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
2nd Jul 2026
CST questions legality of CEO pay crackdown
Academy trust sector body tells members it is ‘testing the legalities’ of the government’s plan to limit MAT senior leaders’ pay
Exclusive
Union calls for ‘flexible’ school start after England vs Mexico
The call from NEU’s Daniel Kebede follows England manager Thomas Tuchel, who told parents to ‘write an excuse for school and let children watch’ the World Cup match
Schools told to pay ‘half’ of teacher pay rise
The DfE has told schools they will need to find the first 1 per cent of next year’s teacher pay rise – but this money will be on top of the ‘financial headroom’ the government claims exists in schools’ budgets
KS2 Sats results delayed by more than a week
Exam board apologises for ‘technical issues’ as government considers cancelling Pearson contract
Exclusive
Wednesday
1st Jul 2026
How will the MAT CEO pay cap work?
Multi-academy trusts will need government approval before advertising chief executive salaries above £174,000, under plans announced today
Anger over ‘patronising’ DfE heatwave message to heads
Officials question schools that closed early last week because of the heat, telling them it is important for as many pupils as possible to attend
Exclusive
Revealed: Teachers to be offered 3.5% pay rise
The government also announces curbs on the salaries of multi-academy trust executives
Exclusive
The £250,000 question about exam grades we should be asking
With research revealing the impact that a one-grade difference in A-level results can have on a student’s future earnings, is a reliability in grading of ‘one grade either way’ really acceptable, asks Dennis Sherwood
DfE spending on influencers exceeds £700K over two years
The spending on influencer marketing at a time when schools are struggling for cash suggests the government is operating in an ‘alternate reality’, says heads’ leader
Monday
29th Jun 2026
Pay teachers more in white working-class areas, DfE told
England’s education system is ‘not set up to serve white working-class children and families’, independent inquiry warns
We need to target KS3 to improve white working-class outcomes
A member of the inquiry into white working-class pupils’ outcomes says successive governments’ efforts to drive up standards have overlooked a phase of education where students often become disengaged