DfE
The latest news and analysis on the Department for Education and the secretary of state for education, including new policy, legislation and appointments
Monday
7th Sep 2026
Reform considers return to single-phrase Ofsted grades
Suella Braverman also tells Tes the party favours Michaela-style behaviour rules, alongside plans to mandate hymns and flags in schools
Exclusive
Northern areas hit hardest by long-term declines in A-level grades
After last month’s A-level results showed a continued widening of the regional divide in attainment, Tes looks at how local authorities in some parts of the country have seen a drop in grades since before the pandemic
Exclusive
Government warned of ‘critical’ risks to SEND reforms
Ministers told their plans could be undermined by a shortage of experts, teacher burnout and parental backlash
Exclusive
Friday
4th Sep 2026
Revealed: How pupil premium plugs the gaps of ‘state failures’
A Tes investigation exposes the extent to which schools rely on funding for disadvantaged pupils to support children’s most basic needs and fund core staffing
Exclusive
What has ditching overall Ofsted grades actually changed?
Two years on from the decision to scrap headline Ofsted inspection judgements, Tes examines what difference this has made to schools and leaders
Thursday
3rd Sep 2026
Tightened guidance to stop schools ‘dodging’ new uniform law
Prime minister announces crackdown on schools that ‘pressure’ parents into buying branded school uniform
Leaders demand clarity as Powell proposes new tech qualifications
After the education secretary’s suggestion that brand new GCSE-level qualifications may be created for flagship technical routes policy, school leaders warn of need for extra funding and training
Poor teaching risks putting students off vocational routes, warns UTC expert
Many believe Andy Burnham’s flagship education policy of new ‘technical routes’ shows the right ambition. But if specialist staff and funding are in short supply, it risks harming the subjects it seeks to promote, the CEO of a leading technical education charity tells Tes in an exclusive interview
Exclusive
Wednesday
2nd Sep 2026
DfE failing to help primaries with falling pupil rolls, warn peers
Lords committee says the government needs to learn lessons from the funding impact of falling rolls in primary schools to avoid the same problems happening in secondary
Schools face ‘cumulative load’ from reforms as term starts
MPs hear experts’ concerns about the volume of changes about to hit schools, as well as fears that new technical qualifications could be seen as ‘lower-status’
Heavy reliance on non-specialist teachers makes RE an ‘outlier’
Higher proportion of RE lessons taught by non-specialist teachers at KS3 than in other humanities, finds report by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education
Exclusive