The Department for Education (DfE) has laid a policy statement in Parliament on 18 November 2024 entitled 'Keeping children safe, helping families thrive'. This statement delineates the government's commitment to comprehensive reform of the children's social care system in England. Key aspects include prioritising family unity and child safety, promoting family-based care options such as kinship or foster care over residential settings, and addressing deficiencies in the care market. The policy aims to enhance the effectiveness of support for vulnerable children and families. Legislative proposals outlined in the statement are slated for implementation when parliamentary schedules permit.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published an independent report and recommendations from the Commissioner for Children's Services in Tameside, Andy Couldrick. The report sets out the findings of the Commissioner’s four-month review and makes recommendations to improve children’s social care services in Tameside. The Commissioner has stated in the report that Children's Services in Tameside have been 'too weak for too long' and has made 16 recommendations for improvement. Recommendations include for the DfE to retain a commissioner to work with Tameside for the next three years, up to its next full inspection. The commissioner's role would include ensuring that Tameside Council delivers its improvement plan.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published research developing a new multi-level model for determining relative need in children and young people's services (CYPS) funding across local authorities. The research, completed in January 2020, analysed available datasets to identify robust variables that significantly contribute to predicting children's social care support needs. This forms part of the wider review of relative needs and resources for local authority funding distribution in England, with direct implications for the 2025-2026 local government finance settlement through the Children's Social Care Prevention Grant methodology. The research was peer-reviewed in December 2019 and includes comprehensive analysis of data sources and statistical modelling approaches for children's social care services funding allocation.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a research report after evaluating the first year of the Turing Scheme which provides funding for international opportunities across the world. The report highlighted areas of improvement, including that the application window be opened earlier by DfE, a downloadable form be enabled and a reduction in the level of requested details in the application. Secondly, regarding how well the Turing Scheme supported building international links, most providers said that relationships had been maintained. It was recommended that this intended outcome be explored to understand the long-term impact. It was also recommended for the DfE to consider greater funding for the most disadvantaged; bring the application window and confirmation of outcome window forward; encourage providers to offer funds upfront and use feedback to advertise to prospective participants.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a report on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in education. The report highlights the findings following research on how the education sector has responded to and used generative AI, applications and opportunities, impact and benefits, barriers and risks of adoption, and support that the sector would like to receive from the DfE. Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State for Education, spoke about the report in her opening address at the Bett show 2024 on 24 January 2024. Keegan highlighted that the report 'brings together views from our world-leading experts and educators' and encouraged international collaboration to take advantage of the technology's opportunities.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a research report examining the amount of professional time local authority staff spend developing and issuing new Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The findings are based on survey data from 859 professionals across 100 local authorities in England, covering 2,577 EHCPs. Respondents recorded the hours spent on the last three plans they worked on, across five statutory stages of the process, including the EHC needs assessment and finalising plans. The report estimates that between 56–68 hours of local authority professional time are spent on average per new EHCP, depending on the degree of overlap between roles. It highlights significant variation between cases, noting that children and young people with more complex needs can require substantially higher levels of professional input. Educational psychologists and principal educational psychologists each spent an estimated average of 17.4 hours per plan, primarily reflecting their statutory role in the Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment stage. Special educational needs and disability (SEND) case officers spent an average of 11.3 hours per plan, driven largely by their central responsibility for drafting and finalising EHCPs. SEND managers spent an average of 9.9 hours, with involvement spanning all stages of the process, while social workers reported an average of 4.8 hours, reflecting more variable involvement depending on individual case needs.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its response to the consultation on strengthening protections in unregistered alternative provision in England. The response outlines the implementation of new national standards and a quality assurance framework for all unregistered alternative provision settings. The measures aim to deliver a balanced approach to protect children while maintaining the diversity of the sector, which provides education and support services. The framework introduces light-touch quality assurance mechanisms underpinned by national standards, following evidence gathering conducted in 2022. The original consultation ran from 9 May 2024 to 5 July 2024, with the government response published on 31 August 2025.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its response to the consultation on proposed amendments to guidance on the use of reasonable force and other restrictive interventions in schools. The revised guidance strengthens the focus on prevention and de-escalation strategies, clarifies when reasonable force may be used and introduces additional support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The statutory duty to record and report incidents will take full effect from 1 April 2026.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its response to Professor Becky Francis CBE’s, independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, setting out a comprehensive plan to modernise England’s education system. The government will introduce a revised national curriculum in 2027 for first teaching in 2028, with refreshed general certificates of secondary education (GCSEs) and A levels to follow. The reforms aim to raise standards for all pupils through a knowledge-rich, inclusive curriculum that strengthens literacy, numeracy, and oracy; introduces a year eight reading test; embeds digital, financial, media, and climate literacy; and revitalises arts, citizenship, and computing education. A new national enrichment entitlement will ensure access to civic, cultural, and physical activities for every child, while post-16 reforms will simplify qualifications through new ‘V Levels’ and enhanced English and maths provision. The existing English baccalaureate (EBacc) measure will be abolished, and assessment time reduced, with progress eight and attainment eight reformed to promote broader learning. Implementation will be supported by digital teaching resources, professional development, and subject-specific hubs, ensuring a coherent, world-leading curriculum that equips young people with the knowledge and skills for life and work in a changing world.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its response to the Social Mobility Policy Committee's report on improving social mobility across the UK, setting out the government's position on the Committee's recommendations. The response highlights measures to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), including the Youth Guarantee, reforms to apprenticeships and technical education, enhanced support for young people, and closer collaboration between local authorities, education providers and employers. It also addresses recommendations on education and training, data sharing and leadership, confirming plans to strengthen careers guidance, improve data sharing, reform post-16 qualifications and apprenticeships, increase support for care leavers and continue evaluating Youth Guarantee trailblazers to inform future policy.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its response to the June 2025 consultation on establishing the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB). It confirms the intended scope of the new statutory framework, which workers are expected to fall within it and how the transition will operate. Secondary legislation defining the SSSNB’s scope, membership and constitution is expected later in 2026, and the DfE also intends to publish non-statutory guidance. Staff will remain on their existing arrangements during 2026–27, with the first SSSNB outcomes applying from 2027–28 at the earliest.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published its response to a consultation (from 20 March 2025 – 28 May 2025) on post-qualifying standards and induction for child and family social workers in England. The consultation response sets out proposals to enhance early career support and replace current post-qualifying standards with clearer professional outcomes for new social workers, including descriptors of competencies required by the end of their second year. Implementation of the early career standards for child and family social workers is scheduled to commence on 1 April 2027.