The DfE has published guidance on fraud covering: general advice on fraud; suggestions for developing counter fraud policies and approaches; information on cyber related fraud You can download it here.
Author: Bruce Levitan
SEND reform
The Education Select Committee has published its long-awaited report on SEND reform on 18 September 2025. You can download it from the UK Parliament website here. Speech and Language UK gave the report an 8 out of 10 mark and identify two areas where it falls short - you can read about them on their … Continue reading SEND reform
New statutory guidance on RHSE comes into force
From September this year a new set of statutory guidance for RHSE has been published by the DfE. In paragraph 61 it states: "As well as fulfilling their legal obligations, governing boards and proprietors of academy trusts should also make sure that: all pupils make progress in achieving the expected educational outcomes teaching is accessible … Continue reading New statutory guidance on RHSE comes into force
What is the effect of the two-child limit on children’s school readiness?
A new report from The Institute for Fiscal Studies looks at the impact of the so-called "two-child limit" on child benefits. It shows that despite the average loss in benefit income for the child from the policy was an average of £10,200 over the first five years of the third or subsequent child’s life, there … Continue reading What is the effect of the two-child limit on children’s school readiness?
Edurio Parent Experience Report 2025
Edurio have published their new Parent Experience Report for 2025. It brings together feedback from more than 72,000 parents in the 2024/2025 academic year. It offers a three-year perspective on how communication, engagement, and trust in schools have shifted over time. You can download it from their website here (required fee registration).
Ofsted confirms changes to education inspection
On 9th September Oftsed announced that the new report card based inspection regime will commence in November 2025. You can view videos of the report cards from their website here, this page also summarises the announcement. Here are the links to the full toolkits for each of the educational settings: Early years State-funded schools Non-association … Continue reading Ofsted confirms changes to education inspection
Back-to-school but blocked from learning – secondary pupils excluded by costs
Secondary school children from low-income families are starting the new school year bounced out of some subjects and learning by costs, research from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows. A survey of over 1000 secondary school children in England found: 23% of those on free school meals (FSM) say the cost or worries about the … Continue reading Back-to-school but blocked from learning – secondary pupils excluded by costs
Martyn’s law for education settings
The DfE have this month published a policy paper on how to implement the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn's law. You can download the report here.
National behaviour survey report: 2023 to 2024 academic year
The DfE have recently published the latest report on school behaviour (for the academic year 2023-24). It covers school behaviour culture and policies, pupil experience, frequency and impact of misbehaviour and response. You can download the full report from the DfE website here, and some of the findings include: 98% of school leaders said they … Continue reading National behaviour survey report: 2023 to 2024 academic year
GCSE 9 to 1 grade scale explained
From DfE here's a guide to the GCSE 9 to 1 grade scale and how it compares to the previous A* to G scale. Link to DfE website.
Government speeds up reforms to protect children from harm
Vulnerable children are to be better protected from harm after the government speeds up children’s social care reforms that prioritise prevention through its Plan for Change. An extra £18 million will be spent on rolling out early intervention child protection reforms to councils in England to stop families from reaching crisis by strengthening leadership and … Continue reading Government speeds up reforms to protect children from harm
Special needs overdiagnosed, says Derbyshire council leader
Leader of Derbyshire County Council, Alan Graves, stated in an interview with BBC Derby's Georgia Roberts that: I personally think there are too many people in the [SEND] system, I think there are reasons for that and it's to do with schools getting extra money for dealing with that. Most people are just about on … Continue reading Special needs overdiagnosed, says Derbyshire council leader
The Well Check
Youth Support Trust's Well Schools provides a free-to-access self-review tool and get a tailored development plan to help you on your journey to becoming a Well School. You can access it, and other resources, on their website, here.
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) Annual Report
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) Annual Report looks at the state of education in England, with a focus on the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. EPI’s 2025 Annual Report considers the attainment of vulnerable groups of students at the ages of 5, 11, 16 and by 18. The report analyses attainment gaps based … Continue reading The Education Policy Institute (EPI) Annual Report
Statutory guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education
The DfE have issued updated Statutory guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education - you can download it here.
