Tag: Department for Education

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 31 August 2025.

Education Secretary makes back-to-school call for parents to ensure children are in the classroom ready to learn.

Hundreds of thousands of children will benefit from improved attendance, calmer classrooms and government support as the Education Secretary tells parents to join a united effort to get children at their desks and ready to learn.

Bridget Phillipson is starting the new school year by calling time on bad behaviour as shocking new data shows seven out of every 30 classroom minutes are lost to kids kicking off.

The Department for Education has today (Sunday 31 August 2025) unveiled a game-changing package of support for schools to help tackle the behaviour and attendance crisis, but the Education Secretary warns “when it comes to getting kids in and behaving – this includes mums, dads and carers too”.

It’s part of the government’s Plan for Change mission to break the link between background and success through education, which is already turning the tide on attendance with five million more days in the classroom and 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent last year.

This signals the biggest year-on-year improvement in attendance in a decade, equivalent to 1,000 classes of children learning full time for a year – estimated to protect over £2 billion in pupils’ future earnings.

This new school term the Education Secretary is determined that mums and dads also need to do more as the scale of this government’s inheritance has been laid bare. The latest behaviour survey, covering the 2023/24 academic year shows a staggering majority (78%) of teachers reported that poor behaviour had a negative impact on their health and wellbeing.

Further action to tackle this will begin from the start of the new term, as 800 schools – responsible for around 600,000 pupils – will benefit from new RISE Attendance and Behaviour Hubs.

Across the whole programme, 5,000 schools are set to benefit, with 500 of those in most need receiving intensive, targeted help.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

I am calling on parents, schools and families to join us in playing their part to get children in class and ready to learn for the start of the new school term.

We have already made progress with five million more days in school this year and are backing parents and supporting schools through our Plan for Change. But we all need to do more, and when it comes to getting kids in and behaving – this includes mums, dads and carers too.

We know what works – strong leadership, consistent attendance and schools standing shoulder to shoulder with families. That’s why we’re investing in proven expertise so that schools facing the biggest challenges can get the support they need.

The programme will share proven strategies from school leaders that have successfully turned attendance and behaviour around.

This work will be supported by Tom Bennett and Jayne Lowe, announced today as new Attendance and Behaviour Ambassadors to play a key role in ensuring the sector’s voice is reflected in shaping the programme.

DfE Attendance and Behaviour Ambassador Tom Bennett, said:

Every child deserves a school that is safe and calm, where they can be treated with dignity- and so do all school staff.

We’re drawing on the professional experience of some of the best schools in England that have successfully created exactly that.

By helping to build relationships between these schools and their peers, we’ll be building a national network of expertise that can change the futures for generations of children.

DfE Attendance and Behaviour Ambassador Jayne Lowe:

This role is a real privilege, and I can’t wait to work with colleagues across the sector to ensure every child feels connected, supported, and inspired in school.

All children deserve to belong in school, and I am committed to helping schools create safe, inclusive environments where they can thrive.

It is vital that schools hit the ground running in September. I urge school and MAT leaders to prioritise culture-setting with pupils and families.”

The Department for Education’s forthcoming schools white paper will set out plans to crack down on bad behaviour – giving schools support and continued accountability while recognising the vital role that parents and families have to play.

This government’s mission is to give every child – from early years to leaving school – the Best Start in Life.

That is why we are delivering free breakfast clubs across the country, expanding mental health support in schools, investing £1.4 billion to fix the crumbling state of classrooms increased pupil premium funding so that every child has the opportunity to achieve and thrive.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 28 August 2025.

Ellen Thinnesen will lead work to boost college leadership and governance.

Ellen Thinnesen OBE, Chief Executive of Education Partnership North East, has been appointed as the next Further Education Commissioner, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced today (28 August 2025).

Ellen has a wealth of experience and knowledge to bring to the role having been CEO and Principal of Sunderland College from 2016 and Chief Executive of Education Partnership North East from 2019. This includes successfully leading three colleges – Sunderland College, Northumberland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form College – through mergers and transforming them to become one of the strongest groups in the sector in terms of both quality of teaching and financial health.

As Further Education Commissioner, Ellen will lead a team of Deputies and Advisers to support and strengthen the leadership and governance of colleges, ensuring they are well run and continue to offer high quality education and training to the communities they serve.

She will play a key role in driving improvement at pace across the sector and delivering on the Government’s missions through its Plan for Change, with a focus on growing the economy in key sectors and breaking down barriers to opportunity through tackling the rising numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).

Ellen will take up her post in January 2026 for a three-year term.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

I am delighted to appoint Ellen to the vital role of FE Commissioner. Her experience of driving improvement will be invaluable as we work to ensure the FE sector creates the skills our economy and communities need to thrive.

I would like to thank Shelagh Legrave CBE DL for her work in the role over the last three years and I wish her all the best for the future.

Ellen Thinnesen said:

It is a great privilege to be appointed Further Education Commissioner at this crucial time when skills are vital to delivering the Government’s missions for growth and opportunity.

The further education sector plays a critical role in transforming lives and driving economic growth. Looking ahead, it is well-placed to tackle persistent skills challenges, deliver equitable access to quality education, and re-engage those not in education, employment, or training (NEET). By adapting, innovating, and aligning provision with future labour market needs, the sector has a vital role in equipping learners with the skills to thrive in a rapidly changing economy.

I look forward to working with colleges across England to ensure they are in the strongest possible position to change people’s lives for the better and meet the needs of employers and communities.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 21 August 2025.

GCSE and vocational results stabilise following disruption during the pandemic with young people progressing on to A levels, T Levels or an apprenticeship.

Millions of pupils across the country are celebrating after receiving GCSE and other vocational and technical qualification (VTQs) results today (Thursday 21 August), as young people prepare to move on to the next stage of their education.

The proportion of entries achieving top grades (grade 7 or above), and grade 4 are broadly consistent with last year, reflecting a stable picture following the disruption this cohort experienced during the pandemic.

Students collecting results today will progress on to one of many high-quality education or training options including A levels, T Levels or exciting apprenticeship opportunities.

There are now 20 high quality T Levels to choose from including Marketing, Health, and Digital giving young people the skills, knowledge and experience they need to progress.

Despite the stability of results this year there are still wide variations between regions with pupils across the North West and West Midlands continuing to be held back compared to their peers in London, and historically poor outcomes year on year for pupils from white working-class backgrounds.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

Behind every grade lies hours of dedication, resilience and determination and both students and teachers should feel an immense sense of pride in what they’ve achieved today.

But while results today are stable, once again we are seeing unacceptable gaps for young people in different parts of the country.

Where a young person grows up should not determine what they go on to achieve. Through our Plan for Change – from revitalised family services to higher school standards – I am absolutely determined to make sure every young person, wherever they live, has the opportunities they deserve.

The government has made tangible progress to fix the foundations of education through its Plan for Change – attendance is up, with over five million fewer days of absence this year compared to last, and teacher recruitment and retention is also up, with 2,300 more teachers in schools.

New Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams are also shining a light on those areas of the country that are not delivering for pupils. This sits alongside wider work to tackle disadvantage including expanding free school to reach half a million more children and rolling out free breakfast clubs across the country. Up to 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs will also be rolled out in every local authority by April 2026, revitalising family services and providing wide-ranging help for families, such as parenting and early development.

This builds on the government’s drive to support more young people to gain the skills needed to build successful careers including investing £625 million to create up to 60,000 more bricklayers, electricians, and joiners by 2029 and establishing ten specialist Construction Technical Excellence Colleges.

This year results show that:

• 23.0% of English 16-year-old entries achieved a grade 7 and above this year, a 0.3 percentage points increase on 2024 (22.6%) and an increase on 2019 (21.9%).
• 70.5% of English 16-year-old entries achieved grade 4 and above, similar to 2024 (70.4%) and 0.6 percentage points higher than in 2019 (69.9%).
• The proportion of 18- and 19-year-olds achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths has risen – for both ages by around 2 percentage points for English and 1 percentage points for maths.
• More students have entered Music this year with entries from 16-year-olds up 6.3% for Music GCSE and at the highest number since the pandemic ended.
• For all ages, where the gaps between regions grew during the pandemic these have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels across both A levels and GCSEs.
• This is particularly notable at Grade 4 where 72% of London students of all ages get a Grade 4 and above compared with just 63% in the West Midlands.

Later this year the government will publish Schools and Skills white papers which will build on the work already underway to tackle entrenched inequalities, setting out the further reforms needed for an education and skills system where every child and young person can achieve and thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances.

For the first time some young people across Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will be able to view and share their GCSE results with their future post-16 school or college via a new app. The Education Record App is being trialled to explore   how technology can be harnessed to support efficiencies in schools and colleges.

The app gives students the ability to access, control and share their education information easily, without the hassle of paper certificates, long forms or repetitive questions.

The government estimates the technology could save schools and colleges up to £30m per year if fully rolled out, enough money to pay the salaries of more than 600 new teachers in further education.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 14 August 2025.

Record number of 18-year-olds in England get first choice university, as T Levels continue to grow and government tackles inequalities through Plan for Change.

Hundreds of thousands of young people across England are celebrating receiving their A level, T Level and Vocational Technical Qualification (VTQ) results today (14 August 2025), as the Education Secretary thanked teachers and congratulated students.

University continues to be a popular choice for young people with record numbers (193,510, up from 184,400 in 2024) of English 18-year-olds receiving their first choice of university.  20.4% of disadvantaged 18-year-olds being accepted to higher education, up from 19.8% in 2024 and 17.4% in 2019.

But like in previous years, results today have exposed inequalities which continue to exist in the education system, with big gaps between regions and with poor outcomes year on year for pupils from white working-class backgrounds. This follows the government setting out a clear focus on tackling these issues head on and ensuring white working-class pupils – especially boys – are supported to thrive in school and go on to get well-paid jobs.

T Levels also continue to deliver strong results for students.  The overall pass rate for T Levels is 91.4%, with almost two thirds of students (65.3%) achieving a merit or above, as this innovative new qualification offering hands-on experience of work in an in-demand sector continues to grow. Last year, 97% of T Level students who applied to university received at least one offer, with others progressing onto an apprenticeship or a job. T Level industry placements offer strong work experience, insights into competitive sectors which students might not otherwise get, and lead to good jobs – with around a third of students that get jobs after their course doing so with their chosen T Level industry placement employer.

The figures build on the government’s drive to deliver the skilled workforce the country needs and follows the announcement of a new £100 million investment just this week in ten specialist Construction Technical Excellence Collegesto offer even more opportunities to build successful careers in trades.

Over the past 12 months, the government has already made progress in fixing the foundations of education through its Plan for Change and turning the tide on stubborn challenges. Attendance is up, with over 5 million fewer days of absence this year compared to last. And teacher recruitment and retention is up, with 2,300 more teachers in our schools.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

Students should be incredibly proud of their hard work and their achievements today, and I am immensely grateful to teachers and school staff for everything they have done to support students up to this point.

Every single young person collecting their results today should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams – whether that starts with further study, university, an apprenticeship or the world of work – but too often, opportunities depend on background rather than talent. The entrenched divide in outcomes seen over the last few years and the lack of progress for children from white working-class backgrounds is particularly concerning.

Through our Plan for Change we are breaking the link between background and success, starting with reformed early years and revitalised family services, through to ambitious reforms to our school and post-16 system to make sure every young person, wherever they grow up, is truly ready for life and work.

Progress sits alongside vital, wider work to tackle disadvantage such as expanding free school meals, providing free breakfast clubs across the country and revitalising family services in every local authority.

Results today show that:

• at grade C and above at A level, the North East is now the only region where attainment remains below pre-pandemic levels
• more pupils are taking maths, physics and chemistry A levels than at any other time since modern records began – and more of these pupils taking these subjects are achieving a grade C – preparing them to work in the STEM sectors in the future
• almost 12,000 students received T Level results this year, up from just over 7,000 last year and around 3,500 in 2023
• almost 240,000 certificates were awarded for those completing their Level 3 vocational and technical qualifications

24.9% of 18-year-olds from the North East have secured a university place on results day compared to 43.4% of 18-year-olds from London. This gap is now 18.5 percentage points, which is the highest on record, up from 17.3 percentage points in 2024 and 11.9 in 2019.

For A level results the gap between this year’s lowest performing region (East Midlands) and highest performing (London) is 6.0 percentage points at C and above. While the gap has decreased from 6.3 percentage points in 2024 it is still greater than in 2019 (when the equivalent gap was 5.2 percentage points).

Later this year government will publish Schools and Post-16 Skills white papers, setting out further reforms to build an education system where every child and young person can achieve and thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances.

To further break down barriers to opportunity for young people, the government has also launched the Youth Guarantee, which will ensure that every 18 to 21-year-old in England will have support to access an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities or help to find a job, backed by £45 million investment.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 12 August 2025.

Tens of thousands of future construction workers to be trained up in high-demand construction skills by 2029, delivering growth and helping build new homes.

More than 40,000 future builders, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters and plumbers will get cutting edge skills to get Britain building at state-of-the-art Technical Excellence Colleges unveiled today (Tuesday 12 August).

The specialist colleges will be in every region of England to deliver the workforce needed to turbocharge the building of new homes, schools and hospitals, helping to realise every Brit’s dream of owning their own home.

The move will allow the industry to draw on homegrown, British talent in the years to come rather than relying on overseas workers, backing the British working class with well-paid, high skilled job opportunities.

Backed by a £100 million investment, the colleges will help deliver well-paid jobs for British workers, support the construction sector and deliver the government’s commitment to build 1.5 million homes through its Plan for Change.

Not only did the government inherit a severe shortage of housing, the UK also doesn’t have enough construction workers to start building more homes at the rate required, with figures from the Office for National Statistics showing around 35,000 job vacancies need to be plugged in the sector.

Britain cannot and should not rely on foreign labour, which is why the specialist colleges are central to delivering growth – by working closely with employers, existing colleges and local communities to make sure that the skills people are getting are in-demand and will lead to well-paid work.

The new specialist colleges announced today will train 40,000 construction learners by 2029. They will also break down barriers to opportunity, by supporting young people breaking into the sector at the start of their careers as apprentices, as well as established workers getting new skills for better paid jobs. This future proofs the economy, preserving our highly-skilled construction workforce for generations to come.

This builds on the £625 million investment announced in March, which will separately be used to train up to 60,000 more skilled construction workers by 2029. This will pay for new foundation apprenticeships, skills bootcamps and industry placements for school leavers, all of which will help lay foundations for long term economic growth through the government’s Plan for Change.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

We need skilled workers to deliver the homes, schools and hospitals that communities across the country are crying out for, and today’s announcement underlines our commitment to the next generation of homegrown talent.

Construction Technical Excellence Colleges will enable us to invest in people and give them the skills they need to break down barriers to opportunity in an industry which is essential to delivering growth through our Plan for Change.

The colleges will soon be online to deliver high quality skills training, announced in the same week that young people across the country get their results in A-levels, T Levels and a range of vocational qualifications.

A recent survey found that the percentage of construction firms funding or offering training to their workers has fallen from 57% in 2011 to 49% in 2024. This coincides with an increasing reliance on construction workers coming to the UK from abroad, preventing our young people from filling the skills needs of our nation and perpetuating the issue of almost one million young people not being in education, employment or training.

In response, the industry-led Construction Skills Mission Board has pledged to recruit an additional 100,000 construction workers a year by the end of this parliament. This will build on the £625 million government investment announced at Spring Statement, which will also help to provide more flexible apprenticeship options and get out of work young people into the workforce.

David Hughes CBE, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said:

Today’s announcement is very positive news for people wanting good jobs, for the construction employers looking for skilled people and for the government’s ambitions to build 1.5 million new homes. It represents significant investment and trust in the 10 successful colleges, and the college sector, recognising their crucial role in boosting the country’s construction sector by opening up high quality learning opportunities all over the country.

We look forward to supporting the TECs as leaders in the construction skills arena, partnering with employers, developing new courses and ensuring that innovation in construction techniques and approaches can be supported across all employers with skills training. We are also keen to help the TECs build their networks with other colleges in their areas.

Tim Balcon, Chief Executive of the Construction Industry Training Board, said:

It’s wonderful to see the progress being made towards establishing these Technical Excellence Colleges for Construction. They represent a transformative opportunity for people to complete local vocational training, helping to drive regional growth and nurture the next generation of skilled construction workers in local communities.

This builds brilliantly on the wider £600 million construction skills package we’re delivering in partnership with government, helping create a robust pipeline of talent that will break down barriers to opportunity, delivering good jobs and powering economic growth across the UK.

Andrew Hockey, CEO at the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board, said:

Investing in Further Education and independent training providers is critical for both the construction and engineering construction industries to equip learners with sustainable, transferable and future-proofed skills.

The construction and engineering construction workforces will be critical in delivering the UK’s industrial strategy, including major projects such as the nuclear new build sites at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C and nascent industries such as hydrogen and carbon capture.

Roger Morton, Director of Business Change at the National Homebuilding Council, said:

We warmly welcome the announcement of ten new Construction Technical Excellence Colleges and the government’s continued investment in training for the sector to increase capacity and quality. It’s fantastic to see such support for construction skills and this commitment to training chimes with NHBC’s focus on learning.

We’re investing £100m into our own national training programme, funding 12 new multi-skill training hubs around the UK. Providing an immersive, on-site learning experience, these hubs will deliver high quality apprentices across a range of key trades including bricklaying, groundworks and site carpentry.

With government, the wider house-building industry and training providers aligning, we can plug the skills gap and deliver quality new homes at pace.

John Laramy, Principal and CEO of Exeter College, said:

Exeter College are absolutely delighted to be selected as the southwest construction TEC. We look forward to working with our college, stakeholder and employer partners across the region to turbo charge construction training.

It is a particular personal privilege, as an education leader who began their career in construction, to be part of a national initiative to ensure our region benefits from the career opportunities that excellent technical education enables. We are excited about working with colleagues in the DfE and wider Government to ensure this national policy has meaningful impact and benefits for the southwest and beyond.

To deliver 1.5 million homes, the housebuilding sector will create hundreds of thousands of good jobs around the country over this Parliament. This represents one of the fastest growth rates of all priority sectors, according to a report by Skills England published today.

The new Construction Technical Excellence Colleges are:

• Derby College Group, East Midlands
• West Suffolk College, East of England
• New City College, Greater London
• City of Sunderland College, North East
• Wigan and Leigh College, North West
• North Kent College, South East
• Exeter College, South West
• Bedford College, cross-regional
• Dudley College of Technology, West Midlands
• Leeds College of Building, Yorkshire and the Humber

These colleges will operate on a ‘hub and spoke’ model, working with local training providers and employers to boost training standards and share expertise.

Currently, fewer than half of FE learners who get a qualification go on to work in a relevant industry, but investment in these colleges will help to ensure learners are ready for work when they complete their qualifications.

To fill skills gaps and break down barriers to opportunity for young people, the government has also launched the Youth Guarantee, ensuring that every 18-21-year-old in England will have access to an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities or help to find a job.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 8 August 2025.

Extra £18 million injected into councils in England to roll out children’s social care reforms that prioritise earlier intervention.

Vulnerable children are to be better protected from harm after the government speeds up children’s social care reforms that prioritise prevention through its Plan for Change.

An extra £18 million will be spent on rolling out early intervention child protection reforms to councils in England to stop families from reaching crisis by strengthening leadership and speed up delivery.

The reforms include the roll out of Family Group Decision Making, an approach to involve extended family members in helping keep children at home rather than in care, and thousands more family help workers to provide earlier support for families experiencing challenges, such as substance misuse or poor mental health.

It comes after funding for this vital work has already been doubled to £523 million compared to last year, with a further commitment to increase funding by at least £300 million over the next two years.

Plans are also progressing to test the NHS number as a unique identifier to help piece data together across frontline health, schools and police services to detect concerns about children before they escalate.

A pilot between Wigan Council and NHS England is live and testing linking their systems to use the NHS number as the unique identifier.  This will then be assessed to see how efficiently it helps to share information about safeguarding concerns with children before rolling it out further.

The identifier will ensure there is a more joined up and less piecemeal approach that ensures frontline safeguarding professionals share concerns about a child as early as possible to provide a holistic picture of when they may be, or are at risk of harm, before it escalates even further.

These updates mark significant progress in delivering key measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the biggest piece of safeguarding legislation in a generation.

Children and Families Minister Janet Daby:

Time and again we’re told how failing to share information and intervene early enough means vulnerable children fall through the cracks.

These deep-rooted problems are symptomatic of a children’s social care system that has clearly been stretched to breaking point.

We’re putting an end to sticking plaster solutions through our Plan for Change by investing even more focus and funding into preventative services and information sharing.

Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution Jim McMahon OBE:

Through our Plan for Change we are getting councils back on their feet, working with local leaders to fix the foundations and rebuild the sector to deliver the vital public services local people rely on.

A key part of this involves reforming children’s social care to tackle problems at their root and give every child the best start in life.

In addition to the £523 million we are providing this year to the Families First Partnership Programme, this new £18 million from the Transformation Fund will further support local authorities and safeguarding partners to help us achieve this.

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said:

Children in care told me in my Big Ambition survey they want the same things as other children: love, safety and stability in their family life. It’s absolutely right that we prioritise supporting families earlier on when challenges arise, with the goal of keeping them together safely.

I welcome this investment in caring for children and families but also in strengthening leadership locally, because my research has shown that decisions about children in care are too often driven by local capacity and resources, instead of what’s right for those children’s needs.

The introduction of a unique ID for every child will help identify problems early on and prevent any child becoming invisible to services, so robust and effective implementation will be essential, using evidence of what does and doesn’t work through this first pilot.

The latest announcements help to deliver on key measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, including:

• A unique number for every child – in the same way every adult has their own national insurance number – to join up systems and make sure no child falls through the cracks. A consistent identifier will allow those responsible for the safeguarding and welfare of children to better join relevant data and identify children who will benefit from additional support.
• Improved information sharing between agencies through a new information sharing duty to make sure that data that should be shared for safeguarding reasons, is shared.
• Rolling out Family Help reforms which will ensure children, young people and families experiencing multiple and complex challenges, including substance misuse or poor mental health, receive wraparound support and protection at the earliest opportunity before problems get worse.
• Requiring all local authorities to offer Family Group Decision Making – a service that brings extended family members together to keep children with families rather than entering care.
• Making sure every council operates best practice ‘multi-agency’ safeguarding panels, that bring together all the professionals that can best make sure children are kept safe both inside and outside the home.

It comes hand-in-hand with the government rolling out Best Start Family Hubs across every local authority to support 500,000 more children. The hubs will act as a one stop shop for parents seeking a range of support, including on difficulty breastfeeding, housing issues or children’s early development and language, reassuring families that they have convenient access to support in their local area or can be efficiently connected to specialist local services.

It also comes on top of £555m that was announced at the Spending Review to deliver children’s social care reforms and £560 million to refurbish and expand children’s homes, bringing the total investment to over £2 billion.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 7 August 2025.

School attendance in England has surged, with 5 million more days in classrooms and 140,000 fewer persistently absent pupils.

Children across England are returning to school in record numbers, with over 5 million more days in classrooms this year – signalling the biggest year-on-year improvement in attendance for a decade.

New figures show more than 140,000 fewer pupils are persistently absent compared to last year, as the government’s relentless focus on tackling the inherited school attendance crisis begins to pay dividends.

Of those, 45,000 are young people from deprived backgrounds, reflecting particular improvement among disadvantaged children.

The dramatic improvement means teachers have saved over 10,000 days that would have been spent helping absent pupils catch up, freeing them to focus on delivering excellent education to whole classes.

Spending more time in school boosts learning outcomes for children, but it’s also about making friends and having new experiences, helping them to achieve and thrive. It also has a huge impact on children’s future chances in life.  With a single day out of school costing an estimated £750 in lost earnings across the course of a career for a typical student, this year’s progress alone will protect over £2bn in pupils’ future earnings and building the skilled workforce needed to drive economic growth.

The attendance breakthrough demonstrates the start of a fundamental shift in classrooms across the country, with attendance improving in all regions, as more children get back into the habit of attending every day.

The department is already making progress through our Plan for Change and this year has delivered major upgrades to school and LA-level data. This puts AI-powered reports into the hands of schools so they can benchmark their attendance against schools in similar circumstances to tackle attendance issues head on, alongside significantly expanding our pilot mentors scheme to directly target young people who need more support.

This builds on the government’s wider approach to tackle the root causes of absence, including rolling out free breakfast clubs in every primary school, expanding access to mental health support in schools, and ensuring earlier intervention for pupils with special educational needs.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:

The record improvement in school attendance shows we are turning the tide on a crisis that saw a generation go missing from England’s schools.

Getting children back in classrooms, where they belong, is non-negotiable if we are to break the unfair link between background and success so we can build a fairer country – a cornerstone of our Plan for Change.

When we tackle attendance head-on, everyone benefits – pupils get the consistent education they deserve, teachers can focus on driving up standards, and we build the stronger workforce our economy needs.

With fewer children missing crucial learning, pupils are more likely to develop the consistent study habits, knowledge and social skills that will serve them whether they progress to apprenticeships, colleges or universities.

The attendance gains sit alongside for the government’s mission to ensure 75% of five-year-olds reach key development milestones by 2028, recognising that regular school attendance from the earliest years creates the foundation for lifelong success.

To go further, new attendance and behaviour hubs will work nationwide to support more than 5,000 schools a year in tackling absence, while specialist attendance mentors are working directly with 10,000 of the most vulnerable children over the next three years to remove barriers to attending school.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 1 August 2025.

New legal duties on universities and colleges come into force, as government delivers Plan for Change to restore integrity of higher education.

Students, academics and external speakers at universities in England will have their freedom of speech protected by robust new laws coming into force today (Friday 1 August).

Under the strengthened rules introduced by this government, universities must actively promote academic freedom, ensuring campuses are places where robust discussion can take place without fear of censorship of students, staff or external speakers expressing lawful opinions.

Universities will also be banned from using non-disclosure agreements to silence victims of campus misconduct, protecting vulnerable individuals who may have faced harassment, abuse or sexual assault.

If lawful free speech is silenced the Office for Students (OfS) can investigate, and can take action if universities are found to have failed to protect free speech rights.

The OfS’ director for free speech and academic freedom has warned institutions that flout the new rules could face record penalties, after the University of Sussex was given a landmark £585,000 fine for its failure to uphold free speech in March. Arif Ahmed said future fines could be higher.

These robust protections deliver on the government’s Plan for Change by restoring the integrity of our universities as rigorous centres of intellectual debate, recognising them as a key driver for delivering growth and opportunity across the country.

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said:

Academic freedom is non-negotiable in our world-leading institutions, and we will not tolerate the silencing of academics or students who voice legitimate views.

These strengthened protections make this explicitly clear in law, and the record fine already handed down by the OfS has put universities on notice that they must comply or face the consequences.

Through our Plan for Change we are restoring our world class universities as engines of growth, opportunity and innovation, and fostering a culture of free enquiry and academic freedom is at the heart of that.

In future a new OfS complaints scheme will ensure academics, external speakers and staff can trigger investigations that could lead to fines if their free speech is not protected. Students will have their free speech complaints considered through the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.

The legislation will also ensure student unions are subject to new rules, by holding universities accountable for their activities.

The Education Secretary has previously announced that elements of the Act that could have saddled universities with disproportionate legal costs will be removed, as they would have rendered the rules unworkable.

Jewish community organisations had also raised fears the tort might lead some providers to unduly prioritise speech which is hateful or degrading over the interests of those who are at risk of being harassed and intimidated.

Overseas transparency measures contained in the Act will remain under review while the government assesses the impact of the recently-introduced Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.

The Office for Students already has powers to require information in response to concerns about free speech or academic freedom, including issues related to suspected foreign interference and funding.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 16 July 2025.

Every school to have reliable, safe tech in classrooms as government rolls out plans for the future of digital standards to ensure no child is left behind.

Pupils and staff across the country will have access to reliable, safe technology in their classroom as the government announces plans to help narrow the digital divide in schools – making outdated systems and patchy connectivity a thing of the past.

Across the country there are stark inequalities where some pupils suffer from basic digital access whilst others benefit from cutting-edge technology, including AI – creating unfair barriers to learning and future opportunities.

Following consultation with schools, the government is today (16 July) setting out expectations for schools and colleges to meet six digital standards by 2030, helping to end the postcode lottery in access to tech that has left too many pupils behind, by preventing teachers from delivering modern lessons and stopping pupils developing digital skills essential for modern careers.

The six standards cover broadband internet, wireless networks, network switches, digital leadership, plus two safety requirements: cyber security and filtering and monitoring to keep pupils safe online.

Online safety is at the heart of the government’s plans, with the cyber security and filtering and monitoring standards designed so that as digital access improves, school IT systems are protected from cyber security threats and the risk of online threats – ensuring technology enhances children’s education.

To support schools, the government will expand its Plan technology for your school service to give every school tailored support and guidance on how and where to make lasting, cost effective improvements to their technology.

This comes alongside a £45 million investment from government this year to boost school infrastructure, including upgrades to fibre and wireless networks – helping get classrooms online and boosting standards where it is most needed.

Minister for Early Education, Stephen Morgan, said:

Every child deserves access to the digital tools that will prepare them for the modern world, regardless of which school they attend. For too long, we’ve seen a postcode lottery where some pupils thrive with cutting-edge technology whilst others are held back by outdated equipment.

Meeting our six digital standards will ensure that by 2030, all schools have the digital provision they need. We’re investing in our children’s futures, supporting pupils to get the digital access they need to succeed whilst keeping them safe online.

This is a key part of our Plan for Change – ensuring every child has the chance to reach their full potential and no pupil is left behind in the digital age.

The Plan technology for your school service helps schools understand their bespoke technology needs, create digital strategies fit for the future and save money with guidance to enable them to strike the best deal possible with suppliers.

Jisc will also continue to support colleges with expert advice on the use of technology and access to Janet, the UK’s National Research and Education Network.

Evidence is clear that access to technology can boost a student’s attainment and meeting the standards will ensure every school has the digital infrastructure to deliver the technological support for staff and pupils for years to come.

The work forms part of the Government’s wider plan to break down barriers to opportunity, as too many pupils currently miss out on digital skills that are essential for modern careers, creating lasting disadvantage and impacting their future. The Connect the Classroom programme has so far improved connectivity for more than 1.3 million pupils in 3,700 schools.

By ensuring schools have reliable, safe technology, the Government is giving pupils – regardless of their school’s location or resources – the digital foundation they need to succeed in education and beyond.

Schools will work towards meeting the standards by 2030, with government support to ensure no pupil is left behind in the digital age.