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.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published an independent review into the early deaths of six care leavers aged 18 to 24. The review found that care leavers can experience profound isolation and identified the need to improve preparation for adulthood, prevent the sharp reduction in support at age 18 and strengthen workforce skills. In response, the government is investing £25 million this year to expand the Staying Close programme across England, providing housing models that offer care leavers greater support and social connection. From 30 September 2026, councils must publish how they will support care leavers into independent living, and care leavers can no longer be found intentionally homeless. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 will also extend corporate parenting responsibilities to additional public bodies, including the National Health Service, jobcentres, prisons and probation services.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published the consultation outcome for children's social care providers: fees and inspections 2024. The outcome includes details of the responses that were submitted as well as the government response to the findings.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published an implementation plan for local partners setting out the next phase of reform to children’s social care in England between 2026–29, following the Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive policy paper and implementation of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026. The plan outlines actions for local authorities, safeguarding partners, health, police and justice agencies to deliver improved early help through the Families First Partnership programme, strengthen support for family networks and kinship care, and ensure stable, registered and high-quality placements for children in care. It also sets out measures relating to multi-agency child protection teams, Regional Care Cooperatives, foster care, adoption support, workforce development, accountability, inspection frameworks, information sharing, data systems and implementation of new statutory duties, with reforms phased between 2026–29. The Association of Directors of Children’s Services has indicated that the plan provides a timeline for reforms which may assist local partners in developing and delivering local plans alongside wider changes in children’s and public services.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a new competency framework for digital assistive technology (AT) training in special education settings. The framework, based on research involving 36 staff members from special schools and colleges, outlines required skills for assessing and supporting pupils' AT needs. The publication provides guidance for staff in student-facing roles across special education institutions in England.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published the outcome to its consultation on the proposed amendments to the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) regulations and the statutory instrument implementing the changes. The changes adjust member contribution rates based on recent valuations and extend Fair Deal provisions to further education colleges.

The Department for Education (DfE) and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities have published the government response to their consultation on updating the School Food Standards in England. The response confirms that the government will update the legislative framework, which has been in place for more than ten years and no longer reflects current dietary guidance. The revised standards are intended to improve the nutritional quality of food and drink provided during the school day, including breakfast provision, and to support healthier eating habits among pupils.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its response to the technical consultation on the International Student Levy, confirming the levy’s operational design. The government has confirmed that the levy, subject to parliamentary approval, will take effect from 1 August 2028, with the Office for Students (OfS) administering it on the government’s behalf. The levy will remain a flat fee of £925 per international student per year, payable by OfS-registered higher education providers in England, with the first 220 international students per provider exempt. The response also clarifies which providers and students are within scope, confirms that existing student data returns will be used to calculate liabilities, and explains how franchised provision, transnational education, fee status changes and other scenarios will be treated.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published correspondence relating to the terms of reference and main lines of enquiry for the national review following the death of Baby M. In a letter dated 19 October 2023, Chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Annie Hudson has confirmed that the panel will conduct a national review, examining safeguarding issues raised by the death of Baby M. In the terms of reference, the panel has said that it will explore agency involvement with the parents, including those charged with safeguarding Baby M; how agencies can better safeguard children in similar circumstances; analyse findings alongside learning from other serious incidents and broader evidence and make recommendations on how local and/or national safeguarding practice and systems should change to provide better protection to children. In a letter dated 30 October 2023, the Secretary of State for Education the Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP has welcomed the terms of reference for the review. The panel has indicated that it intends to publish the national review by May 2024.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a cross-government response to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (CSPRP)'s national review into the death of baby Victoria Marten, committing to implement all eight of the CSPRP's national recommendations. Alongside the response, Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson wrote to the Chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, Sir David Holmes, thanking the CSPRP for their work. The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 (CWSA 2026) introduces a statutory duty on safeguarding partners—local authorities, police and integrated care boards—to establish multi-agency child protection teams in every local authority area in England, backed by £2.4 billion in funding through the Families First Partnership programme. An information sharing duty under CWSA 2026 requires local safeguarding agencies to share information to safeguard children from September 2026, with statutory guidance currently under consultation. The updated statutory guidance entitled 'Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026' introduces a new section on supporting babies, clarifies the legal position of unborn children and for the first time, references support for birth parents who have previously had a child removed from their care. The response further announces plans for a new Child Protection Authority and a £109 million investment in Healthy Babies mental health support from April 2026 to March 2029.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published membership and details of an expert advisory group established to support the development of new guidance on curriculum content for further education (FE) initial teacher education courses. The guidance is expected to be published ahead of the 2026–27 academic year. The group is chaired by the Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Wigan and Leigh College, Anna Dawe, and comprises 12 members with expertise in FE initial teacher education programme delivery and related academic research. Its work will be informed by responses to the DfE’s call for evidence on FE teacher training and development, launched on 17 October 2025 and closing on 12 December 2025.

The Department for Education (DfE) published an equality impact assessment examining the anticipated effects of the proposed reforms to the school accountability system in England on individuals with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, as well as pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The assessment reviewed changes to accountability principles, the introduction of digital school profiles, and revised approaches to support and intervention, including the replacement of ‘coasting’ schools with ‘stuck’ schools and the expanded role of Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence teams. Based on national data and stakeholder feedback, the DfE concluded that the reforms are expected to have either a neutral or positive impact on most protected groups.