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
9th Jul 2026
Bridget Phillipson: Support body will end staff pay inequality
The education secretary writes for 91¶¶Òõ to explain why she hopes new anti-bullying guidance and a negotiating body for support staff will have a real impact for all those in schools
The MAT CEO pay cap is a watershed moment - but it’s risky
The government is right to tighten oversight of trust executive pay, but the policy must not lead to approval bottlenecks or battles between MATs and ministers, says NGA’s Sam Henson
Wednesday
8th Jul 2026
Experts play down DfE role in teacher workforce recovery
The Department for Education has engineered ‘very little’ of a recovery in the teacher workforce, with factors beyond the government’s control playing a big part, says EPI
DfE standards must guide the sector, not tell us what to do
The government’s creation of new standards for trusts and inclusion offers an opportunity to set out clear principles – instead of just writing up new checklists, says the Confederation of School Trusts’ Leora Cruddas
Tuesday
7th Jul 2026
AI tutors ‘make more work’ for teachers, experts say
With the DfE planning to introduce AI tutoring tools next year, experts tell an MPs’ committee that some tools can leave teachers ‘bogged down’ with ‘low-level’ work
Nearly half of primaries struggle to find time for languagesÂ
Languages are coming ‘under pressure’ from primary school onwards – but the primary experience is key to enthusiasm for languages in secondaries, finds British Council
Andrew O’Neill: ‘A school usually fails due to its systems, not its staff’
In our How I Lead series, we ask education leaders to reflect on their careers, their experience and their leadership philosophy. This month we talk to Andrew O’Neill, headteacher and currently school policy and delivery adviser to education secretary Bridget Phillipson
Monday
6th Jul 2026
Gove: Coalition government wrong to ‘neglect’ Sure Start
Speaking on a panel with the author of the review into the Neet problem, the former Conservative education secretary says Bridget Phillipson is right in prioritising school readiness
Have two years of Labour moved the key data points in schools?
The government is approaching the mid-point of its term in office, so is it making progress on recruitment, behaviour, attendance and its manifesto pledges?
Only 6% of schools opened late after England vs Mexico
Most schools did not make any changes to the school day to accommodate England’s 2am World Cup match against Mexico
Inclusion: experts warn against ‘ineffective’ teaching adaptations
The EEF has produced a new research-backed toolkit to support inclusive teaching, which highlights the risk of approaches that ‘lower expectations’