Department for Education

Gov to invest £3bn in SEND provisions 

The government has announced at least £3bn to create tens of thousands of new specialist places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) within mainstream schools across England.The education secretary said the funding would support a major expansion of specialist learning spaces designed to provide calmer environments and…

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Ofqual opens consultation on proposed rules for on-screen exams

Ofqual has launched a 12-week consultation on plans to regulate the introduction of on-screen exams in GCSEs, AS and A levels.  The move sets out a controlled framework intended to support limited digital innovation while protecting standards across England’s qualifications system. The consultation builds on joint research by Ofqual and…

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Govt to tighten oversight of uni franchising under fraud crackdown

The government plans to bring university franchising arrangements under tighter oversight as part of a wider effort to curb abuse of the student finance system, which officials say cost taxpayers £2m in 2022/23. Under the proposals, franchiser providers with 300 or more students would be required to register with the…

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Central Co-op maps sector role in school bereavement lessons

Central Co-op has called for coordinated funeral sector support to underpin the introduction of bereavement education in schools, publishing a whitepaper that outlines priorities for teachers, policymakers and funeral professionals ahead of the 2026 curriculum change. The report – The Silence is Over: Why Grief Belongs in the Classroom –…

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Wiltshire Council buys Colerne site to expand local SEND places

Wiltshire Council has acquired the former Calder House Independent School site near Colerne to create additional specialist places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).  The site, now called the Northwood Centre, will operate as a satellite campus of an existing special school under council ownership. A report…

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Gov launches national engagement drive on SEND reforms

The government has begun a nationwide engagement campaign intended to “make sure parents play a central role” in plans to reform the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. The Department for Education (DfE) said it “inherited a SEND system on its knees, with too many children let down and parents…

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OBR defends SEND budget forecast

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has defended the modelling behind its forecast for future spending on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) during a Treasury Committee hearing on the Autumn Budget. Members of the Budget Responsibility Committee were questioned by MPs as part of the committee’s scrutiny of the…

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OfS proposes plans to simplify rules for further education colleges

The Office for Students (OfS) has outlined plans to simplify how it regulates further education colleges in England by removing some requirements that overlap with Department for Education (DfE) oversight.  The regulator has opened a consultation on the proposed changes, which focus on reducing duplication while maintaining protections for students…

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Teacher wellbeing ‘far below’ public levels, says NAHT

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said the latest Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders report shows only limited progress on improving working conditions for teachers and leaders, despite small year-on-year reductions in workload.  According to the trade body’s general secretary Paul Whiteman, the data pointed to marginal gains…

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Gov assessment plans could narrow pupil engagement, NEU finds

The government’s plan to keep all existing primary assessments and introduce a statutory reading test for Year 8 pupils will narrow the curriculum and worsen pupil engagement, according to a new survey by the National Education Union (NEU). The online poll of 1,136 primary and secondary teachers was carried out…

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