Tag: Department for Education

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 29 February 2024.

Every state school in England will now share their daily attendance registers across the education sector – including with the department for education, councils, and trusts in the next stage of the government’s drive to reduce pupil absence in school.

The sharing of daily school registers will form a new world-leading attendance data set that will help schools spot and support children displaying worrying trends of persistent absence or those in danger of becoming missing in education.

Schools, trusts and councils will be able to access this data via an interactive secure data dashboard maintained by the department for education. This will allow them easy use of the data to not only spot pupils in need of support but also to understand how their attendance position compares locally and nationally so they can look at where they might need to drive improvements.

These reforms are the next phase in the government’s plan to improve attendance following the pandemic which has seen a worldwide rise in absence and persistent absence driven by broken habits of attendance, and new and exacerbated barriers like mental ill health.

The government’s plan to improve attendance has included expanding the attendance hubs programme to 32 hubs across the country, which share best practice to schools supporting more than one million pupils, plus piloting attendance mentors, who work directly with pupils to tackle their barriers to attendance alongside a national awareness campaign aimed at helping parents. Our plan is already working, with 380,000 fewer pupils persistently off school over the course of last year.

Parent fines for unauthorised absences will also be brought under a national framework to help tackle inconsistencies in their use. A fine to parents must be considered if a child misses 5 days of school for unauthorised absence. Alongside this, costs for fines will go up from £60 to £80 if paid within 21 days and from £120 to £160 if paid in 28 days which will ensure all parents are aware of when they might face a fine to ensure all councils are issuing fines appropriately.

Today the Department for Education has also announced Rob Tarn, CEO of Northern Education Trust and the founder of England’s first attendance hub, as the new national attendance ambassador. Rob will work with schools and school leaders to champion attendance, share effective practice, and support the ongoing development of the attendance hubs programme nationally.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:

Our fantastic schools and teachers unlock children’s imagination, potential and social skills which is why improving attendance is my number one priority.

Today we are taking that next step to further boost attendance and I want to thank those who are working with us including teachers and heads.

Education standards have risen sharply across the country, with Ofsted ratings up from 68% to nearly 90% since 2010 – and pupils’ performance is ranked as some of the best globally – so it has never been more valuable to be in school.

Key guidance setting out how schools and local authorities must take a ‘support-first’ approach to help pupils and their families to tackle barriers to attendance will be made statutory from August 2024.  The working together to improve school attendance guidance sets expectations including regular meetings between schools and local authorities to agree plans for the most at-risk absent children.

It particularly emphasises the importance of support for pupils with SEND and mental ill health who often need more individual consideration due to wider barriers. It asks schools, local authorities and wider services to work together to support these pupils, encouraging early intervention and close working with families to address their individual needs.

Rob Tarn, CEO of Northern Education Trust said:

Attendance is one biggest challenges facing the school system today, so I’m pleased that the Department has announced this package of important measures including making the attendance guidance statutory.

I am also delighted to have been named as the Department for Education’s attendance ambassador. I look forward to working with attendance hub schools around the country to share effective practice and support school leaders to improve attendance locally and nationally.

Today’s announcement is the next step in the government’s national drive to improve attendance and tackle persistent absence, launched in January.

This sits alongside the national communications campaign raising awareness of the importance of attendance, which is running until Easter. Under the strapline ‘Moments Matter, Attendance Counts’ it outlines the importance of attendance for attainment, wellbeing, and development as well as signposting to advice for further support for parents and carers.

Steve Wilkinson, President of the Association of Education Welfare Management who run attendance support in local councils said:

We welcomed the opportunity to work closely with the DfE to share the vast expertise of our members with improving attendance in schools and other educational provisions.

Putting these measures on a statutory footing helps reinforce the importance of school attendance and the need to ensure families receive the support they need, when they need it, working together to ensure any barriers to attendance for children are removed.

This government is making long-term decisions to ensure all pupils have world class education. Improving attendance builds on that work which has delivered 89% of schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, up from just 68% in 2010.

School standards are rising across the board and England has catapulted up the international rankings for academic attainment through our multimillion-pound maths and English hubs programme and phonics screening check. Thanks to reforms introduced since 2010 England is now one of the top performing countries in the world for maths, reading and science, and the government will continue to build on this progress by delivering crucial reforms including by creating the Advanced British Standard.

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

Schools will receive new guidance on prohibiting mobile phone use during the school day.

Mobile phones are set to be prohibited in schools across England as part of the government’s plan to minimise disruption and improve behaviour in classrooms.

New mobile phones in schools guidance issued today (19 February 2024) backs headteachers in prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including at break times.

Many schools around the country are already prohibiting mobile phone use with great results. This guidance will ensure there is a consistent approach across all schools.

By the age of 12, 97% of children have their own mobile phone, according to Ofcom. Using mobile phones in schools can lead to online bullying, distraction and classroom disruption which, in turn, can lead to lost learning time.

Last year, Unesco called for smartphones to be banned from schools as evidence showed it was linked to reduced educational performance and that excessive screen time had a negative impact on children’s wellbeing.

Schools will be supported to prohibit mobile phone use with examples of different approaches including banning phones from the school premises, handing in phones on arrival at school, and keeping phones securely locked away at school.

The guidance will respond to concerns from parents about mobile phones, with the latest data from ParentKind’s National Parent Survey, revealing that 44% of parents are concerned about the amount of time their children spend on electronic devices, rising to 50% of parents of secondary school children.

Driving high expectations of behaviour is a priority for the government, building on our £10 million investment in behaviour hubs which will support up to 700 schools over 3 years, as well as existing behaviour in schools guidance.

We are making long-term decisions to ensure all pupils have world class education. This guidance builds on that work which has delivered 89% of schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, up from just 68% in 2010.

Our plan is working with school standards rising across the board. England has catapulted up the international rankings for academic attainment through our multimillion-pound maths and English hubs programme and phonics screening check. We are now one of the top performing countries in the Western world for maths and reading and the government will continue to build on this progress by delivering crucial reforms including by creating the Advanced British Standard.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:

Schools are places for children to learn and mobile phones are, at a minimum, an unwanted distraction in the classroom.

We are giving our hard-working teachers the tools to take action to help improve behaviour and to allow them to do what they do best – teach.

Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

Growing up in today’s digital world provides immense opportunities but this should not come at the expense of our children’s wellbeing or education. That is why we have passed world leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world for young people to be online.

Today’s announcement will support parents and educators further, helping give the next generation the best chance to realise their potential.

Lead behaviour advisor to the department Tom Bennett said:

Mobile phones may be ubiquitous, but we have a strong and growing understanding of how damaging they can be for a child’s social and educational development. And it’s the least advantaged who suffer most. Many schools already have some kind of policy on phones, but this guidance provides a clear steer for everyone, including parents, about what’s right and what’s not for the wellbeing of the child.

Heads can know that they’ll be backed in their attempt to build safe and nurturing cultures, and they’ll find advice about how to make schools a phone-free environment.  And when that happens, everyone wins.

Chief executive of Parentkind Jason Elsom said:

The government is right to be taking decisive action on the use of phones in schools with our research indicating that 44% of parents are concerned about the amount of time their children spend on electronic devices and more than three quarters of parents support a ban on phones in schools. This is the number one concern for parents, according to the National Parent Survey.

Society has sleepwalked into a position where children are addicted to harmful ‘electronic drugs’, and have no-escape from their digital dealers, not even within the relatively safe grounds of their schools.

The latest government data finds around a third (29%) of secondary school pupils reported mobile phones being used when they were not supposed to in most, or all, lessons.

Schools have seen success in prohibiting mobile phones through tactics such as introducing lockers with charging points for students to ensure they don’t come into classrooms.

One school referenced in the guidance introduced this change and saw a positive impact overnight and within one year the whole culture of the school had changed. Without access to mobile phones, pupils have the headspace and calm environment to learn, and staff have the quiet and focus to teach in.

The move will bring England in line with steps taken by other countries who have restricted mobile phone use including France, Italy and Portugal.

Our behaviour hubs enable schools across the country with exemplary positive behaviour cultures to work closely with schools that want and need to turn their behaviour around.

Alongside this, we have taken steps to improve behaviour through the appointment of a behavioural taskforce led by DfE’s behaviour tsar Tom Bennett, with the aim of improving behaviour culture and spread good practice across the country.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 8 February 2024.

Schools and colleges to receive funding to permanently remove reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Measures to permanently remove Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) from all affected schools and colleges, have today been confirmed by the Government (Thursday 8th February).

A final list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC in schools and colleges in England has been published today. There are 234 education settings, out of 22,000, with confirmed RAAC in some areas of their buildings – around 1%.

119 of these schools will have one or more buildings rebuilt or refurbished through the School Rebuilding Programme where works to remove RAAC are more extensive or complex.

Additionally 110 schools and colleges will benefit from grant funding to remove RAAC from their buildings where works will typically be smaller in scale.

5 schools and colleges, with support from the Department, have alternative arrangements in place to address the removal of RAAC, for example the building will not be part of the school or college estate over the longer term.

Those responsible for affected school and college buildings are today receiving direct confirmation from the department on how the RAAC removal will be funded.

Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said:

Nothing is more important to me than the safety of every child and member of staff in school.

We will continue to work closely with schools and colleges as we take the next step to permanently remove RAAC from affected buildings.

I want to thank all schools, colleges and local authorities who have worked tirelessly with the department to ensure all children remain in face-to-face education.

The Department’s RAAC Identification programme is now complete as 100% of schools and colleges with blocks built in the target era have responded to the questionnaire.

All schools or colleges that advised us they suspect they might have RAAC have had a survey to confirm if RAAC is present.

A small number of schools and colleges are carrying out additional checks for further assurance in some spaces. The Department is working with responsible bodies to support them to complete these additional checks as quickly as possible.

In addition to the 119 schools with confirmed RAAC included in the School Rebuilding Programme, the Department has today confirmed that a further 8 schools without RAAC have also been added to the programme. The projects announced today take the total number of schools in the programme to 513. The ten-year School Rebuilding Programme is continuing to prioritise school buildings with the highest condition need across England through rebuilding or significantly refurbishing buildings.

The Government has already confirmed it will fund schools and colleges for the costs of work needed to mitigate the presence of RAAC. Today’s announcement provides certainty for individual schools or colleges in England on how the Government will support the removal of RAAC from their buildings.

Our priority will always be to ensure the safety of pupils and staff, which is why we took a cautious approach for schools and colleges. Although the technical advice does not recommend removal in all cases where it is present, we have taken a precautionary approach for the education estate in England to remove RAAC.

£1.8 billion has already been committed in capital funding this year to support schools to stay in good working order, as part of £15 billion allocated since 2015. The School Rebuilding Programme will transform over 500 schools over the next decade.  A further £1.5 billion has been made available for colleges through the further education capital transformation fund.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 4 February 2024.

New teacher degree apprenticeship will support schools to recruit and retain the excellent teachers they need in vital subjects including maths.

A new teaching apprenticeship will launch this autumn revolutionising the way schools recruit teachers while supporting more people to earn while they study for a degree.

The teacher degree apprenticeship will offer a high-quality, alternative route for people to become qualified teachers. This includes people who may not be able to take time out to study full-time for a degree such as teaching assistants or staff already working in schools, to access this route to a rewarding profession.

Trainees on the new teacher degree apprenticeship will spend around 40 per cent of their time studying for their degree with an accredited teacher training provider, gain qualified teacher status and all tuition fees are paid for, so trainees won’t be saddled with the student debt.

The announcement coincides with national apprenticeship week. Apprenticeships are a brilliant way for people of all ages and backgrounds to build successful careers in a huge range of professions from nursing to medical doctors and space engineering to fusion technology, with opportunities available at all levels up to a degree level.

Since 2010, over 5.7 million people have started their apprenticeship journey and the government is increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024-25, ensuring businesses have a pipeline of talent to grow the economy.

Apprenticeships are a cornerstone of the government’s plans to provide people with an excellent route into some of the best careers and contributing to a high-skill, high-productivity economy.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, said:

The teacher degree apprenticeship will open up the profession to more people, from those who want a career change to those who are looking for an earn and learn route without student debt.

It will be a game-changing opportunity for schools to nurture and retain talent from the ground up, helping apprentices to gain the knowledge and skills they need to teach future generations.

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 investing £196 million this academic year to get more teachers across key subjects.

The TDA will build on this by diversifying the route into teaching and ensuring schools across the country can continue to recruit the teachers they need so young people have access to the top teaching talent they need to succeed. There are almost 400,000 individual teaching assistants in state funded schools in England. The TDA will provide a new route for teaching assistants who do not have an existing degree to train to become a teacher and continue their career progression in the classroom.

By the end of 2022 almost 90 per cent of 16-17 year olds were in education or apprenticeships. The latest figures show an 11% increase in the number of young people starting their apprenticeship journey compared to the same point last year, with young people continuing to make up over half of all apprenticeship starts.

As the government prepares to introduce the new advanced british standard, which will see all young people study some form of English and maths to the age of 18, it will be more important than ever for schools to attract and retain teachers in these vital subjects.

To support schools to offer the new apprenticeship, the government will launch a pilot scheme working with a small number of schools and teacher training providers to fund up to 150 apprentices to work in secondary schools to teach maths. Training providers will bid to partake in the pilot and trainees will be recruited from this autumn and start their training the following year.

Degree level apprenticeships have grown in popularity in recent years with a wide range of opportunities already available including construction, accounting and law.

The Department for Education and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) are working with an employer-led trailblazer group to develop the teacher degree apprenticeship to ensure it is high quality and meets the needs of schools.

The South Farnham Educational Trust, the chairs of the trailblazer group, said:

The TDA presents an ideal opportunity for talented professionals without a degree to pursue their dream of teaching.

The opportunity to gain QTS and a degree through the new TDA would enable our Trust to invest in talented individuals early in their career and grow them into outstanding teachers of the future.

The TDA allows individuals to earn a salary while completing their teacher training, supporting those who may not have the financial means to pursue a traditional university-based teacher training programme.

The Stoke and Staffordshire Teacher Education Collective, together with Staffordshire University, said:

This new route to qualification will offer a potentially powerful combination of reflective and on the job learning within and for our local communities.

It will enable us to widen opportunities for people committed to the transformative role that education plays in society.

Jennifer Coupland, chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), said:

Having this alternative quality route into teaching should make a big difference with encouraging people from wider backgrounds into the profession, helping with social mobility and making sure schools get all the talented teachers they need.

I think it’s also really important that this will provide extra support for brilliant teaching assistants and other people working in schools, who want to be teachers, to make that next step.

The teacher degree apprenticeship is a four-year training programme and will be available for people to train as primary or secondary teachers. It will build on the postgraduate teaching apprenticeship (PGTA) by offering a work-based route to attaining degree and qualified teacher status (QTS).

The teacher degree apprenticeship grant funding pilot will be a one-cohort pilot and evidence will be used to inform the future of the programme. Providers and employing schools will be able to develop and run teacher degree apprenticeship courses without additional funding within the same timeframes as the pilot.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 2 February 2024.

Brand new recruitment campaign for early years workers launches today across TV, cinema, online, radio and out of home advertising.

A major new national recruitment campaign has been launched by the Department for Education today (2 February 2024) alongside a trial of £1,000 cash sign-on bonuses, to give nurseries and early years providers the workers they need and offer more childcare places for parents.

The recruitment drive comes as the latest data shows that 102,480 children have been registered on the system, reflecting the strength of demand across the country before the first phase of the largest ever expansion in free childcare kicks in from April.

The rollout is set to save working parents using the full 30-hour entitlements up to £6,500 a year, doubling down on this government’s commitment to deliver a brighter future for Britain and improve economic security and opportunity for everyone.

Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan said:

Parents shouldn’t have to choose between a career and a family and our expanded childcare offer is going to make sure of that.

From April, hundreds of thousands of parents of 2 year olds will get 15 funded hours. This is good for families and good for the wider economy – ultimately putting more money in parents’ pockets at the end of the month.

The fantastic nurseries, childminders and professionals across the childcare sector are central to the success of this rollout and our new recruitment campaign will support them in continuing to deliver the flexible and high-quality childcare parents need.

The “Do Something Big” recruitment campaign is to encourage people to start a career working with small children – one part of this government’s ongoing sector support to ensure providers are in the best position to deliver the places parents need from April and September this year and next.

The campaign will look to boost recruitment across the sector by highlighting the vast array of childcare career routes and progression opportunities offering on-the-job training, flexible hours, and, most importantly, the chance to shape and support young lives.

A £1,000 sign-on bonus for childcare workers is also being launched today to increase capacity, tackle unemployment, and offer more childcare places.

The trial – which will cover 20 local authorities across the UK – will give new-starters and returners a tax-free cash payment shortly after they take up post.

Supporting with the cost of childcare and delivering a sustainable childcare sector is just one part of wider government efforts to grow the economy and reduce debt, with inflation falling from 11.1% to 4% and National Insurance by 2% in the last year alone.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said:

Due to the difficult decision this government has taken, and by sticking to our plan, inflation has fallen and the economy is beginning to turn a corner. But the cost of childcare remains a major barrier for parents who want to work.

That’s why we are delivering the biggest investment ever in childcare in England, which will save a working parent using 30 hours a week an average of £6,500. This recruitment campaign will ensure the sector is ready to deliver.

This comes as new research finds half (51%) of Brits would consider working with pre-school children, and 2 in 5 (39%) agreed they would be more likely to do so if given £1,000 cash after joining.

The survey highlighted just how influential early years professionals are in a child’s development, with 97% of parents agreeing an early years professional had an impact on their child’s development, and two thirds (66%) agreeing they are one of the most important people in their child’s life.

Rebecca Mabey, Development Lead at a non-profit in Essex, has received her code from the Childcare Service and will be taking up 30 government-funded hours a week for her 3-year-old boy from April:

I work 4 days a week, and the cost of nursery fees means my partner and I have only been able to afford a limited time there, often relying on immediate family for childcare support over the last few years.

The new hours will mean we can increase the time our little boy spends learning and socialising at nursery, give us more flexibility at work and take some of the pressure off our family who have helped so much already.

Our second child is due in June, so the next stage of rollout will be a huge help when baby number 2 comes along!

Liam Erens, who works at a nursery in London as part of the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), nearly let misconceptions about working in early years stop him pursuing a career he now loves. Liam joined LEYF 2 years ago as part of an all-male cohort of apprentices, and now works full-time as a qualified practitioner. He urges anyone considering a career in the sector to pursue it:

I’ve always had an interest in childcare but I was concerned about how people may judge me […] At first, my friends commented on how I was “just” looking after children but there is so much more to the role than that.

We are keeping children safe, nurturing them, scaffolding their learning and building the foundations for their life. An inclusive ethos is an important part of this.

The government has also today taken steps to provide greater funding certainty to nurseries and childcare providers. Each year, the government sets out funding rates in the autumn, to take effect in the following financial year. A window – likely to be 8 weeks – will be introduced, within which local authorities have to confirm rates, after the point the department announces local authority rates. We will work with the sector in the coming weeks to finalise the approach.

The government has also made clear to all local authorities that they should confirm local funding rates that come into force from 1 April no later than the end of February.

Clare Roberts, Kids Planet CEO said:

Many parents already recognise how amazing early years and childcare professionals are, but it’s time that everyone else does too, and that the sector is given the recognition and importance it deserves in the valuable job it does to shape future generations.

To deliver the government’s expansion of childcare and for it to be successful, we need to see significant growth across the sector, and what better way than to spotlight the incredible people already supporting and shaping our children.

I welcome the launch of this campaign and would urge anyone interested in pursuing a career in childcare to take that first step and start exploring the opportunities available.

Minister for Employment, Jo Churchill said:

Our Back to Work Plan is extending help for over a million people to find, stay and succeed in work. We know just how essential accessible childcare is for working parents, which is why we’ve increased the amount parents on Universal Credit are able to claim from £1,108 to £1,630 a month for 2 or more children.

The government’s expanded childcare offer also presents new opportunities in the sector, and we know how a career in childcare can be incredibly rewarding. Our Jobcentre teams stand ready to support those interested in early years work.

With the expansion of free childcare, parents across the country – including those on Universal Credit – can return to work, extend their hours or look for new opportunities confident that their children are well taken care of.

In October last year, the government allocated local authorities their share of £289 million to support the expansion of wraparound childcare, so that every parent of a primary school-aged child could access childcare from 8am to 6pm by September 2026.

Today, 4 areas have confirmed they will be rolling out expanded wraparound provision from April 2024 – 5 months ahead of the national programme launch in September. Central Bedfordshire, the bi-borough of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire will begin expanding provision – increasing access to flexible childcare for local working parents as part of a test and learn phase to strengthen the delivery of national rollout.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 30 January 2024.

The Department for Education has today (30 January) announced a new framework which will help ensure high quality teaching and improve pupil outcomes.

The new initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF) combines and updates the initial teacher training core content framework (CCF) and the early career framework (ECF). It will ensure that all new teachers receive three or more years of training underpinned by the best available evidence.

The frameworks were designed to help trainee and early career teachers succeed at the start of their teaching careers and combining them will mean teachers will get a more joined up development journey beyond initial training into the early years of their career.

Schools Minister Damian Hinds said:

Great teaching is key to securing academic success and improving pupil outcomes, which is why it is so important we continue to support teachers with high-quality, evidence-based training.

Today, we have announced a new combined framework to provide trainee and early career teachers with the knowledge and skills they need in those crucial first years in the classroom.

It’s thanks to the hard work of teachers and leaders that education standards have risen significantly since 2010. That is why we will continue to invest in competitive pay and high-quality training, improving teacher wellbeing and easing workload pressures.

Working with experts across the education sector, the framework has been updated to ensure it’s based on the latest evidence, including new and updated content on how teachers should support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), high quality oral language, and early cognitive development and children’s mental health.

Later this year, the Department for Education will be procuring updated training programmes for early career teachers (ECTs) based on this new framework. They will be designed after an evaluation of the national ECF reforms since September 2021.

The updated programmes, to be rolled out from September 2025, will be better designed to take ECTs’ learning from initial teacher training into account, provide more tailoring based on their level of development, subject and context, and streamline the training and support for mentors so they can better focus on supporting their ECTs.

The framework is a central part of the government’s teacher recruitment and retention strategy and is supported by the £130 million invested annually into the ECF.

The reforms to support trainees and ECTs builds on the government’s action to boost teacher recruitment, with £196 million invested this academic year to fund scholarships, bursaries and salary grants to help thousands of candidates through their initial teacher training.

Margaret Mulholland, ASCL SEN & Inclusion Policy Specialist said:

We must equip new teachers with the confidence and competence to know they can support every child. Whilst there are no ‘quick fixes’ for teachers or children, an Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework that gives more specific focus to developing the knowledge and skills to support pupils that need the most help is welcomed.

Professor Becky Francis, CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), said:

Like all great professions, teaching deserves to be built upon a core body of knowledge and skills that describe best practice and are drawn from robust research. By setting out what trainee and early career teachers should be entitled to know and do, today’s updated framework is an important step to realising this.

By independently assessing and endorsing the framework, we’ve made sure the claims it makes accurately reflect the evidence from which they were drawn. Our hope is that providers will be able to translate the framework into practically relevant programmes, balancing the need to cover core content alongside the holistic needs of their participants.

Last year, the government delivered on the manifesto commitment to give every new teacher a starting salary of at least £30,000 – alongside the highest pay award for teachers in over 30 years.

In strengthening the focus on helping teachers to support children and young people with SEND, we are building on wider government reform through the SEND and AP improvement plan, which outlines plans to reform the system, ensuring every child has access to a high-quality, fulfilling education.

The SEND system is underpinned by increased investment in the high needs budget, which will have risen by over 60 percent since 2019 to 2020 to over £10.5 billion in 2024 to 2025.

Supporting teachers’ development will continue to improve pupils’ outcomes. With thanks to the hard work of teachers already, standards of education have risen sharply since 2010, with 89 percent of school rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, up from just 68 percent in 2010.

Also, pupils in England have risen up the international rankings for maths, placing England as one of the top performing countries in the western world.

This built on existing international success, with England coming fourth for primary reading proficiency, out of 43 countries that tested children of the same age in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 24 January 2024.

Gillian Keegan sets out importance of evidence and innovation in approach to AI at Bett 2024.

Speaking at the Bett show in London today (Wednesday 24 January), the Education Secretary encouraged the sector to innovate and explore the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform teaching and learning.

The Education Secretary argued that, alongside robust regulation and an evidence-based approach, international collaboration is key if we are to take advantage of the opportunities offered by this emerging technology.

She told the conference, which was attended by thousands of teachers, tech experts and educators:

Since I stood on this stage in March last year, we’ve seen generative AI continue to develop at pace and spark conversations all over the globe. Those conversations have highlighted some of the opportunities and the challenges that AI might bring.

…Today we’re publishing our latest research on AI in education, having brought together views from our world-leading experts and educators… I want to encourage countries to continue sharing evidence as it’s generated, so we can all better harness the opportunities to make a real difference in classrooms across the world.

She continued:

This country’s EdTech sector contains a wealth of innovators and leaders who are looking to the future.

Alongside them are the brilliant educators, hundreds of whom responded to our recent call for evidence which told us how generative AI is saving hours of planning time and helping to reduce workloads.

Caroline Wright, Director General of the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) said:

It is good to see the Education Secretary supporting the UK’s EdTech sector at Bett. Bett is the world’s largest international EdTech exhibition and underlines the UK’s importance in leading global EdTech innovation and implementation.

Collaboration is key to successful EdTech adoption, and given the Education Secretary’s commitment to improving access and use of technology in education, it is timely that she will officially open Bett 2024 and welcome the 30,000 educators attending to learn, network and be inspired by ground-breaking technology solutions and services.

The Prime Minister’s AI summit at Bletchley Park last year positioned the UK as a world leader in this area, and the government is building a strong evidence base to inform its work on AI, including in education.

The speech coincides with the publication of the Educator and expert views report from the Department for Education, which contains insights from interviews with teachers, educators and academic experts, reaffirming the view that Generative AI could have a transformative impact on education.

For example, one teacher found that AI tools have helped her to personalise lessons and tailor resources for pupils. She said:

Embracing AI in teaching not only significantly lightens my workload but also enhances my creative expression, allowing me to design more innovative and engaging learning experiences for my students.

The report is supportive of the results of the Call for Evidence on Artificial Intelligence in education, published in November, which found that educational professionals are already embracing the opportunities offered by AI. The results of a two-day hackathon, held in October in conjunction with Faculty AI and the National Institute of Teaching, will be published in spring, further strengthening the department’s evidence base.

Respondents felt that successful use of Generative AI within their education settings relied on having a strong digital infrastructure. To help achieve this, last week, the Department published new digital and technology standards on laptops, desktops and tablets, leadership and governance, and accessibility.  The digital and technology standards support school staff to understand their roles and responsibilities to make sure that technology is accessible for all.

The report also reveals that academic misconduct is a top concern for educators and experts alike. To tackle this, the department is working closely with its regulators and the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT), to ensure the responsible use of AI in education, informed by the AI Regulation White Paper, Published last March.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Michelle Donelan, said:

The transformative benefits of AI are already being felt across society. I know that harnessing its potential to help our young minds learn and our brilliant educators teach is something we can all get behind.

By tapping into AI we can deliver personalised support for learners to help them in their studies, and free teachers from a range of administrative tasks to give them more time in front of the whiteboard. This will ensure we can deliver a world-leading education system in every classroom in the country.

At Bett, the Education Secretary also highlighted how the government is creating a forward-looking skills sector that is equipped to deal with AI. Last year, over 22,000 people started a digital apprenticeship, while digital Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) and Skills Bootcamps are helping both young and adult learners to develop their skillset and grasp the opportunities associated with AI.

Building a future-proofed skills landscape alongside a strong evidence base is helping the sector to take advantage of AI safely, allowing for innovation that could transform education for the better.

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

A £6 million donation to build a first-class science, technology, engineering, art and maths (STEAM) centre in Wiltshire has received the green light from Education Secretary Gillian Keegan.

Ministers at the Department for education approved the expansion of Malmesbury Primary School in Wiltshire for the new centre which was a condition of the donation from the Dyson Foundation.

This demonstrates the government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring pupils at all levels have access to high quality STEM education.

The expansion would see purpose-built rooms equipped for design, technology, art, science, and mathematics-based activities as well as additional classrooms. If planning permission is approved by Wiltshire Council, it is expected to be open to pupils from September 2027.

The Prime Minister has, separately, announced his ambitious 10-year plan to drive up young people’s skills through the Advanced British Standard, requiring all pupils in England to study some form of maths to the age of 18. This will help embed essential numeracy skills and give young people a platform to develop STEM expertise, supporting the government’s plan to create a world-class education system by growing the economy and investing in the skills that industry needs.

Our reforms are already improving maths education and driving up standards, with the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study finding that England outperformed the international average in maths, rising to 11th in international league tables in 2022.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:

I welcome this generous donation from the Dyson Foundation which will support cutting edge education for local pupils, helping to develop the scientists and engineers of the future.

This new centre will provide world-class facilities for pupils in Malmesbury and the surrounding areas to inspire them and develop the skills we need to compete on the world stage.

The £6 million donation builds on the work we have been doing to boost the uptake of STEM subjects in schools and through apprenticeships and further education, boosting growth and opportunity in these vital sectors.

To support growth and develop STEM skills, the department runs programmes such as the Stimulating Physics Network, and has a network of maths hubsand scholarships worth £30,000 to encourage more teachers to nurture future talent by teaching STEM subjects.

Additionally, design and technology trainee teachers will now receive tax free bursaries of £25,000 to train to teach, up from £20,000 in the academic year 2023 to 2024.

New T Level qualifications are also being rolled out, including in engineering and manufacturing, whilst a network of 21 Institutes of Technology is being established to work closely with industry and pioneer higher-level STEM training.

We continue to work with employers to offer more apprenticeship opportunities, including in dynamic and in-demand STEM fields. Apprenticeships are a great way for anyone, regardless of their background, to gain the skills they need for a successful career in STEM, and employers have developed over 365 high-quality apprenticeships in the Construction, Digital, Engineering and Manufacturing, and Health and Science sectors.

Our new specialist maths school are also being established across the county, offering talented young people world class maths and STEM opportunities regardless of their background. Seven schools are already open and teaching students in Exeter, Cambridge, Leeds and London (Imperial College), with a further 4 set to open in other parts of England.

The department is also working with other government departments through the UK Science and Technology Framework to deliver talent and skills for critical technologies.

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

The department for education has sent its response to the coroner’s Regulation 28 report to prevent further tragedies.

The Department for Education has sent the coroner its response to the regulation 28 prevention of future deaths report, following headteacher Ruth Perry’s inquest.

Work is ongoing between the department, Ofsted, local authorities and trusts to ensure all headteachers are supported during the inspection process. There is also a further commitment to ensure schools and inspectors are aware of the wellbeing help headteachers can access, including the recently expanded £1.5 million wellbeing support.

Alongside this, the department is committed to helping to avoid future tragedies through working with local authorities and school trusts to ensure that appropriate support is made available to school leaders following an adverse inspection result.

The department is committed to working with Ofsted to review how judgements are made for schools that are found to be inadequate solely on safeguarding grounds, as Caversham Primary School was. Where the safeguarding issues are shown to have been resolved quickly, no further intervention will take place.

Safeguarding guidance in the department will also be reviewed and a call for evidence will be launched in the spring, asking the sector for views on how to go further to support school leaders on safeguarding.

Two years ago, the department for education launched the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter – a public commitment to the wellbeing and mental health of everyone working in education.

As part of this, the expansion of the wellbeing support is new investment to deliver a 3-year mental health and wellbeing support package for school and college leaders, providing professional supervision and counselling to at least 2,500 leaders. In addition, the Education Support which provides wellbeing help for school leaders was this year doubled in size to support an additional 500 heads by March 2024.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:

Ruth Perry’s death was a tragedy and the coroner’s findings made clear that lessons need to be learned.

That’s why I have worked closely with Ruth Perry’s sister, former colleagues and friends over the past year, to listen and make important changes to inspections with Ofsted to secure a legacy for Ruth.

We are working to ensure inspections keep children safe, whilst also prioritising the safety and wellbeing of school leaders serving in our schools through expanded wellbeing support for leaders.

I hope lots of teachers and parents take part in Ofsted’s Big Listen to further evolve inspection practice so Ofsted continues to drive up school standards.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 15 January 2024.

£1.5million investment for mental health support, new guidance for schools to prevent bullying of staff and steps to ease teacher workload have been announced.

New measures to enhance recruitment and retention in the teaching profession have been announced by the government today.

They include £1.5 million of new investment to deliver a three-year mental health and wellbeing support package for school and college leaders; providing professional supervision and counselling to at least 2,500 leaders.

The government is also committing to publish new guidance for schools – expected to be completed this spring – on how to prevent and tackle bullying and harassment of school staff.

The measures have been announced after extensive consultation with school leaders and teachers around the improvements they believe will ensure that teaching remains an attractive and rewarding profession.

Separately, the Workload Reduction Taskforce – a cross-cutting group made up of unions, teachers, and sector leaders – has agreed early recommendations to help reduce teacher workload and encourage education staff wellbeing to support the department’s aim to reduce teachers’ and leaders’ working week by five hours within the next three years. The group will make final recommendations on how to address the wider causes of teacher and leader workload to government, Ofsted, and school and trust leaders in Spring 2024.

This builds on the Public Sector Productivity Programme led by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Chancellor, which is revealing huge opportunities to cut admin, safely harness Artificial Intelligence and deliver early interventions to relieve pressure on public services.

School Minister Damian Hinds said:

Great teaching is the key ingredient to academic success – and while we now have more teachers than ever before – it’s crucial that we continue to ensure that teaching remains an attractive and rewarding profession.

That’s why we have announced new investment and reforms today to support teacher wellbeing, ease workload pressures and tackle bullying and harassment of staff.

Thanks to the hard work of teachers and pupils, standards in education have risen significantly since 2010, with nearly 90% of schools now rated good or outstanding.

Earlier this year the Government delivered on the manifesto commitment to give every new teacher a starting salary of at least £30,000 – alongside the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. With thanks to the hard work of teachers, standards of education have risen sharply since this Government entered office in 2010, with 89% of school rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, up from just 68% in 2010.

The Workload Reduction Taskforce was launched by the Secretary of State alongside the pay award in July 2023. They were initially tasked with finding ways to maximise sign up to the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter – a public commitment to the wellbeing and mental health of everyone working in education – and strengthening the implementation of the 2016 independent workload review groups’ recommendations which looked at on reducing teacher workload in relation to marking, planning and data management.

Alongside this, the department is honouring its commitment to publish its progress update on the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter – two years after it was initially launched. The update shows the significant progress made on its pledges, including the commitment to: embed staff workload and wellbeing considerations into Government decisions; measure and respond to changes in staff wellbeing; and make sure guidance meets user needs. Over 3,000 schools and colleges have adopted the charter so far.

The department has also renewed a contract with Now Teach to support career changers into teaching, helping bring in talented, experienced professionals into the profession. The contract, valued at £1.5 million will support career changes up to October 2026.