Tag: Department for Education

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.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 31 August 2025.

Education Secretary makes back-to-school call for parents to ensure children are in the classroom ready to learn.

Hundreds of thousands of children will benefit from improved attendance, calmer classrooms and government support as the Education Secretary tells parents to join a united effort to get children at their desks and ready to learn.

Bridget Phillipson is starting the new school year by calling time on bad behaviour as shocking new data shows seven out of every 30 classroom minutes are lost to kids kicking off.

The Department for Education has today (Sunday 31 August 2025) unveiled a game-changing package of support for schools to help tackle the behaviour and attendance crisis, but the Education Secretary warns “when it comes to getting kids in and behaving – this includes mums, dads and carers too”.

It’s part of the government’s Plan for Change mission to break the link between background and success through education, which is already turning the tide on attendance with five million more days in the classroom and 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent last year.

This signals the biggest year-on-year improvement in attendance in a decade, equivalent to 1,000 classes of children learning full time for a year – estimated to protect over £2 billion in pupils’ future earnings.

This new school term the Education Secretary is determined that mums and dads also need to do more as the scale of this government’s inheritance has been laid bare. The latest behaviour survey, covering the 2023/24 academic year shows a staggering majority (78%) of teachers reported that poor behaviour had a negative impact on their health and wellbeing.

Further action to tackle this will begin from the start of the new term, as 800 schools – responsible for around 600,000 pupils – will benefit from new RISE Attendance and Behaviour Hubs.

Across the whole programme, 5,000 schools are set to benefit, with 500 of those in most need receiving intensive, targeted help.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

I am calling on parents, schools and families to join us in playing their part to get children in class and ready to learn for the start of the new school term.

We have already made progress with five million more days in school this year and are backing parents and supporting schools through our Plan for Change. But we all need to do more, and when it comes to getting kids in and behaving – this includes mums, dads and carers too.

We know what works – strong leadership, consistent attendance and schools standing shoulder to shoulder with families. That’s why we’re investing in proven expertise so that schools facing the biggest challenges can get the support they need.

The programme will share proven strategies from school leaders that have successfully turned attendance and behaviour around.

This work will be supported by Tom Bennett and Jayne Lowe, announced today as new Attendance and Behaviour Ambassadors to play a key role in ensuring the sector’s voice is reflected in shaping the programme.

DfE Attendance and Behaviour Ambassador Tom Bennett, said:

Every child deserves a school that is safe and calm, where they can be treated with dignity- and so do all school staff.

We’re drawing on the professional experience of some of the best schools in England that have successfully created exactly that.

By helping to build relationships between these schools and their peers, we’ll be building a national network of expertise that can change the futures for generations of children.

DfE Attendance and Behaviour Ambassador Jayne Lowe:

This role is a real privilege, and I can’t wait to work with colleagues across the sector to ensure every child feels connected, supported, and inspired in school.

All children deserve to belong in school, and I am committed to helping schools create safe, inclusive environments where they can thrive.

It is vital that schools hit the ground running in September. I urge school and MAT leaders to prioritise culture-setting with pupils and families.”

The Department for Education’s forthcoming schools white paper will set out plans to crack down on bad behaviour – giving schools support and continued accountability while recognising the vital role that parents and families have to play.

This government’s mission is to give every child – from early years to leaving school – the Best Start in Life.

That is why we are delivering free breakfast clubs across the country, expanding mental health support in schools, investing £1.4 billion to fix the crumbling state of classrooms increased pupil premium funding so that every child has the opportunity to achieve and thrive.

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

Ellen Thinnesen will lead work to boost college leadership and governance.

Ellen Thinnesen OBE, Chief Executive of Education Partnership North East, has been appointed as the next Further Education Commissioner, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced today (28 August 2025).

Ellen has a wealth of experience and knowledge to bring to the role having been CEO and Principal of Sunderland College from 2016 and Chief Executive of Education Partnership North East from 2019. This includes successfully leading three colleges – Sunderland College, Northumberland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form College – through mergers and transforming them to become one of the strongest groups in the sector in terms of both quality of teaching and financial health.

As Further Education Commissioner, Ellen will lead a team of Deputies and Advisers to support and strengthen the leadership and governance of colleges, ensuring they are well run and continue to offer high quality education and training to the communities they serve.

She will play a key role in driving improvement at pace across the sector and delivering on the Government’s missions through its Plan for Change, with a focus on growing the economy in key sectors and breaking down barriers to opportunity through tackling the rising numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).

Ellen will take up her post in January 2026 for a three-year term.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

I am delighted to appoint Ellen to the vital role of FE Commissioner. Her experience of driving improvement will be invaluable as we work to ensure the FE sector creates the skills our economy and communities need to thrive.

I would like to thank Shelagh Legrave CBE DL for her work in the role over the last three years and I wish her all the best for the future.

Ellen Thinnesen said:

It is a great privilege to be appointed Further Education Commissioner at this crucial time when skills are vital to delivering the Government’s missions for growth and opportunity.

The further education sector plays a critical role in transforming lives and driving economic growth. Looking ahead, it is well-placed to tackle persistent skills challenges, deliver equitable access to quality education, and re-engage those not in education, employment, or training (NEET). By adapting, innovating, and aligning provision with future labour market needs, the sector has a vital role in equipping learners with the skills to thrive in a rapidly changing economy.

I look forward to working with colleges across England to ensure they are in the strongest possible position to change people’s lives for the better and meet the needs of employers and communities.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 21 August 2025.

GCSE and vocational results stabilise following disruption during the pandemic with young people progressing on to A levels, T Levels or an apprenticeship.

Millions of pupils across the country are celebrating after receiving GCSE and other vocational and technical qualification (VTQs) results today (Thursday 21 August), as young people prepare to move on to the next stage of their education.

The proportion of entries achieving top grades (grade 7 or above), and grade 4 are broadly consistent with last year, reflecting a stable picture following the disruption this cohort experienced during the pandemic.

Students collecting results today will progress on to one of many high-quality education or training options including A levels, T Levels or exciting apprenticeship opportunities.

There are now 20 high quality T Levels to choose from including Marketing, Health, and Digital giving young people the skills, knowledge and experience they need to progress.

Despite the stability of results this year there are still wide variations between regions with pupils across the North West and West Midlands continuing to be held back compared to their peers in London, and historically poor outcomes year on year for pupils from white working-class backgrounds.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

Behind every grade lies hours of dedication, resilience and determination and both students and teachers should feel an immense sense of pride in what they’ve achieved today.

But while results today are stable, once again we are seeing unacceptable gaps for young people in different parts of the country.

Where a young person grows up should not determine what they go on to achieve. Through our Plan for Change – from revitalised family services to higher school standards – I am absolutely determined to make sure every young person, wherever they live, has the opportunities they deserve.

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 2,300 more teachers in schools.

New Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams are also shining a light on those areas of the country that are not delivering for pupils. This sits alongside wider work to tackle disadvantage including expanding free school to reach half a million more children and rolling out free breakfast clubs across the country. Up to 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs will also be rolled out in every local authority by April 2026, revitalising family services and providing wide-ranging help for families, such as parenting and early development.

This builds on the government’s drive to support more young people to gain the skills needed to build successful careers including investing £625 million to create up to 60,000 more bricklayers, electricians, and joiners by 2029 and establishing ten specialist Construction Technical Excellence Colleges.

This year results show that:

• 23.0% of English 16-year-old entries achieved a grade 7 and above this year, a 0.3 percentage points increase on 2024 (22.6%) and an increase on 2019 (21.9%).
• 70.5% of English 16-year-old entries achieved grade 4 and above, similar to 2024 (70.4%) and 0.6 percentage points higher than in 2019 (69.9%).
• The proportion of 18- and 19-year-olds achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths has risen – for both ages by around 2 percentage points for English and 1 percentage points for maths.
• More students have entered Music this year with entries from 16-year-olds up 6.3% for Music GCSE and at the highest number since the pandemic ended.
• For all ages, where the gaps between regions grew during the pandemic these have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels across both A levels and GCSEs.
• This is particularly notable at Grade 4 where 72% of London students of all ages get a Grade 4 and above compared with just 63% in the West Midlands.

Later this year the government will publish Schools and Skills white papers which will build on the work already underway to tackle entrenched inequalities, setting out the further reforms needed for an education and skills system where every child and young person can achieve and thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances.

For the first time some young people across Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will be able to view and share their GCSE results with their future post-16 school or college via a new app. The Education Record App is being trialled to explore   how technology can be harnessed to support efficiencies in schools and colleges.

The app gives students the ability to access, control and share their education information easily, without the hassle of paper certificates, long forms or repetitive questions.

The government estimates the technology could save schools and colleges up to £30m per year if fully rolled out, enough money to pay the salaries of more than 600 new teachers in further education.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 14 August 2025.

Record number of 18-year-olds in England get first choice university, as T Levels continue to grow and government tackles inequalities through Plan for Change.

Hundreds of thousands of young people across England are celebrating receiving their A level, T Level and Vocational Technical Qualification (VTQ) results today (14 August 2025), as the Education Secretary thanked teachers and congratulated students.

University continues to be a popular choice for young people with record numbers (193,510, up from 184,400 in 2024) of English 18-year-olds receiving their first choice of university.  20.4% of disadvantaged 18-year-olds being accepted to higher education, up from 19.8% in 2024 and 17.4% in 2019.

But like in previous years, results today have exposed inequalities which continue to exist in the education system, with big gaps between regions and with poor outcomes year on year for pupils from white working-class backgrounds. This follows the government setting out a clear focus on tackling these issues head on and ensuring white working-class pupils – especially boys – are supported to thrive in school and go on to get well-paid jobs.

T Levels also continue to deliver strong results for students.  The overall pass rate for T Levels is 91.4%, with almost two thirds of students (65.3%) achieving a merit or above, as this innovative new qualification offering hands-on experience of work in an in-demand sector continues to grow. Last year, 97% of T Level students who applied to university received at least one offer, with others progressing onto an apprenticeship or a job. T Level industry placements offer strong work experience, insights into competitive sectors which students might not otherwise get, and lead to good jobs – with around a third of students that get jobs after their course doing so with their chosen T Level industry placement employer.

The figures build on the government’s drive to deliver the skilled workforce the country needs and follows the announcement of a new £100 million investment just this week in ten specialist Construction Technical Excellence Collegesto offer even more opportunities to build successful careers in trades.

Over the past 12 months, the government has already made progress in fixing the foundations of education through its Plan for Change and turning the tide on stubborn challenges. Attendance is up, with over 5 million fewer days of absence this year compared to last. And teacher recruitment and retention is up, with 2,300 more teachers in our schools.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

Students should be incredibly proud of their hard work and their achievements today, and I am immensely grateful to teachers and school staff for everything they have done to support students up to this point.

Every single young person collecting their results today should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams – whether that starts with further study, university, an apprenticeship or the world of work – but too often, opportunities depend on background rather than talent. The entrenched divide in outcomes seen over the last few years and the lack of progress for children from white working-class backgrounds is particularly concerning.

Through our Plan for Change we are breaking the link between background and success, starting with reformed early years and revitalised family services, through to ambitious reforms to our school and post-16 system to make sure every young person, wherever they grow up, is truly ready for life and work.

Progress sits alongside vital, wider work to tackle disadvantage such as expanding free school meals, providing free breakfast clubs across the country and revitalising family services in every local authority.

Results today show that:

• at grade C and above at A level, the North East is now the only region where attainment remains below pre-pandemic levels
• more pupils are taking maths, physics and chemistry A levels than at any other time since modern records began – and more of these pupils taking these subjects are achieving a grade C – preparing them to work in the STEM sectors in the future
• almost 12,000 students received T Level results this year, up from just over 7,000 last year and around 3,500 in 2023
• almost 240,000 certificates were awarded for those completing their Level 3 vocational and technical qualifications

24.9% of 18-year-olds from the North East have secured a university place on results day compared to 43.4% of 18-year-olds from London. This gap is now 18.5 percentage points, which is the highest on record, up from 17.3 percentage points in 2024 and 11.9 in 2019.

For A level results the gap between this year’s lowest performing region (East Midlands) and highest performing (London) is 6.0 percentage points at C and above. While the gap has decreased from 6.3 percentage points in 2024 it is still greater than in 2019 (when the equivalent gap was 5.2 percentage points).

Later this year government will publish Schools and Post-16 Skills white papers, setting out further reforms to build an education system where every child and young person can achieve and thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances.

To further break down barriers to opportunity for young people, the government has also launched the Youth Guarantee, which will ensure that every 18 to 21-year-old in England will have support to access an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities or help to find a job, backed by £45 million investment.

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

Tens of thousands of future construction workers to be trained up in high-demand construction skills by 2029, delivering growth and helping build new homes.

More than 40,000 future builders, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters and plumbers will get cutting edge skills to get Britain building at state-of-the-art Technical Excellence Colleges unveiled today (Tuesday 12 August).

The specialist colleges will be in every region of England to deliver the workforce needed to turbocharge the building of new homes, schools and hospitals, helping to realise every Brit’s dream of owning their own home.

The move will allow the industry to draw on homegrown, British talent in the years to come rather than relying on overseas workers, backing the British working class with well-paid, high skilled job opportunities.

Backed by a £100 million investment, the colleges will help deliver well-paid jobs for British workers, support the construction sector and deliver the government’s commitment to build 1.5 million homes through its Plan for Change.

Not only did the government inherit a severe shortage of housing, the UK also doesn’t have enough construction workers to start building more homes at the rate required, with figures from the Office for National Statistics showing around 35,000 job vacancies need to be plugged in the sector.

Britain cannot and should not rely on foreign labour, which is why the specialist colleges are central to delivering growth – by working closely with employers, existing colleges and local communities to make sure that the skills people are getting are in-demand and will lead to well-paid work.

The new specialist colleges announced today will train 40,000 construction learners by 2029. They will also break down barriers to opportunity, by supporting young people breaking into the sector at the start of their careers as apprentices, as well as established workers getting new skills for better paid jobs. This future proofs the economy, preserving our highly-skilled construction workforce for generations to come.

This builds on the £625 million investment announced in March, which will separately be used to train up to 60,000 more skilled construction workers by 2029. This will pay for new foundation apprenticeships, skills bootcamps and industry placements for school leavers, all of which will help lay foundations for long term economic growth through the government’s Plan for Change.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

We need skilled workers to deliver the homes, schools and hospitals that communities across the country are crying out for, and today’s announcement underlines our commitment to the next generation of homegrown talent.

Construction Technical Excellence Colleges will enable us to invest in people and give them the skills they need to break down barriers to opportunity in an industry which is essential to delivering growth through our Plan for Change.

The colleges will soon be online to deliver high quality skills training, announced in the same week that young people across the country get their results in A-levels, T Levels and a range of vocational qualifications.

A recent survey found that the percentage of construction firms funding or offering training to their workers has fallen from 57% in 2011 to 49% in 2024. This coincides with an increasing reliance on construction workers coming to the UK from abroad, preventing our young people from filling the skills needs of our nation and perpetuating the issue of almost one million young people not being in education, employment or training.

In response, the industry-led Construction Skills Mission Board has pledged to recruit an additional 100,000 construction workers a year by the end of this parliament. This will build on the £625 million government investment announced at Spring Statement, which will also help to provide more flexible apprenticeship options and get out of work young people into the workforce.

David Hughes CBE, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said:

Today’s announcement is very positive news for people wanting good jobs, for the construction employers looking for skilled people and for the government’s ambitions to build 1.5 million new homes. It represents significant investment and trust in the 10 successful colleges, and the college sector, recognising their crucial role in boosting the country’s construction sector by opening up high quality learning opportunities all over the country.

We look forward to supporting the TECs as leaders in the construction skills arena, partnering with employers, developing new courses and ensuring that innovation in construction techniques and approaches can be supported across all employers with skills training. We are also keen to help the TECs build their networks with other colleges in their areas.

Tim Balcon, Chief Executive of the Construction Industry Training Board, said:

It’s wonderful to see the progress being made towards establishing these Technical Excellence Colleges for Construction. They represent a transformative opportunity for people to complete local vocational training, helping to drive regional growth and nurture the next generation of skilled construction workers in local communities.

This builds brilliantly on the wider £600 million construction skills package we’re delivering in partnership with government, helping create a robust pipeline of talent that will break down barriers to opportunity, delivering good jobs and powering economic growth across the UK.

Andrew Hockey, CEO at the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, said:

Investing in Further Education and independent training providers is critical for both the construction and engineering construction industries to equip learners with sustainable, transferable and future-proofed skills.

The construction and engineering construction workforces will be critical in delivering the UK’s industrial strategy, including major projects such as the nuclear new build sites at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C and nascent industries such as hydrogen and carbon capture.

Roger Morton, Director of Business Change at the National Homebuilding Council, said:

We warmly welcome the announcement of ten new Construction Technical Excellence Colleges and the government’s continued investment in training for the sector to increase capacity and quality. It’s fantastic to see such support for construction skills and this commitment to training chimes with NHBC’s focus on learning.

We’re investing £100m into our own national training programme, funding 12 new multi-skill training hubs around the UK. Providing an immersive, on-site learning experience, these hubs will deliver high quality apprentices across a range of key trades including bricklaying, groundworks and site carpentry.

With government, the wider house-building industry and training providers aligning, we can plug the skills gap and deliver quality new homes at pace.

John Laramy, Principal and CEO of Exeter College, said:

Exeter College are absolutely delighted to be selected as the southwest construction TEC. We look forward to working with our college, stakeholder and employer partners across the region to turbo charge construction training.

It is a particular personal privilege, as an education leader who began their career in construction, to be part of a national initiative to ensure our region benefits from the career opportunities that excellent technical education enables. We are excited about working with colleagues in the DfE and wider Government to ensure this national policy has meaningful impact and benefits for the southwest and beyond.

To deliver 1.5 million homes, the housebuilding sector will create hundreds of thousands of good jobs around the country over this Parliament. This represents one of the fastest growth rates of all priority sectors, according to a report by Skills England published today.

The new Construction Technical Excellence Colleges are:

• Derby College Group, East Midlands
• West Suffolk College, East of England
• New City College, Greater London
• City of Sunderland College, North East
• Wigan and Leigh College, North West
• North Kent College, South East
• Exeter College, South West
• Bedford College, cross-regional
• Dudley College of Technology, West Midlands
• Leeds College of Building, Yorkshire and the Humber

These colleges will operate on a ‘hub and spoke’ model, working with local training providers and employers to boost training standards and share expertise.

Currently, fewer than half of FE learners who get a qualification go on to work in a relevant industry, but investment in these colleges will help to ensure learners are ready for work when they complete their qualifications.

To fill skills gaps and break down barriers to opportunity for young people, the government has also launched the Youth Guarantee, ensuring that every 18-21-year-old in England will have access to an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities or help to find a job.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 8 August 2025.

Extra £18 million injected into councils in England to roll out children’s social care reforms that prioritise earlier intervention.

Vulnerable children are to be better protected from harm after the government speeds up children’s social care reforms that prioritise prevention through its Plan for Change.

An extra £18 million will be spent on rolling out early intervention child protection reforms to councils in England to stop families from reaching crisis by strengthening leadership and speed up delivery.

The reforms include the roll out of Family Group Decision Making, an approach to involve extended family members in helping keep children at home rather than in care, and thousands more family help workers to provide earlier support for families experiencing challenges, such as substance misuse or poor mental health.

It comes after funding for this vital work has already been doubled to £523 million compared to last year, with a further commitment to increase funding by at least £300 million over the next two years.

Plans are also progressing to test the NHS number as a unique identifier to help piece data together across frontline health, schools and police services to detect concerns about children before they escalate.

A pilot between Wigan Council and NHS England is live and testing linking their systems to use the NHS number as the unique identifier.  This will then be assessed to see how efficiently it helps to share information about safeguarding concerns with children before rolling it out further.

The identifier will ensure there is a more joined up and less piecemeal approach that ensures frontline safeguarding professionals share concerns about a child as early as possible to provide a holistic picture of when they may be, or are at risk of harm, before it escalates even further.

These updates mark significant progress in delivering key measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the biggest piece of safeguarding legislation in a generation.

Children and Families Minister Janet Daby:

Time and again we’re told how failing to share information and intervene early enough means vulnerable children fall through the cracks.

These deep-rooted problems are symptomatic of a children’s social care system that has clearly been stretched to breaking point.

We’re putting an end to sticking plaster solutions through our Plan for Change by investing even more focus and funding into preventative services and information sharing.

Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution Jim McMahon OBE:

Through our Plan for Change we are getting councils back on their feet, working with local leaders to fix the foundations and rebuild the sector to deliver the vital public services local people rely on.

A key part of this involves reforming children’s social care to tackle problems at their root and give every child the best start in life.

In addition to the £523 million we are providing this year to the Families First Partnership Programme, this new £18 million from the Transformation Fund will further support local authorities and safeguarding partners to help us achieve this.

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said:

Children in care told me in my Big Ambition survey they want the same things as other children: love, safety and stability in their family life. It’s absolutely right that we prioritise supporting families earlier on when challenges arise, with the goal of keeping them together safely.

I welcome this investment in caring for children and families but also in strengthening leadership locally, because my research has shown that decisions about children in care are too often driven by local capacity and resources, instead of what’s right for those children’s needs.

The introduction of a unique ID for every child will help identify problems early on and prevent any child becoming invisible to services, so robust and effective implementation will be essential, using evidence of what does and doesn’t work through this first pilot.

The latest announcements help to deliver on key measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, including:

• A unique number for every child – in the same way every adult has their own national insurance number – to join up systems and make sure no child falls through the cracks. A consistent identifier will allow those responsible for the safeguarding and welfare of children to better join relevant data and identify children who will benefit from additional support.
• Improved information sharing between agencies through a new information sharing duty to make sure that data that should be shared for safeguarding reasons, is shared.
• Rolling out Family Help reforms which will ensure children, young people and families experiencing multiple and complex challenges, including substance misuse or poor mental health, receive wraparound support and protection at the earliest opportunity before problems get worse.
• Requiring all local authorities to offer Family Group Decision Making – a service that brings extended family members together to keep children with families rather than entering care.
• Making sure every council operates best practice ‘multi-agency’ safeguarding panels, that bring together all the professionals that can best make sure children are kept safe both inside and outside the home.

It comes hand-in-hand with the government rolling out Best Start Family Hubs across every local authority to support 500,000 more children. The hubs will act as a one stop shop for parents seeking a range of support, including on difficulty breastfeeding, housing issues or children’s early development and language, reassuring families that they have convenient access to support in their local area or can be efficiently connected to specialist local services.

It also comes on top of £555m that was announced at the Spending Review to deliver children’s social care reforms and £560 million to refurbish and expand children’s homes, bringing the total investment to over £2 billion.