The Latest Breaking News from the Department for Education

Gap of 8,000 secondary school places in special schools last year – figures

Around two in three special schools in England were ‘at or over capacity’ in the last academic year, the Department for Education said.

Evening Standard · Mar 27, 2025

Education secretary orders inquiry into allegations of student loan fraud

Bridget Phillipson instructs Public Sector Fraud Authority to look into whether millions of pounds falsely claimed

The Guardian - UK · Mar 23, 2025

Exploring the link between school exclusion and crime – new research

The rate of children permanently excluded from school in England rose against last year and is higher than before the pandemic.

The Conversation · Mar 18, 2025

Number of pupils in England off school increased ahead of Christmas holidays

The absence rate was 9.5% in the last week of the autumn term, the Department for Education figures suggest.

Evening Standard · Jan 9, 2025

Firm led by ex-UK envoy on ethics made £13m on not-for-profit visa services

Cloud Bai-Yun was asked to resign from Ecctis, which runs language and qualifications tests for UK visa applicants

The Guardian - UK · Jan 3, 2025

Academy trusts have been central to UK government vision for schools for years – but that may be changing

The transformation of a local authority school into an academy is supposed to lead to school improvement. This seemed to be the case at Mossbourne Victoria Park academy in Hackney, at least in terms of its results and good-behaviour policies.

The Conversation · Dec 16, 2024

What kind of society would willingly traumatise its children in the name of education?

As claims about practices in two flagship London academies are investigated, it’s time to stop and think about what schools are really for, says Guardian columnist John Harris

The Guardian - UK · Dec 15, 2024

Covid campaigners criticise Wormald’s promotion to Civil Service top job

Sir Chris Wormald will leave his role as the senior official at the Department of Health and Social Care to become the new Cabinet Secretary.

Evening Standard · Dec 2, 2024

Natural history GCSE on hold as qualification seen as ‘Tory initiative’, claims campaigner

New GCSE was announced under previous government in 2022 but now ‘sitting in limbo’, says Mary Colwell, one of its architects

The Guardian - UK · Dec 2, 2024

Families to get 30 minutes of free childcare with school breakfast clubs trial

State primary schools in England can apply to join the trial before the Government’s national rollout of funded breakfast clubs.

The Independent UK · Nov 27, 2024