.

The government is also recruiting 6,500 new teachers, rolling out careers advice, increasing opportunities through Skills England, improving mental health support in schools and delivering a cutting-edge curriculum to ensure pupils are set up for life, work and the future.

To tackle entrenched inequalities in higher education, the Department for Education has ringfenced funding to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Government has invested £265 million this financial year to help universities give extra support to students facing the toughest barriers. 

This funding also supports Uni Connect, a programme which delivers targeted interventions aimed at increasing the number of young people from under-represented groups going into higher education. 

Kemi Adeyemi, a letter writer from Kings College London said: 

It’s so important that young people know that their background doesn’t determine where they can study. 

It should be based purely on you, your grades and your choice alone, which I feel isn’t a message reiterated enough to pupils in state schools. 

As a result of the letters I hope students feel empowered to apply for university and that they know they deserve to be there just like anyone else.

The University of Bristol recently opened a micro campus in a deprived area of Bristol in Hartcliffe to bring higher education into the community, supporting local people into work or further study.  

Whilst some universities have taken positive steps like this, the Education Secretary is calling on the sector to go further and play a stronger role in tearing down barriers to opportunity and driving real improvements in outcomes for disadvantaged students.

Research shows young people from disadvantaged backgrounds remain far less likely to apply to university, held back not by ability, but by the absence of role models and peers who have taken that path. 

Michael Sanders, Professor of Public Policy at Kings College London said: 

One of the biggest barriers is young people feeling like university ‘isn’t for people like me’. This project sees current students act as role models, which helps to create a bridge between people’s current lives, and what they can experience at university. 

A previous similar study showed that receiving letters like these made students significantly more likely to go to university, with around a third more likely to attend a Russell Group.  

Our research shows that timely contact with a relatable role model can make a massive difference to young people’s lives and ability to seize the opportunities in front of them.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 24 September 2025.

New data reveals 530,000 children are now benefiting from government-funded childcare as government exceeds target.

New figures reveal over half a million children are now benefiting from the government’s rollout of funded childcare, easing pressure on household finances, giving children access to high-quality early education and supporting parents to work.

Already, the rollout has far surpassed the target of 500,000 children set when the 30 hours kicked off at the beginning of this month, with the government going further and faster to break down barriers to opportunity for every child.

Strong take-up is seen across the country – from over 78,000 validated codes in the North West to almost 92,000 in the South East – helping families save up to £7,500 a year per child and boosting the economy by helping parents get back to work.

And thanks to the continued growth of school-based nurseries, life is getting a little easier for families looking for new childcare places closer to home. According to the latest figures, schools are now providing over 5,000 new childcare places from September, well above the original school forecasts of 4,000.

These nurseries are based on school sites, helping parents manage the daily pressures of family life by making drop-offs and pick-ups easier and helping children familiarise themselves with a school setting.

Schools across the country are being urged to consider applying for the next round of funding for 300 more school-based nurseries which opens today, backed by £45 million to deliver up to 7,000 new places for local families, delivering on the Plan for Change.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

When we launched the 30 hours childcare expansion at the start of September, we said around half a million families were on track to benefit. Today’s figures show we have gone even further.

It is fantastic to see our Plan for Change delivering for families – helping them save up to £7,500 a year per child on childcare costs and supporting parents to balance work and home life. This is real cost-of-living relief that families can feel in their pockets today.

As the next bidding round of school-based nurseries kicks off today, we are not slowing down. This government is giving hard-working parents the support they need and ensuring every child gets the best start in life.

Increasing access to quality early education and making life easier for families sits at the heart of the government’s Plan for Change. Funding for early years entitlements is set to rise to over £9 billion next year to help more parents, especially mothers, balance work and family life. The government will continue to work closely with the early years sector – including private, voluntary and independent providers – whose partnership has been vital to the rollout so far.

And through the Best Start in Life strategy, backed by £1.5 billion to rebuild early years services, recruit more early years teachers and open a Best Start Family Hub in every local area, tens of thousands more children – a record share – will be school-ready at age five.

This will tackle long-standing barriers to early education and help teachers focus on teaching so every child can thrive, while the new Best Start in Life website brings trusted advice and support together in one place for parents from pregnancy through the early years.