The Department for Education (DfE) has published the updated Education and skills agreements and accountability agreements: schedule of changes document for 2025-26.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published the 2026 version of ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), its statutory guidance on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, together with an updated Part one for all school and college staff and a new overview for staff. The update removes Annex A so that all staff follow the same safeguarding expectations, noting that governing bodies and proprietors should ensure all staff, including those who do not work directly with children, read Part one of the guidance. A full summary of the changes is available in Annex C, including updates relating to Family Help and early help, mental health, serious violence, child-on-child abuse, child criminal and sexual exploitation, information sharing, safer recruitment, multi-agency working, school premises and safeguarding requirements, together with new guidance on generative AI, mobile phone policies and online safety. The DfE notes that the 2026 guidance is for information only and comes into force on 1 September 2026 with schools and colleges to continue using the 2025 guidance until 31 August 2026.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a report by the Children’s Services Commissioner, Nigel Richardson CBE, on Devon County Council’s children’s services. Richardson was appointed following Ofsted’s May 2025 judgment of inadequacy and conducted an extensive review, drawing on inspection evidence, previous commissioner activity, documentation, and discussions with senior leaders, practitioners and partners. His assessment concluded that Devon’s circumstances differ from typical repeat inadequate authorities and that recent progress, strengthened leadership and growing system stability warrant a supportive rather than punitive approach.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a speech by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson at the ASCL Conference in Liverpool, setting out the government’s vision for a new era of education and outlining reforms aimed at improving opportunity for every child. The proposals focus on rebuilding childhood support services, tackling child poverty, strengthening inclusion for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and raising standards across schools through collaboration, school trusts and new programmes. The reforms are outlined in the government’s schools white paper and are intended to shape education policy into the 2030s.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published the Enduring Relationships programme, backed by a £8.4 million investment to expand family finding schemes across England, pursuant to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (CWSA 2026). The DfE also launched a six-week public consultation, closing 14 July 2026, on new statutory guidance for the Information Sharing Duty—introduced by the Act—which requires relevant organisations, including councils, social workers, healthcare professionals and carers, to share information relating to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The duty comes into force on 30 September 2026. Wider reforms include creating 10,000 new foster care places, a £2.4 billion investment into the Families First Partnership programme and a new kinship carer financial allowance pilot. An expert-led review of children's homes has also been launched.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its update for education providers in England, outlining key actions and upcoming developments in funding, data collection, and apprenticeship support. Institutions are required to submit estimated student numbers for 16 to 19-year-olds in the November 2025 R03 return, with final figures confirmed in December via R04. Updated guidance on the care leavers’ bursary clarifies eligibility, late claims, and payment procedures. Foundation apprenticeships launched in August 2025 across four sectors are supported by targeted funding and age exemptions, while level 7 apprenticeships will continue to be funded from January 2026 for eligible learners. Revenue funding allocations for 2025–26 have been published for both 16 to 19 and adult learners.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published the Post-16 education and skills white paper. The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper sets out a series of reforms aimed at strengthening England’s post-16 education and skills system to better meet the needs of the economy, close skills gaps and support national growth. It outlines strategic changes involving education providers, local authorities, employers and learners, with a particular focus on improving vocational training and aligning higher education teaching and research with workforce demands.

The Department for Education has (DfE) published guidance outlining the Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) programme, which provides school improvement support across England. The programme aims to reduce the impact of social background on pupils’ future outcomes through universal and targeted interventions delivered by expert RISE advisers. RISE support is structured across two main levels: universal support, available to all schools, and regional support, tailored to the specific needs of schools within each region.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published guidance to help schools, early years settings and colleges improve inclusion for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The guidance explains how inclusion bases should provide targeted teaching and specialist support for pupils with SEND and states that they must be led by qualified teachers, must not be used as a disciplinary measure and should help pupils spend as much time as possible in mainstream classrooms. The guidance also includes advice on adapting school buildings and learning environments to better meet pupils' needs. The government says the guidance aims to improve consistency in SEND provision and enable more children and young people to attend their local mainstream education setting. Responding to the announcement, Local Government Association Chair of the Children, Young People and Families Board Amanda Hopgood welcomes the guidance and says councils should have a central role in admissions to inclusion bases to ensure they meet local needs and that the bases should support pupils to learn in mainstream classrooms wherever appropriate.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its September 2025 update covering funding, assurance and resource management for academics, local authorities and further education providers in England. Key updates include a new digital form for Care to Learn and the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund applications, confirmation that no further 16 to 19 business cases will be accepted for the 2025–26 academic year, and the introduction of bursaries for school business professionals. Additional measures include a Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply procurement fundamentals programme roll-out and new automation initiatives for accounts returns. The update also confirms the 16 to 19 high value course premium for construction will continue for academic year 2026–27.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published guidance for the Turing Scheme covering international placements for the 2026-2027 period. The guidance outlines funding arrangements for international study and work placements and provides application procedures for schools, further education providers, and higher education providers seeking to support students, including apprentices, in overseas placements. The scheme is funded by the UK government and applications are accepted only from education providers, not directly from students. The guidance specifies that providers should continue to follow 2025-2026 guidance for any projects taking place before 31 August 2026. The documentation includes separate guidance sections for schools, further education providers, and higher education providers, along with a list of destinations and grant rates for the scheme period.

The Department for Education (DfE) has added two information only versions to its 2025 ‘Keeping children safe in education’ statutory guidance for schools and colleges. The DfE has added the following two documents: ‘Keeping children safe in education 2025’ and ‘Keeping children safe in education 2025: part one’. Both versions have been published for information purposes only, pending the publication of their final versions which will come into force in September 2025. The guidance sets out legal duties for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people under 18 in educational settings. It applies to headteachers, teachers, staff, governing bodies, proprietors, and management committees across all schools and colleges in England, with all staff members required to read part one.