Department for Education

Free breakfast club expansion to reach 500 more schools from April

The government will extend its Best Start free breakfast club scheme to 500 more schools from April in a move expected to reach an extra half a million children. The expansion is aimed at areas with high levels of disadvantage, and applications opened this week for schools in which at least…

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Govt funds research into earlier identification of SEND needs

The government has announced today (20 November) that researchers, charities and educators will test new data tools aimed at identifying special educational needs earlier. The initiative – part of a £500m research and development accelerator designed to tackle major national challenges – will explore approaches that could enable schools to…

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Schools to receive individual attendance targets, says gov 

Every school in England is set to be given an individual attendance improvement target from this month as part of a government plan to reduce pupil absence to pre-pandemic levels.The Department for Education (DfE) said the move is intended to help children “achieve and thrive” by ensuring they spend more…

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Unions warn of ‘unsustainable pressure’ amid DfE pay proposals 

NASUWT, NEU, NAHT, ASCL and Community have jointly warned that the government’s proposed pay award for teachers will place “unsustainable” pressure on schools. It comes as ministers have recommended a 6.5% pay uplift spread over three years, weighted towards later years. The DfE proposal confirms schools will be expected to part-fund…

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DfE appoints Dame Annie Hudson to lead Social Work England review

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced that Dame Annie Hudson will lead its newly-launched independent review of Social Work England, which aims to assess how effectively the regulator is maintaining standards and public confidence.   As the former chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and a former director…

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Govt proposes 6.5% teacher pay rise spread over three years

The government has recommended a 6.5% pay increase for teachers, spread over the next three years, in its latest submission to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). In written evidence, the Department for Education (DfE) said the proposed award, covering 2026-27 to 2028-29, would be “appropriate” and weighted towards the…

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DfE sets timeline for RAAC removal from all schools and colleges

All schools and colleges in England are to be free from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) under new timelines announced by education secretary Bridget Phillipson. The Department for Education (DfE) said all RAAC would be permanently removed from schools and colleges before the next general election, except those already being…

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Bouygues UK to lead multi-million Rosedale College redevelopment

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced the appointment of Bouygues UK as the main contractor for the multi-million-pound redevelopment of Rosedale College in the London Borough of Hillingdon.  Part of the DfE’s national School Rebuilding Programme, the project will replace the school’s 1960s buildings with modern facilities, including new…

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Surrey schools expand neurodiversity support programme

The Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINs) has expanded to a total of 70 schools across Surrey, following a successful pilot phase.  As a joint initiative between NHS England and the Department for Education (DfE), it aims to strengthen early intervention, equip teachers with specialist skills, and improve…

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Government to extend free breakfast clubs to 2,000 more schools

The government has announced that its free breakfast club scheme will be rolled out in 2,000 additional schools from April 2026.  The expansion is expected to give around half a million more children access to free breakfasts, while parents could save time and childcare costs. The scheme is backed by…

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