Tag: Department for Education

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 1 August 2024.

The Department for Education (DfE) and the Welsh Government has today confirmed a change to the maximum Plan 2, Plan 5 and PG loan interest rate which will be 8% in August 2024.

The applicable rate of RPI to student loans from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024 is 13.5%. This means that the maximum interest rate applicable to Plan 2 loans and the interest rate for PG loans is 16.5%, and the interest rate applicable to Plan 5 loans is 13.5%.  However, as the comparable prevailing market rate (PMR) is lower than this, an interest rate cap of 8% will be applied to all Plan 2, Plan 5, and PG student loans in August 2024.

Plan 2, Plan 5, and PG student loan interest rates are reviewed monthly and, if required, capped for the duration of the calendar month.

The level of the cap is determined by taking the average interest rate for comparable unsecured personal loans across a 12-month period ending three months prior to the month the cap comes into force.

This is action is taken where necessary to ensure that the maximum interest rates applicable to Plan 2, Plan 5 and PG student loans are either below or equal to PMR.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 1 August 2024.

Large and small companies recognised for their apprenticeship programmes, creating opportunities and driving growth.

• Public and private sector employers celebrated for boosting career opportunities as government launches Skills England
• 100 large employers and 50 SMEs across the country recognised for the quality of their apprenticeship programmes
• Over 44,000 apprenticeships were started with employers ranked in the 2024 Top 100 and Top 50 SME lists

Employers up and down the country have been recognised by the government for their outstanding commitment to apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships support businesses of all sizes to develop the skilled workforce they need to grow, while helping people of all ages and backgrounds to earn while they learn and get ahead in their chosen career. The Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers and Top 50 Small and Medium Employers (SMEs) league tables showcase the very best apprenticeship programmes over the past 12 months.

Employers are ranked not just on the number of apprentices they take on, but for their commitment to diversity and apprenticeship achievements. Their dedication to delivering high-quality apprenticeships plays a crucial role in boosting the skills and career opportunities of people from all backgrounds and helping the economy to grow.

For the fourth time, the British Army has been named the country’s number one apprenticeship employer for 2024. The accountancy and business advisory group, DJH, has been named this year’s top SME apprenticeship employer.

The celebration follows the launch of Skills England, which aims to unite businesses, trade unions, mayors, and training providers to address national and local skills needs and boost opportunity while driving economic growth.

Skills are crucial to growth, with a third of productivity gains in the past two decades attributed to improved skills. Under Skills England, reforms to the apprenticeship levy will allow businesses more flexibility to use levy funds on necessary training for skills. This will protect apprenticeships, ensuring opportunities for young people and lifelong upskilling and retraining for workers.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

Congratulations to all the employers across the country which have been recognised for their brilliant apprenticeship programmes.

Apprenticeships provide opportunities for people from all walks and the employers ranked in this list are crucial to our plans in supporting people to get better jobs and grow the economy.

With the launch of Skills England, we will bring together businesses with trade unions, mayors and training providers to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs.

First compiled in 2020, the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers celebrates England’s outstanding apprenticeship employers, recognising their commitment to creating new apprenticeships, the diversity of their apprentices, and the number of apprentices who successfully achieve their apprenticeships.

Over 71,000 apprenticeships were started at employers that entered for the 2024 rankings, accounting for more than a fifth of all starts in England, helping to fill skills gaps and create a future talent pipeline.

The employers in this list represent a range of industries & business sectors, from professional services, health and social care and retailing, to construction, technology and manufacturing.

Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Roly Walker KCB DSO ADC Gen, and head of the British Army, said:

We’re proud of our apprentices and the recognition we’ve received. Apprenticeships offer people the chance to earn while they learn, gaining skills and confidence that benefit them beyond their time in the army.

Our soldiers are not just in the British Army; they are the British Army! Everything we can do to upskill them makes us a better Army, which is what the nation would expect.

DJH was the frontrunner in the Top 50 SMEs. This category was introduced to credit the essential work of smaller businesses in providing apprenticeship opportunities, particularly to young people and those from more disadvantaged backgrounds.

Chris Rawlinson, Head of Learning and Development at DJH said:

We are proud to be recognised as the number one SME Employer of Apprentices – this ranking is a testament to our commitment to learning and development, and our ongoing investment in the future.

We are dedicated to recruiting and nurturing trainees from locals schools, colleges and universities, recognising that these individuals are the future of the business.

We ensure that our apprentices not only gain the necessary technical skills but also develop vital soft skills, helping our apprentices to reach their full potential and build successful careers within the industry.

Over the past three years, more than 1,500 apprenticeship employers from a wide range of industries and business sectors have entered for the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers and Top 50 SME Apprenticeship rankings.

The Top 10 Apprenticeship Employers for 2024 are:

1. The British Army
2. BT
3. Royal Navy
4. Royal Air Force
5. London Ambulance Service
6. BAE Systems
7. The Go-Ahead Group
8. Mitchells & Butlers
9. Tops Day Nurseries
10. PwC

The Top 5 SME Apprenticeship Employers for 2024 are:

1. DJH
2. Roe Brickwork
3. LB Group
4. Lee Marley Brickwork
5. Rosedene Nurseries

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 29 July 2025.

School teachers and leaders will receive a fully funded 5.5% pay award, reflecting the vital contribution they make to children’s life chances.

The decision means the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) have been accepted in full.

Schools will receive almost £1.2 billion in additional funding to cover their costs, fully funding the pay award for teachers and support staff in financial year 2024 to 2025 at a national level.

The investment marks an important step on the path towards the government’s pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers.

As the Chancellor has set out, the poor position of the public finances means that a number of programmes must be cancelled across government – including the Advanced British Standard.

Today’s pay award reflects the value the government places on the country’s 6 million public servants, and the cost to the country of not accepting public sector pay awards.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

The Chancellor has laid out a grim picture – our public finances are in a devastating state and tough choices need to be made to help rebuild the foundations of the economy.

But while the impact teachers have on children and young people’s life chances can’t be measured in pounds and pence, those working in education must be in no doubt about their value.

Teachers lay the foundations of children’s lives. An investment in them is an investment in the next generation, and this government is determined to make sure every child – whatever their background – has the opportunity to succeed.

The Education Secretary has recognised the delay in confirming pay and funding arrangements for next year due to the timing of the general election.

The 5.5% award will apply from 1 September and is equivalent to an increase of over £2,500 for the average teacher, which would take the median salary for 2024 to 2025 to over £49,000.

The pay award applies to maintained schools, with academies continuing to have freedom over their pay and conditions.

The government is also today announcing further steps to reduce teachers’ workload, reset relations with the sector and make teaching an attractive profession again.

Alongside the pay award, the requirement for schools to use the performance related pay system – which can lead to schools and teachers going through an overly bureaucratic process to agree individual teachers’ pay rises – will be removed from September.

The government will also clarify that teachers can carry out their planning time at home, improving flexible working for staff.

Today’s award builds on the Education Secretary’s work to reset the relationship with education workforces since taking up post, including a letter to all education workers in week one in the role, a reception with almost 200 stakeholders, and a webinar with up to 14,000 front line staff.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 26 July 2024.

Interim Office for Students chair appointed as Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 is stopped.

The role of the Office for Students will be refocussed to prioritise the financial stability of the higher education sector and deliver better quality and outcomes for students, the government has announced.

Analysis from the Office for Students earlier this year showed increased financial challenges for the sector, with many institutions needing to make significant changes to their funding model to avoid facing a material risk of closure.

The OfS’ refreshed focus follows the publication of an independent report today – Fit for the Future: Higher Education Regulation Towards 2035 – which recommends that the regulator closely monitors the financial sustainability of all higher education providers.

The government has also appointed a new interim chair of the OfS, Sir David Behan, who will be tasked with ensuring that the regulator concentrates its efforts on these key priorities following the publication of his review into the organisation.

Under plans announced today, the Secretary of State for Education has also stopped the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 and re-affirmed the government’s firm commitment to freedom of speech, with universities expected to deliver on their duty to protect it. The Education Secretary will consider options for the Act in the long term, including repeal.

The move to stop implementing the Act reflects widespread concern that the legislation is disproportionate, burdensome and damaging to the welfare of students while not addressing hate speech on campuses.

The new rules would have exposed higher education providers to costly legal action that would impact teaching and learning. Groups representing Jewish students have also expressed concerns that sanctions could lead to providers overlooking the safety and well-being of minority groups.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

For too long, universities have been a political battlefield and treated with contempt, rather than as a public good, distracting people from the core issues they face. The steps announced today will sharpen the focus of the Office for Students, with greater emphasis on ensuring the financial stability of the sector.

We are absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom, but the Free Speech Act introduced last year is not fit for purpose and risked imposing serious burdens on our world class universities.

This legislation could expose students to harm and appalling hate speech on campuses. That is why I have quickly ordered this legislation to be stopped so that we can take a view on next steps and protect everyone’s best interests, working closely with a refocussed Office for Students.

Phil Rosenberg, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said:

We welcome the Secretary of State’s decision to halt the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, pending consideration of repeal.

The Union of Jewish Students has been clear that the act, while well-intentioned, risked enabling antisemitic extremists to access university campuses by severely impacting the ability of universities to block their presence – we strongly support UJS’s concerns and reflected this in our Jewish Manifesto for the 2024 General Election.

This halt will enable the government to consider how to ensure that freedom of speech is protected without allowing free rein to purveyors of hate speech.

Additionally, the OfS plans to introduce strengthened protections for students facing harassment and sexual misconduct, including relating to the use of NDAs in such cases by universities.

The Fit for the Future: Higher Education Regulation Towards 2035 report published today finds that the case for bold regulation of higher education is clear and that the OfS should concentrate on four key priorities in the short term: monitoring financial sustainability, ensuring quality, protecting public money and acting in the interests of students.

The government accepts his core recommendations, recognising that strong regulation is crucial to ensuring a stable future for the UK’s world-leading higher education sector, which is a key engine at the heart of growth plans.

Sir David said the OfS and the government should work together to manage financial sustainability, sharing intelligence and data proactively to protect students. He has also recommended the OfS introduces an integrated assessment of quality, creating a regulatory model that incentivises ongoing improvement for all students, and that the body is given consumer protection powers in order to defend students’ interests.

Sir David Behan said:

It has been a privilege to lead the review of the OfS and I now look forward to delivering the changes the review recommends, importantly financial sustainability, quality, student interest and value for money.

A spokesperson for Universities UK said:

Sir David Behan’s review is thorough and we welcome many of its recommendations. Its findings underline the importance of an independent regulator for higher education in England and the need for a focus on the financial sustainability of the sector.

This will continue to strengthen the sector’s relationship with the OfS and ultimately help deliver better outcomes for students. We have already observed an improvement in the OfS’s relationship with the sector and this review will help consolidate this.

We look forward to working closely with both the department for education and the Office for Students in the coming months.

The higher education sector is encouraged to engage proactively with the OfS to help shape future regulation as the government seeks to build a balanced and sustainable funding model, fostering a more inclusive and resilient higher education sector that benefits all students.

Notes to editors

• To stop the implementation of the Freedom of Speech Act the Secretary of State has revoked the second commencement regulations made under it. She will rapidly review the legislation and confirm long-term plans as soon as possible.

Provisions in the second commencement regulations made under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 which have now been stopped:

From 1 August 2024:

• Extending the duties on registered HE providers and constituent institutions in England to require them to take reasonably practicable steps to secure freedom of speech within the law for their staff, students, members and visiting speakers, and to promote the importance of lawful freedom of speech and academic freedom.
• Creating duties on students’ unions at many registered HE providers to secure freedom of speech within the law for their members, staff and visiting speakers
• Creating a statutory tort for breach of specified freedom of speech duties, enabling individuals who have suffered loss to seek legal redress
• Creating a free to use complaints scheme to be operated by the OfS, enabling staff, students, members or external speakers to raise complaints about providers or students’ unions breaching their duties under the Act to secure or promote freedom of speech within the law
• Enhancing protection for academic freedom by extending coverage to include recruitment and promotion of academics
• Banning the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by registered HE providers in relation to complaints to the provider of sexual misconduct, bullying or harassment.

From 1 September 2025:

• Introducing new registration conditions for registered higher education providers on freedom of speech and academic freedom (requiring them, for example, to have in place suitable codes of conduct).
• Introducing new transparency measures in relation to overseas funding to enable the OfS to assess whether that funding might pose a risk to freedom of speech or academic freedom.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 22 July 2024.

New body launched to bring together key partners to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions.

The Prime Minister and Education Secretary have announced the launch of Skills England to bring together the fractured skills landscape and create a shared national ambition to boost the nation’s skills.

The Education Secretary has also today (22 July 2024) appointed Richard Pennycook CBE, former chief executive of the Co-operative Group and lead non-executive director at the DfE, as the interim Chair.

Skills are crucial to economic growth, with a third of productivity improvement over the last two decades explained by improvements to skills levels.

But between 2017 and 2022 skills shortages in this country doubled to more than half a million, and now account for 36% of job vacancies.

Skills England will bring together central and local government, businesses, training providers and unions to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions, providing strategic oversight of the post-16 skills system aligned to the government’s Industrial Strategy.

Supporting local areas to develop the skilled workforces they need – in particular across construction and healthcare – is fundamental to the government’s mission to raise growth sustainably. By working with the Migration Advisory Committee, Skills England will also help reduce reliance on overseas workers.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Our skills system is in a mess, which is why we are transforming our approach to meet skills needs over the coming decades.

They will help to deliver our number one mission as a government, to kickstart economic growth, by opening up new opportunities for young people and enabling British businesses to recruit more home-grown talent.

From construction to IT, healthcare to engineering, our success as a country depends on delivering highly skilled workforces for the long-term. Skills England will put in place the framework needed to achieve that goal while reducing our reliance on workers from overseas.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

Our first mission in government is to grow the economy, and for that we need to harness the talents of all our people to unlock growth and break down the barriers to opportunity.

The skills system we inherited is fragmented and broken. Employers want to invest in their workers but for too long have been held back from accessing the training they need.

Skills England will jumpstart young people’s careers and galvanise local economies. It will bring businesses together with trade unions, mayors, universities, colleges and training providers to give us a complete picture of skills gaps nationwide, boost growth in all corners of the country and give people the opportunity to get on in life.

The organisation will identify the training for which the growth and skills levy will be accessible – an important reform, giving businesses more flexibility to spend levy funds on training for the skills they need, which employers have long been calling for.

Skills England will be established in phases over the next 9 to 12 months to create a responsive and collaborative skills system.

The Skills England Bill announced this week will transfer functions from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to Skills England.

This sits alongside work to simplify and devolve adult education budgets to mayoral combined authorities to ensure that they can address their adult skills needs directly and support growth in their areas.

Next steps for establishing Skills England:

• The first phase of Skills England’s launch involves setting up the organisation in shadow form within the DfE, and starting work on an assessment of future skills needs while building strong relationships with employers. A permanent board, Chair and CEO will be appointed in due course.
• The route for employers to shape skills training is currently offered by the IfATE. IfATE’s functions will transfer to Skills England, as part of the new organisation’s broader remit. IfATE will continue its important work in the interim as the transition of functions to Skills England is finalised.
• Skills England will hold responsibility for maintaining a list of levy-eligible training to ensure value for money, and that the mix of government-funded training available to learners and employers aligns with the identified skills needs.
• The government will also bring forward a comprehensive strategy for post-16 education to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce, and drive economic growth through our industrial strategy.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 19 July 2024.

A broader, richer, cutting-edge curriculum that drives high and rising schools standards and sets all young people up for life and work will be central to the government’s vision for education, as it launches its wide-ranging Curriculum and Assessment Review today.

Spanning from Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 5, the independent review will be chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, an expert in education policy, including curriculum and social inequality.

The review will look closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, and the barriers which hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve – in particular those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, or with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

High and rising school standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.

Following the review, all state schools – including academies who currently do not have to follow the national curriculum – will be required by law to teach the national curriculum up to age 16, giving parents certainty over their children’s education.

This was confirmed in the King’s Speech earlier this week, as the government will introduce a children’s wellbeing bill in the next year to legislate for a variety of its education policies.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

The launch of this review is an important step in this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity, deliver better life chances and enable more young people to get on.

Our dedicated school and college staff deliver better life chances for countless children but for too long they have been held back by a curriculum and assessment system that fails to prepare enough of our children for work and for life.

That is why this government, alongside leading education experts, leaders and staff on the frontline, will breathe new life into our outdated curriculum and assessment system.

Our renewed curriculum, built on a foundation of high and rising standards, greater access to cultural learning and crucial work and life skills, will set up all our children to achieve and thrive in the workplaces of the future, and throughout their lives.

The government’s ambition is for a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and maths, and ensures every young person gets the opportunity to develop creative, digital, and speaking and listening skills particularly prized by employers.

The review will also seek to make sure children benefit from a curriculum that represents them and their families, regardless of background, and equips young people to shape our response to the challenges of our changing world.

The review will build on the hard work of teachers who have brought their subjects alive with knowledge-rich teaching, to deliver a new national curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative.

The review will look at ensuring all young people aged 16-19 have access to rigorous and high-value qualifications and training that will give them the skills they need to seize opportunity as well as ensuring they are ready for the changing workplace.

It will also look at whether the current assessment system can be improved for both young people and staff, while protecting the important role of examinations.

Professor Becky Francis said:

Ensuring all young people access a rich and fulfilling curriculum and meaningful qualifications is core to supporting them to thrive at school and later in life.

It’s a real privilege to lead this important review, which has huge potential to build a cutting-edge curriculum that works for pupils and teachers alike.

I know how stretched schools, colleges and their staff are. So it’s particularly important to me to consider how any changes could contribute to staff workload and to avoid unintended consequences.

Crucially, I want to make sure that the review and its recommendations are driven by evidence and a commitment to high standards for all our young people, irrespective of background.

The views of experts, parents, teachers and leaders will be pivotal to the recommendations and a call for evidence will be launched in September. The review will also take written evidence from key stakeholders and undertake a national roadshow, meeting and taking input from staff on the frontline.

The launch of the review marks one of the government’s first steps towards an education system driven by high and rising standards, where background is no barrier, and every young person leaves school or college with the best life chances.

In recognition of the pressure schools and colleges are already under, and the further strain that wholesale reform can bring, the review will seek evolution not revolution, and will be alive to the trade-offs required to deliver high and rising standards alongside greater breadth – in particular any recommendations that would increase workload.

Professor Francis will be supported by an expert group made up of individuals with experience right throughout the education system.  The review will publish recommendations in 2025.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 12 May 2024.

Hundreds of thousands of families set to benefit as working parents of 9-month-olds can now apply for government-funded childcare for first time.

Parents of children from 9 months old can now apply to access government-funded childcare from September 2024, as England’s largest ever childcare expansion continues.

From today (12 May 2024), eligible working parents of children who will be 9 months old by 31 August can apply to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week – set to benefit hundreds of thousands of families across the country.

This is the second step in the government’s long-term plan to support hard-working parents to balance their family and career. As the successful launch of the offer in April demonstrates, this plan is working.

Since the launch of the offer, 211,027 2-year-olds are already benefitting from government-funded places, providing parents with financial support to return to work or increase their hours and kick-starting the government’s commitment to grow the economy through affordable access to quality childcare.

Working parents whose children will be aged between 9- and 23-months old on 31 August 2024 can apply for their government-funded childcare code via the childcare service, which they then take to their chosen childcare provider to validate.

In this next stage, the historic rollout will deliver direct government support with childcare costs from the term after their child turns 9 months old, until they start school. By September 2025, support will increase to 30 government-funded hours a week, saving families an average of £6,900 per year.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Last year we promised the biggest ever expansion in childcare provision in history and we are delivering. Over 210,000 children have already benefited from 15 hours of government funded care and parents of 9-month-olds can apply from today.

Our full expansion will save parents an average of £6,900 a year, meaning no parent has to choose between their career and caring for their child.

This will give working families the peace of mind that they will be supported, helping to build a brighter future for families and to grow our economy.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:

Last month, we successfully delivered on our promise to expand free childcare to 2-year-olds, with over 210,000 families now feeling the benefits.

Last year, just two thirds of local authorities felt confident they could deliver the rollout for April, but with our support, 100% have done so.

That was only the beginning, and we will continue to support the sector so that every eligible parent can access the high-quality childcare they deserve.

Parents on parental leave or starting a new job by the end of September 2024, can now apply for their childcare code 16 weeks before returning to work, extended from the original period of 31 days.

These parents are urged to apply online via the childcare service and will receive a letter in the post within one to 2 weeks, enabling them to get their code well in advance of provider deadlines.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said:

No parent should be forced to choose between looking after their children and having a successful career.

Backed by significant funding, we are providing hundreds of thousands of families across the country with access to high-quality childcare – making sure every child has the chance to fulfil their potential while also providing a boost to the economy.

All local authorities have reported they are currently meeting the demand from parents for childcare places, and an increase of just 1% – 15,000 places – will be needed for September.

Last year, the number of childcare places already increased by around 15,000, and the number of staff by around 13,000, before direct government interventions to increase capacity.

The government is continuing to work closely with local authorities to deliver the rollout, including allocating £100 million of capital investment and an additional £12 million of delivery support.

This will build on continued growth over the last year, driven by higher average rates paid by government for the new entitlements than those paid by parents, and a commitment to further rate increases worth up to £500m for the next 2 years – giving providers the confidence to continue expanding.

Jason Elsom, Chief Executive of Parentkind said:

As a father to a blended family of 8 children, I know only too well the sacrifices that many parents make for their children.  The cost of childcare often leads many parents to go without, or even sacrifice their careers as it simply makes no sense to put 2 children in childcare at the cost of a whole salary.

Many families will welcome the lifeline that this support offers.

Parents with a preferred provider are urged to speak to them directly about a place for September. Any who are struggling to find a place should contact their local authority, who will be able to help them find a provider in their area.

The application system requires parents to reconfirm their eligibility every 3 months, so parents new to the system, who apply before 1 June, will need to reconfirm their code prior to the offer starting in September.

Eligible parents with an existing Tax-Free Childcare account registered on the application system will be able to apply for a code at their next reconfirmation window.

To make sure every parent eligible for the September rollout can access the scheme, parents who had to reconfirm their eligibility before 12 May, and whose next application window opens on 9 June or later, will receive a letter from HMRC containing a code by 24 May.

Parents can check their eligibility before applying at gov.uk or through our online eligibility checker tool at childcarechoices.gov.uk.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 9 May 2024.

Locations announced for 16 new special free schools and trusts appointed at a further 7 schools, providing thousands of vital places across England.

New schools providing dedicated support for over 2,000 children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are to open in 16 areas across England.

From Bury to Surrey to Solihull, the schools will provide vital specialist spaces for pupils whose needs cannot be met in mainstream education. A competition for academy trusts to run the schools will be launched in the coming days.

The announcement follows investment of £105 million confirmed by the chancellor at this year’s spring budget, and is part of the government’s plan that is delivering 60,000 more special school places – the largest ever expansion in capacity. This is helping to increase capacity, following a decrease in pupils in special schools from 1997 to 2010.

It comes as a further 7 special free schools are one step closer to opening in Merton, Cambridgeshire, Kent, and Norfolk to create over 1,000 places as the trusts have now been selected to run them.

The government is sticking to the plan to ensure every child can receive the education they need to fulfil their potential and be well prepared for adulthood and employment.

The government has already opened 108 schools as part of the special free schools programme since 2010, with a further 93 planned to open in future years.

Special schools ensure pupils with special needs such as autism, emotional and behaviour disorders, severe learning difficulties and more can flourish thanks to specially trained teachers, programmes, and equipment.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:

Special schools can truly transform children’s lives, enabling pupils with special education needs and disabilities to thrive in environments that meet their needs.

We’re creating tens of thousands of special school places since 2010 and today’s announcement takes us one step closer to our commitment of a record 60,000 more places for children with additional needs.

I know how hard it can be for families trying to navigate the SEND system, and the creation of more brilliant special schools is just one part of our plan to make sure every family and every child get the right support, in the right place at the right time.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said:

Every child deserves the chance to reach their full potential.

That’s why we’re opening 200 special schools across the country, ensuring every child receives a best-in-class education.

The government is committed to reforming the SEND and alternative provision system to ensure earlier intervention, consistent high standards and less bureaucracy through its SEND and AP Improvement Plan.

The plan also committed to strengthening protections, and improving the outcomes, for children in unregistered alternative provision.

A consultation has been launched today for 8 weeks setting out proposals to use unregistered alternative provision as an intervention, not a destination, to complement the education provided in school.

It also proposes measures for providers to be subject to new, proportionate quality assurance frameworks, underpinned by national standards. The proposals build on the findings of the government’s previous call for evidence.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 23 April 2024.

The incentive is backed by £200 million investment to support schools and colleges attract and retain the excellent teachers they need in vital subjects.

From September, up to £6000 will be available for teachers working in key STEM and technical subjects such as maths, construction and engineering, as well as early years education, as part of the government’s drive to recruit and retain the best staff, the Department for Education announced.

The expansion of the levelling up premium payment scheme to those working in further education and to a wider range of subjects for the first time will support young people to progress skills that will help grow our economy. It will also double the existing Levelling Up premium payments to school teachers of maths, physics, chemistry and computing.

The incentive is part of the government’s drive to support schools and colleges to recruit and retain the talented teachers they need in the future, and ahead of the introduction of the advanced British standard – a new baccalaureate style post-16 qualification which is set to bring together the best of technical and academic education.

At the heart of the proposals for the advanced British standard are an increase in teaching time of around 200 hours over the course of the qualification, greater breadth and choice of subjects for young people and a core focus on maths and English.

Backed by an investment of around £200 million over the next 2 years, it will make sure more young people – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds – continue to have access to the world-class education and training they need in the subjects to fulfil their potential, whilst plugging skills gap and boosting the economy.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:

Teachers are the heart of our education system, inspiring young people and shaping future generations.

By offering incentives of up to £6,000, we’re ensuring schools and colleges can support the recruitment and retention of dedicated teachers in high priority subjects and in the areas that need them most.

This will make a real difference to schools and colleges across the country allowing them to provide world class education for all ahead of the Advanced British Standard, whilst giving businesses the skilled workers they need to drive economic growth.

This move is part of plan to deliver a world-class education system for all, where primary children are the ‘best in the west’ at reading and 90% of schools are now rated good or outstanding – up from just 68% in 2010.

The £6000 incentive is being offered through the government’s levelling up premium doubling payments introduced in 2022 to support schools in disadvantaged areas across the country to recruit and retain the teachers they need in maths, physics, chemistry and computing.

The programme is being significantly expanded to cover further education teachers teaching in vital subjects including early years, building and construction, digital, engineering, manufacturing and transport engineering and electronics.

Levelling Up Minister Jacob Young said:

Spreading opportunity is at the core of the government’s levelling up mission because while we know ability is spread evenly, opportunity is not. That includes supporting young people to thrive through a quality education as everyone deserves the best start in life.

A high-quality education relies on excellent teachers and this funding will help schools and colleges attract and retain the staff they need to equip our kids with the best possible start in life.

David Hughes, chief executive, Association of Colleges said:

This extra funding will help attract and retain key staff in colleges, so I welcome the expansion of the Levelling Up premium.

The issue of teacher recruitment is one of the most pressing challenges facing the sector, particularly in these key areas where experts working in industry are likely to earn salaries significantly beyond those of teachers.

There are record numbers of teachers working in schools – up by 27,000 since 2010. To attract the brightest and the best teachers, the government is also investing £196 million this academic year to get more teachers across key subjects.

The incentive will build on this by making sure we have more excellent school teachers as well as further education teachers in classrooms across the country so that young people have access to the world-class education and training they need to succeed.

To attract and retain the brightest and the best further education teachers, £470 million is being invested over two financial years from 2023-24 to enable providers to address key priorities, such as recruitment and retention, and providing additional support through the teach in FE campaign and the taking teaching further programme.

The advanced British standard will mean most students choose a minimum of five subjects from a menu of options to give more breadth and flexibility. The subjects will be built on A Levels and T Levels, retaining their rigour and focus on building knowledge. By increasing teaching time and the breadth of what students can study, including maths and English, the Advanced British Standard will widen students’ career options and bring England in line with major economies such as France, Germany, Japan and the USA.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 19 April 2024.

Government publishes new data showing 195,355 children benefitting from government-funded childcare for 2-year-olds in successful April launch.

Hundreds of thousands of parents will be able to more easily manage their career and childcare over the next two years following the successful launch of the largest ever expansion of childcare in England’s history.

This month, eligible working parents of 2-year-olds were given 15 hours of government-funded childcare for the first time, as part of the government’s long-term plan to build a brighter future for families and help grow the economy.

Since January, applications have been open for parents to apply for an eligibility code to access the new 15 hours of childcare, which they take to their chosen childcare provider to validate.

The latest data, set to be published on Monday, will reveal that 195,355 2-year-olds are already benefitting from government-funded places. This puts the rollout on the same trajectory as the previous expansion of free childcare hours to 3- and 4-year-olds in 2017.

Today, the government has confirmed that 79% of codes issued have now been validated by providers. In 2017, 71% of codes that had been issued to parents were validated by a similar point in the rollout.

Thousands more children will have their places confirmed over the coming weeks. The government expects some eligibility codes will go unused as parents change their mind about formal childcare or were issued a code even though they didn’t need one.

All local authorities have reported they are currently meeting the demand from parents for childcare places.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:

We are transforming childcare in this country to deliver the support that hard-working parents deserve.

As today’s figures show, our plan is working. Thousands of parents are returning to work, and tens of thousands more will be able to do so later this year and next.

Childcare expansion on this scale is unprecedented in this country, and we will continue providing maximum support to nurseries and all providers to make it a reality.

Alice Barrett, a mother from Nottingham, applied for the 15 hours from April for her son, Wyatt. Alice and her partner both work full time, and they are already seeing significant savings thanks to the new offer. She says:

The entire process for me was stress free and very well rolled out. We have recently received the breakdown of our bill for May, and we are saving up to £200 per month.

We are so grateful to be eligible for the scheme, and the additional funds we now have will help us with allowing a buffer for bills and any unexpected costs, as well as getting Wyatt back on track with his swimming and other activities he enjoys.

The government has also today published projections for the additional places and staff needed for the wider rollout, which will see eligible working parents able to access 30 hours of free childcare per week after their child turns 9 months old, until they start school. This will save families an average of £6,900 per year.

The Department for Education estimates that just 15,000 additional places – an increase of 1% – will be needed for this September, with thousands of those expected to become available this summer supported by £100 million of capital investment and additional £12 million of delivery support for local authorities.

Around 70,000 further places are likely to be needed for September 2025, when the offer expands to 30 government-funded hours for children from 9 months old to when they start school.

According to the government’s Provider Pulse Survey published today, the largest barrier identified by the sector (45% of respondents) to scaling up for 2025 was future funding certainty. To give providers the confidence to support each stage of the rollout, the Chancellor committed to £500 million of additional funding over the next 2 years, providing a level of certainty which is already unlocking tens of millions in private sector funding.

Laura Trott, Chief Secretary to the Treasury said:

Funded childcare means working parents know their children are safe and well looked after. It is such a huge weight off parent’s minds, helping them pursue careers and play a part in growing our economy.

This month’s rollout alone will help thousands of parents into work. But that is just the start, as our full investment will also mean many more parents can get into work or increase the hours they work.

Last year, the number of childcare places increased by around 15,000, and the number of staff by around 13,000, even before direct government interventions to increase capacity.

These numbers have continued to grow over the course of this year, driven by higher average rates paid by government for the new entitlements than parents would have paid and £1,000 cash incentives for new joiners. Our new recruitment campaign has already driven over 73,000 people to find out more about working in early years.

To further increase capacity, a new pilot is also beginning this summer to explore how unused school space could be repurposed to support childcare settings to offer more places.

The school space pilot this summer involves matching a small number of private, voluntary, or independent childcare providers with surplus school and college space.

If the pilot is a success, the government will roll it out widely ahead of September 2025, helping fast-track the process for schools, colleges and childcare providers.

A total of 40,000 additional staff compared with 2023 are required by September 2025. A total of 170,000 places are required, with around half already available in the system and half needed as new capacity.

Minister for Employment Jo Churchill said:

This huge expansion in free childcare means more parents can return to work, boost their earnings and ensure long-tern financial security for their family.

We have generously increased the support working parents on Universal Credit can receive towards childcare costs, helping remove barriers and allowing parents to give their children the best start in life.

Parents with a preferred provider are urged to secure their place for September now, ahead of when applications open for eligible working parents of 9-month-to-23-month-olds on 12 May.

Parents will be able to apply for codes for September until 31 August, and the government has today updated the process to make sure all eligible working parents can apply, regardless of whether they are in work or on parental leave.

A spokesperson for the National Partnership in Early Learning and Childcare, said:

We welcome the government’s increased investment in early learning and childcare and have been pleased to work closely with those across the sector to ensure a smooth rollout of the April entitlement, so families can access this vital provision.

We are committed to continued collaboration with the government, local authorities and parents, working together throughout this process to enable all children to access high-quality and exemplary early learning and childcare.

Simone Carter, Managing Director, N Family Club, said:

We welcome the enhanced funding offer and recognise the positive impact this will have on many children and their families.

Making care more affordable will allow providers the opportunity to reach more families, and enable more children to experience the lifelong benefits of quality early years education.