DfE

The latest news and analysis on the Department for Education and the secretary of state for education, including new policy, legislation and appointments

Tuesday

12th Aug 2025

Tim Coulson appointed DfE’s new director general
Dr Coulson is leaving his role as CEO of Unity Schools Partnership to be the new head of the department’s regions group, replacing John Edwards
Tim Coulson

Monday

11th Aug 2025

‘National disgrace’ so many pupils are ‘written off’, says Phillipson
The government’s schools White Paper will address the ‘generational challenge’ of the attainment gap between white, working-class children and their peers, says the education secretary
Bridget Phillipson

Thursday

7th Aug 2025

School attendance improves but ‘still a long way to go’
Official figures show a year-on-year rise in pupil attendance, but severe absence remains on an ‘alarmingly upward trajectory’, warns the Centre for Social Justice
Stacks of chairs

Monday

4th Aug 2025

Is it getting too hot for summer exams?
With extreme weather officially the new norm, Tes explores calls to move GCSEs and A levels to a cooler time of year
Student drinking water on hot sunny day

Friday

1st Aug 2025

Summer-born children face ‘unfair’ postcode lottery in admissions
Campaigners and parents call for greater consistency for families who do not want their child to start primary school almost a year younger than some of their classmates
Child alone in playground

Thursday

31st Jul 2025

SEND firm profits of £100m spark call for action
Liberal Democrats urge government to cap the ‘exorbitant’ profits of private companies providing SEND education
Money bursting
Bring back teacher relocation pay to boost languages, DfE told
Reinstating payments for languages teachers who move here from overseas would help to halt a ‘catastrophic’ decline in pupils studying languages, says report
Paying with Pounds sterling

Wednesday

30th Jul 2025

£1K payments for new early years staff in shortage areas
Government announces welcome payments to boost recruitment alongside a campaign to attract more men into the early years workforce
Small child counting money

Monday

28th Jul 2025

DfE leaked personal data of up to 84,500 people
School leaders’ union calls for full transparency over the people affected
Oil tanker leak

Thursday

24th Jul 2025

‘Unacceptable’ DfE response to PE premium reporting issues
The government comes under fire after primary heads warn they have suffered technical problems in trying to report their PE and sport premium spending by the July deadline
The DfE has been criticised after headteachers faced technical problems trying to report their PE premium spending
The DfE’s July guidance dumps must become a thing of the past
The unfortunate tradition of releasing reams of new statutory guidance as the summer term comes to an end is unfair to schools and exacerbates staff workload, warns Professor Michael Green
The DfE should stop publishing reams of new guidance for schools in July, says Michael Green

Wednesday

23rd Jul 2025

School-readiness data won’t be available to the public
Headteachers’ leaders had previously warned against the new targets becoming ‘another stick to beat schools with’
Target covered by sheet
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