DfE

The latest news and analysis on the Department for Education and the secretary of state for education, including new policy, legislation and appointments

Thursday

18th Dec 2025

Why ‘rage bait’ is an apt word to describe 2025
From AI attendance targets to more mandatory tests, the DfE has not made it easy for schools to remain calm amid so many demands – and 2026 may not be any better, says Pepe Di’Iasio
Mouse trap with cheese

Wednesday

17th Dec 2025

Schools must teach healthy relationships to tackle violence against girls
Teachers will be given specialist training to talk to students about issues such as consent, as part of a new government strategy to address misogyny
A young woman holding up her hand, as if in self-defence, to the camera
‘Static’ SEND funding puts support at risk, heads warn
Government announces that the use of its national formula for allocating high-needs funding for councils will be paused ahead of its planned reforms to the SEND system
DfE suspends high needs funding formula
Warning of ‘cognitive decline’ if schools miss out on AI development
England’s biggest education union voices fears following the announcement that a Google subsidiary is looking to adapt its chatbot for use in schools
Warning of cognitive impact if schools miss out on AI development
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Tuesday

16th Dec 2025

5 key challenges in teacher recruitment and retention
Teacher workload and leadership ‘churn’ are among the big issues for the school workforce, an MPs’ committee hears from the NEU, ASCL and NFER
Five key challenges in teacher recruitment and retention, MPs hear

Monday

15th Dec 2025

No extra funding for teacher pay, Treasury confirms
Treasury says the DfE must fund any teacher pay award from its existing budget, with no additional money being provided beyond spending review settlements
Treasury says there will be no extra funding for teacher pay awards
Google seeks to develop chatbot for teachers
Google DeepMind aims to build a version of its Gemini chatbot that can be used by teachers and is trained on the national curriculum in England

A person using a phone with a light behind it
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Friday

12th Dec 2025

Eton-backed free schools among projects spared in DfE review
Two maths schools have also been given the go-ahead but most of the 44 mainstream free-school schemes that were on hold look set to be scrapped
2 free school sixth forms backed by Eton have been given the go ahead but another is set to dropped.
SEND spending favours mainstream ‘at expense of special schools’
Leaders question government decision to drop special and alternative provision free schools amid pressure for specialist places
Heads warn SEND spending favours mainstream ‘at expense of special schools’
Safeguarding review on ‘zero tolerance’ sparks national row
Hackney safeguarding chair will write to the education secretary to voice concerns over criticism of the review from DfE behaviour ambassador Tom Bennett
A safeguarding review which strongly criticised the impact of school behaviour policies on vulnerable students has sparked a major row involving the Department for Education. The Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review into Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA) in East London has warned that the school simultaneously achieves remarkable academic success while causing harm to some of its most vulnerable pupils. The review warned of the impact of behaviour policies such as shouting at students and applyi
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Can per-pupil funding keep schools afloat as rolls plummet?
Demographic decline is squeezing school budgets and forcing political choices. Is it time to rethink the way schools are funded?
Falling rolls
Don’t overestimate resource base savings, heads warn Labour
Leaders question education secretary’s suggestion that creating more specialist places in mainstream schools will address SEND cost pressures outlined in Budget
Headteachers' leaders have questioned how much can be saved from creating specialist provision in mainstream schools.