Policy
The latest news, analysis and advice on government policy and legislation. Find a breakdown of new documentation, case studies from leaders and comment from high-profile educators
Thursday
19th Feb 2026
SEND crisis ‘harder to fix’ with schools outside strong MATs
Government inclusion adviser Tom Rees speaks to Tes ahead of the publication of the schools White Paper and SEND reform plans
What now for Gaelic education in Scotland’s schools?
The Scottish Languages Act has been hailed as a seminal moment for Gaelic, with schools expected to play a pivotal role in securing its future
Wednesday
18th Feb 2026
New Scottish law ‘strengthens pupils’ rights’ over religious observance
Legislation is designed to give children a stronger voice in decisions around their participation in religious education and observance in schools
EPI think tank appoints new chief executive
Julie McCulloch, currently senior director of strategy at ASCL, replaces Natalie Perera, who stepped down at the end of January
SEND training alone won’t work - we need therapeutic education
The government’s announcement about training all teachers in SEND is welcome, but learning environments need to change to deliver inclusion, argues Thomas Keaney
Tuesday
17th Feb 2026
Suella Braverman appointed Reform UK education spokesperson
Former Tory minister, who was twice sacked as home secretary under Conservative governments, claims schools are facing ‘a quiet crisis’
We built RISE to listen, learn and improve
After an interim evaluation of the government’s RISE school improvement programme, DfE director general Tim Coulson sets out his vision for the scheme
Lack of diversity among curriculum drafters ‘deeply concerning’
Open letter with nearly 100 signatories calls for a ‘more diverse range’ of drafters to write the new national curriculum, warning there is a risk of ‘narrow’ content
Monday
16th Feb 2026
DfE commits £26m to recruit more educational psychologists
Funding for hundreds more educational psychologists announced amid concerns that specialists are spending too much time on admin rather than supporting children
We’ve got SEND support the wrong way around
Writing ahead of the government announcing special educational needs reforms, head Keziah Featherstone says support should be universally available in schools – not something that children have to wait years for
Schools face wait for ‘urgently needed’ medical guidance
Minister says new guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions won’t be published until the spring after MPs warn of young people being left ‘exposed’