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
15th Oct 2026
The trust movement has carried the spirit of comprehensive education - now a new era awaits
Ahead of CST’s annual conference, CEO Leora Cruddas reflects on the origins of the comprehensive school movement and how a push for greater technical education aligns with this goal
1 in 3 schools considering redundancies or restructuring
Heads’ leaders urge the government to put more investment into education in the Budget to prevent staff cuts and school closures
Tuesday
13th Oct 2026
DfE relaxes QTS rules for experienced teachers
Changes come into force ahead of requirement for academy teachers to hold qualified teacher status from next September
Ofsted report card inspections are ‘brutal’, say governors
School leadership teams have been ‘breaking down’ over inspection pressures, National Governance Association survey finds
QTS rules change for teachers from Singapore, South Africa and Jamaica
Move could help to offset the impact of last month’s decision to remove Nigeria, Ghana and India from the list of eligible countries
Experts warn of health crisis linked to school screen time
More than 150 health professionals write to the government warning that a lack of health scrutiny of edtech in schools is a ‘serious safeguarding concern’
Key stage 3 ‘lacks clear purpose’, research finds
Newly-formed Early Secondary Advisory Group calls for a shared national vision for KS3 amid fears that Years 7-9 are a ‘dumping ground’ for GCSE preparation
Monday
12th Oct 2026
Our incoherent school system is getting in the way of reform
The complicated structure of our school system is a problem for Andy Burnham because his education policies require a level of coordination that isn’t currently achievable, says Amber Dellar from the Institute for Government
Pensions funding row: what is the truth about £3.3bn in savings?
As the NEU teaching union calls on the government not to claw back savings, Tes sets out whether schools could keep the money and what doing so would mean for public finances
Friday
9th Oct 2026
ASCL passes motion of no confidence in Ofsted’s leadership
Union also considers indicative ballot on industrial action if more is not done to mitigate the impact of inspection on wellbeing
DfE takes nearly 6 months to decide senior pay case
The experience of colleges with government pay controls suggests academy trusts will be left in limbo waiting for executive salaries to be approved, leader warns
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