The Department for Education (DfE) has updated its guidance for local authorities on submitting serious incident notifications via the child safeguarding incident notification system. The update adds a new section titled 'Known issues with this service'.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published updated guidance on high needs funding arrangements for 2025-2026, following the closure of the Education and Skills Funding Agency on 31 March 2025. The revised operational guide includes information about the methodology for compensating employers for increased national insurance contributions (NIC), commissioning and contract implications for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) education placements and services, following the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023, which took effect from 24 February 2025, and updated guidance for local authorities and schools on alternative provision.

The Department for Education has updated its implementation plan for post-16 qualification reform in England. The update provides revised milestones and further detail on the phased introduction from September 2027 of V Levels, Foundation Certificates and Occupational Certificates, alongside new and revised T Levels. It confirms the subjects planned for the first stages of rollout, the approach to qualification content, accreditation and funding approval and the timetable for withdrawing funding approval from legacy qualifications. The reforms will affect further education providers and school sixth forms, including maintained school sixth forms. The plan also highlights the intended accessibility of the new level 2 pathways for students with special educational needs and disabilities, and includes further information on supporting providers, students and employers through the transition, including transition planning, careers guidance and work experience.

The Department for Education (DfE) has updated its guidance on the Independent School Standards (ISS) to clarify requirements and incorporate legislative and policy changes affecting proprietors, school leaders and governing bodies. The most significant development is the introduction of two new standards, 16A and 32A, which require schools to record and report incidents involving the use of force, restraint and seclusion. Schools must keep written records as soon as practicable and notify parents promptly, usually on the same day, subject to limited exceptions. These duties are supported by updated statutory guidance on restrictive interventions, which aims to ensure such measures are used lawfully, safely and only when necessary.

The Department for Education (DfE) has updated its guidance for local authorities in England on the use of provider agreements for the delivery of free early years provision and childcare entitlements. The guidance explains which children are eligible for free entitlements, including eligible two-year-olds, all three- and four-year-olds, and children aged nine months to four years of eligible working parents, in accordance with the section 1(2) of the Childcare Act 2016 and section 7 of the Childcare Act 2006 and related regulations. It sets out that local authorities must have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State when securing free childcare and should use the accompanying model agreement template unless there is good reason not to do so.

The Department for Education (DfE) has released updates on multiple statutory guidances relating to education. DfE has updated guidance on Working together to improve school attendance, Elective home education, School suspensions and permanent exclusions and lastly, Children missing education.

The Department for Education (DfE) has updated its policy paper on generative artificial intelligence (AI) in education, adding new support materials for educational settings. The update details initiatives that include the provision of free online resources to promote the safe and effective use of AI in education and outlines investment in research and the development of tools to reduce administrative burdens. The paper permits educational institutions to determine their own AI implementation approaches while adhering to statutory obligations. The guidance includes specific requirements for formal assessments, data privacy protocols and intellectual property considerations.

The Department for Education (DfE) has implemented a significant update to its guidance on Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) requirements for overseas teachers. The March 2025 update specifically clarifies the qualification requirements that overseas teachers must meet when applying through the 'apply for QTS in England' service. This forms part of a broader series of modifications to the overseas teacher qualification recognition system, which has undergone several changes since its initial publication in June 2022. The guidance continues to evolve, with recent notable changes including the removal of Zimbabwe from eligible countries and the addition of Guernsey and Jersey to the jurisdictions whose teachers may apply through the service.

The Department for Education has published its updated version of 'Get information about schools' service as of 28 January 2025, which clarifies the service's objective and introduces a new requirement for registered users to sign in to update their details. This amendment influences the management of data on state-funded schools, independent schools, and other education providers in England.

The Department for Education (DfE) has published an updated version of its statutory guidance on suspension and permanent exclusion from maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England, effective from 26 July 2026. The guidance, first published on 26 May 2026, reflects the Education (Educational Provision for Improving Behaviour) (Application to Academies and Pupil Referral Units and Minor Amendments) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/558, which extend off-site direction powers to academy schools, alternative provision academies and pupil referral units; from 26 July 2026, management committees of pupil referral units may also make off-site directions. New provisions address the temporary separation of pupils for safeguarding purposes, clarifying this as distinct from disciplinary exclusion, with the local authority required to arrange education where neither the school nor parent does so. The guidance expands managed moves provisions, including that permanent exclusion must not be used where a parent refuses a managed move, and broadens the definition of unlawful off-rolling to include, among other things, placing a pupil on a part-time timetable for behavioural reasons and moving a pupil to off-site alternative provision where not in that pupil's best interests. On 15 June 2026, paragraph 64 of the July 2026 guidance, concerning managed moves and Ofsted's treatment of off-rolling evidence, was clarified, replacing the previous formulation that Ofsted 'is likely to judge a school as inadequate' where evidence of pressured managed moves is found, with the statement that 'the school's report card and leadership and governance evaluation may be negatively impacted,' reflecting the shift to Ofsted's new report card inspection framework.

The Department for Education (DfE) has updated section 33 of its Schools operational guide: 2026 to 2027 to reflect the replacement of dedicated schools grant (DSG) management plans with local special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform plans. Each local area partnership was commissioned to develop and submit a plan, and all local authorities must develop, maintain and implement an iterative local SEND reform plan. Plans should set out how local arrangements will be strengthened through greater inclusive practice and early intervention, and by ensuring the conditions for effective long-term outcomes are in place.

The Department for Education (DfE) has updated statutory guidance for English local authorities on their duties under the Childcare Act 2016 and Childcare Act 2006, with changes taking effect from 9 February 2026 and 1 April 2026. The updated guidance introduces new 'specified grade' definitions for Ofsted inspection judgements, removing single headline grades for schools inspected after 2 September 2024 and establishing different quality thresholds based on inspection dates and provider types. Key charging provisions are strengthened, reaffirming that 15 or 30 hour entitlements must remain free of charge to parents, with new transparency requirements including itemised invoices and mandatory parental declarations. The guidance increases the minimum pass-through rate from 96% to 97% for 2026-2027 and introduces a requirement for monthly payments to providers from October 2026. The 'disadvantaged 2-year-old entitlement' has been renamed 'Early Learning for 2-year-olds' and the DfE has published a chargeable extras template to help providers publish costs transparently on their websites.