Policy
Get the latest updates on education policies, government initiatives, and school funding decisions. We cover key announcements from the Department for Education (DfE), Ofsted, and policymakers, offering insights into how policy changes affect primary, secondary, and sixth form education.
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Mar- 2025 -24 March
Chancellor dismisses reports universal free school meals could be axed
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has denied claims that ministers are considering ending universal school meals for primary school children. The news comes following a report in The Times that suggested Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, was considering making free school meals means tested instead of universal as it is now. Currently, Universal…
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21 March
DoE unveils £45m investment to improve digital divide in schools
Schools across the country are being supported by the Department of Education to close the digital divide in classrooms with a £45m investment to improve connectivity and further plans to make digital standards a requirement for all schools. The boost for schools will mean no learner is left behind in…
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21 March
£80m gov solar panel project to help 200 schools cut energy bills
The government has announced that 200 schools across the UK will benefit from new rooftop solar power and renewable schemes to save money on their energy bills, thanks to a £200m investment from Great British Energy. In another step forward for the government’s Plan for Change, the Energy Secretary has…
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21 March
Teachers want more flexibility in their pension plans, EPI finds
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has found that teachers prioritise immediate salary increases over retirement benefits, while a “sizeable” proportion of teachers would prefer more flexibility in their pension plans.The EPI collaborated with Teacher Tapp to survey nearly 6,000 teachers to find out what they want from their compensation package…
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20 March
Govt backs councils with £500m to restore family services
The government has pledged over £500m in funding for preventive services to drive restoration in family and parenting support across every English council. This funding aims to build on the landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to better support vulnerable children. Representing the single biggest piece of child protection legislation…
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19 March
Current curriculum not ‘delivering’ for every child, DoE finds
The current system is not “delivering” for every child and new four key areas of education should be the focus of the next phase of work, the Department of Education found. According to the new curriculum and assessment review interim report, many aspects of the curriculum and assessment system are…
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17 March
ASCL president calls for end to social media chaos among schoolchildren
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) president has called for an end to the chaos created by social media usage among children. The president of the association, Manny Botwe, recognises the benefits smartphones bring, especially helping to create connections across continents and expanding access to knowledge, but he…
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17 March
Welsh govt to invest £20m to improve ALN facilities in schools
The Welsh government has announced a £20m investment in schools to create new and improved classrooms and equipment for children and young people with additional learning needs (ALN). It comes as over £80m has been allocated to the sector over the last three years to transform learning spaces for learners…
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17 March
Pupil absence ‘growing driver’ of disadvantage gap, report finds
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has called for the government to address the underlying causes of school absences, as it identifies higher levels of absence to be a key factor in the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. Its latest report found that pupil absence is a key,…
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13 March
Govt Spending Review last chance to recruit 6,500 teachers, NFER says
The government Spending Review will be the “now or never” opportunity to recruit 6,500 new teachers, a new report from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) revealed. According to NFER’s 2025 Teacher Labour Market in England Annual report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, teacher unfilled vacancy levels are at…
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