Department for Education

Unions call on gov to scrap inspection reform timetable

The Department for Education (DfE) must scrap plans to introduce its new school inspection arrangements in November and delay its implementation until the start of the 2026/27 academic year, unions have warned the government.  The general secretaries of NEU, NASUWT, ASCL and NAHT have written to state secretary Bridget Phillipson…

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DfE pledges £6.3m for T Level placements in health and construction

The government has allocated £6.3m to support employers offering industry placements for students studying T Levels in health and construction. It comes as the Department for Education (DfE) announced this week that a “targeted” employer support fund will provide financial assistance to both small and large businesses. The fund will…

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Climate change could lead to 11 lost days of learning, DfE warns

A new report has highlighted the serious risks to learning and infrastructure in England’s schools due to climate change, with students facing 11 lost days of learning by 2100, the Department for Education (DfE) has warned.  It comes as a joint analysis by the Met Office and University College London…

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DfE appoints Dame Christine Gilbert as next Ofsted chair

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced the appointment of Dame Christine Gilbert as the next chair of Ofsted yesterday (11 June).  Gilbert, who is a former chief inspector and author of the Independent Learning Review for Ofsted, will take up the post on 1 September.  She will replace Sir…

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New guidance advises teachers can use AI to save time on marking

New guidance advises that teachers can use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help speed up marking and produce correspondence with parents. New teaching materials distributed to schools advises that teachers can use technology to help “automate routine tasks” in order to provide greater focus on time with pupils. It comes as…

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DfE expands FSM to all children of Universal Credit households

Over half a million more children will reportedly benefit from a free meal every school day, after the government announced it is expanding the eligibility to include all children from universal credit households. From the start of the 2026 school year, every pupil whose household is on Universal Credit will…

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First schools install Great British Energy solar panels

The first 11 schools across the country to install new Great British Energy solar panels are set to save £175,000 per year, following the government’s £180m funding to cut bills for schools and hospitals. The savings will be reinvested in schools as part of the government’s Plan for Change to…

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DfE could face budget cut if treated as ‘unprotected’, IFS warns

The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned that if the Department for Education is treated as an ‘unprotected’ area, it could face a 3% real-terms cut to its budget over the upcoming Spending Review period.  Such a cut, which is equivalent to £2.6bn, would involve “difficult trade-offs”, according to…

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DfE to roll out AI to track school attendance

The secretary of state for education, Bridget Phillipson, has revealed that the Open Innovation Team (OIT) will be providing support to the Department for Education in the form of AI tools for tracking school attendance.  Schools and responsible bodies can now access the attendance reports tool via the View Your…

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DfE appoints builder for permanent Boxing Academy home

The Department for Education has appointed McLaren Construction to build the Boxing Academy, a 56-student secondary school in Clapton which will serve 12 to 16-year-olds who need an alternative to mainstream education. The new building, set to be complete in September 2026, relocates temporary facilities in Hackney to a nearby site. …

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