The House of Commons Education Committee has published a report advocating comprehensive reforms for the further education (FE) sector. The cross-party committee notes that FE funding declined by 14% in colleges and 28% in sixth forms between 2010–11 and 2019–20. Among the key recommendations are the establishment of a statutory pay review body for FE teachers, a review of Skills England's independence by June 2027, and the introduction of modular T Levels. The report also highlights that only 71% of the 10,253 T Level students completed their courses in 2022. Additional proposals include removing VAT status restrictions for FE colleges, implementing a student premium system, and expanding the Youth Guarantee to include 16- to 24-year-olds.

The Education Committee has published a report calling for fundamental changes to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in mainstream education. The Committee recommends establishing a national framework for SEND support, mandatory SEND training for teachers, and review of the National Funding Formula. The report responds to rising demand, with SEND-identified children increasing from 1.3 million to 1.7 million since 2014. Key proposals include expanding state specialist school places, implementing mandatory SEND qualifications for school leaders, and strengthening NHS service integration. The Committee emphasizes early intervention and calls for sustainable funding models to address growing local authority SEND deficits, which have been suspended until March 2028.

The House of Commons Education Committee has endorsed the appointment of Professor Edward Peck CBE as the new Chair of the Office for Students (OfS) following a pre-appointment hearing on 4 March 2025. Prof Peck, currently vice-chancellor of Nottingham Trent University, will serve a four year term from late Summer 2025, with a £59,000 annual remuneration. He will succeed interim chair Sir David Behan, who was appointed following Lord Wharton's resignation in July 2024. The Committee highlighted Prof Peck's experience in higher education leadership and his focus on student experience and welfare as key strengths for the role.

The Education Select Committee has launched an inquiry into the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and educational technology across all education sectors. This cross-party committee will access the opportunities these tools present and the risks they may pose to learners, specifically focusing on children’s digital rights, the balance between privacy and participation, and safeguarding risks associated with evolving AI tools.

The Education Committee has launched an inquiry into reading for pleasure following a National Literacy Trust survey indicating that only 33% of children aged eight to 18 read in their spare time, representing a 36% decrease from 2005. The inquiry will examine factors contributing to this decline and potential solutions, including the role of schools, early years settings, local libraries, and technology such as Kindles and audiobooks. The Committee will investigate the relationship between reading for pleasure and children's mental health and wellbeing, as well as how promoting reading could improve attainment among disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and disabilities. The inquiry will assess government measures including Best Start Family Support Hubs and forthcoming national curriculum changes. Written evidence submissions are invited until 9 January 2026, with the inquiry coinciding with the National Year of Reading 2026 announced by the Secretary of State for Education and the National Literacy Trust.

The Education Committee has launched an inquiry examining recent reforms in the early years education sector. The inquiry will assess the implementation of the government's 'Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life Strategy' announced in July 2025, which includes £4,500 incentives for teachers in disadvantaged areas and four-yearly Ofsted inspections. The Committee seeks evidence by 10 October 2025.

The Education Committee has published the government’s response to its ‘Seventh Report of Session 2024–26, Foundations of Learning: replacing RAAC and securing school buildings’, on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) and the condition of the school estate in England. In its report, the Committee warned that ‘incremental fixes’ would be insufficient and urged the government to publish its estate strategy promptly, with clear milestones to reduce the maintenance backlog and replace life-expired buildings, while prioritising investment in inclusive provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The government welcomes the findings and confirms publication of its Education Estates Strategy, a 10-year plan for a ‘decade of national renewal’, reiterating its commitment to eliminate RAAC from schools and colleges by 2029, except where rebuilding is underway. The response outlines significant capital investment, including almost £20 billion for the School Rebuilding Programme to 2034–35, around £3 billion annually in maintenance funding by that stage, and over £700 million to 2029–30 for a Renewal and Retrofit Programme to improve condition and climate resilience. The government accepts several recommendations, including improving estate data and embedding inclusive design in capital programmes and confirms £3.7 billion by 2029–30 to deliver 60,000 specialist SEND places, alongside new accessibility guidance; all rebuilding projects will be assessed for inclusive provision. From autumn 2026, responsible bodies must annually confirm compliance with School Estate Management Standards via a digital service, with targeted support plans where standards are not met. However, some recommendations are only partially accepted: the government rejects a fixed three- to five-year survey cycle in favour of a risk-based approach and does not support a national digital asbestos register, citing existing legal duties and ongoing Health and Safety Executive work.

The House of Commons Education Committee has published the government’s response to its Solving the SEND Crisis report, setting out plans to reform support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The government accepted or partially accepted most recommendations and committed to creating a more inclusive education system through earlier intervention, National Inclusion Standards, mandatory SEND training, strengthened accountability and closer collaboration between education, health and care services. It also announced significant investment in mainstream inclusion, specialist provision, workforce development and local authority transformation, including a new ‘Experts at Hand’ programme to provide schools with access to specialist support.

The House of Commons Education Committee has published a report warning that England’s higher education sector is facing unprecedented financial pressure, with a risk of institutional insolvency and no clear government plan for universities at risk. The report says the freezing of UK undergraduate tuition fees in cash terms, rising inflation, higher pension and National Insurance costs, increased regulatory burdens and persistent underfunding of research have eroded the financial foundations of universities. It says these pressures have driven reliance on international student recruitment and commercial borrowing, while the Office for Students has warned that 45% of higher education providers could run a deficit in the 2025–26 financial year without mitigating action. The Committee highlights course and campus closures and staff redundancies already under way and stresses the economic and civic anchor role of universities. It calls on the government to establish an early‑warning and intervention protocol for insolvency risk, clarify the legal position on insolvency and intervention, introduce a bespoke higher education insolvency regime prioritising student teach‑out and avoidance of geographic cold‑spots, strengthen Student Protection Plans, address governance, borrowing and pension pressures, and align immigration policy with the long‑term financial sustainability of the sector.

The Education Committee has published recommendations for the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, calling for automatic enrollment of eligible children for free school meals. The Committee's report outlines four key proposals: removing application requirements for free school meals, mandating SEND-inclusive breakfast clubs, strengthening mental health assessment requirements for children in care and developing a standardised national care offer. The Committee expressed concern over the rushed parliamentary timetable limiting scrutiny of the Bill's provisions.

The Education Committee has responded to the government's consultation on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms through a letter to Schools Minister, Georgia Gould dated 28 April 2026. The response follows an oral evidence session held on 14 April 2026 with stakeholders regarding reforms announced in the Schools White Paper published on 23 February 2026. While expressing broad support for the government's reform ambitions, the Committee raised concerns about implementation challenges including workforce capacity and the need for multidisciplinary expertise in developing new standards. The Committee's letter addresses teacher training priorities, development of National Inclusion Standards, the 'Experts at Hand' proposal, accountability mechanisms including tribunal powers, and integration of mental health support within SEND provision.

The House of Commons Education Committee has urged ministers not to reduce Universal Credit support for care leavers aged under-22, following the Department for Education's (DfE) response to the Committee's children's social care report. The government stated 'no decisions have been made yet' on proposed Universal Credit cuts for under-22s, with any savings intended for the new Youth Guarantee scheme. The DfE committed to consulting the Committee on potential profit caps for children's services providers and agreed to pilot co-located mental health services for looked after children. The government rejected several recommendations including a National Care Offer and national workforce strategy, while confirming it will consult young people during the Timms Review on Personal Independence Payments reform.