On 14 September 2026, the Department for Education (DfE) published its response to the consultation on updating School Food Standards in England. This follows extensive engagement with schools, trusts, local authorities, parents, pupils, caterers and health experts. The updated standards will see more fresh fruit and vegetables, fibre-rich foods and nutritious balanced meals on the … Continue reading School food standards
Tag: DfE
Pupil premium
Updated guidance from the DfE, including guidance for school leaders, and example pupil premium strategy statements for different settings. They are available here, on the DfE website.
Working together to improve school attendance
In July the DfE updated its statutory guidance outlining how schools are expected to maintain high levels of school attendance. The guidance is available here on their website. Pupil attendance in schools is published on the DfE website, here.
Cyber-attack on Department for Education
Vanessa Clarke, Senior education reporter for the BBC, reported on 29 July 2026 that hackers have obtained about 607,000 records in a cyber-attack on the Department for Education (DfE) in England. The data taken includes telephone numbers and email addresses relating to individuals and organisations but does not include bank details or other sensitive information. … Continue reading Cyber-attack on Department for Education
Academy trusts: governance guide
The DfE have published the new Academy trusts: governance guide, effective from September 2026. It includes new trust standards, an energy procurement requirement, sustainability leadership and climate action plans in education and free school meal expansion grant and the inclusive mainstream fund. You can find the full guide on their website, here.
Allergy safety in schools
Statutory guidance from DfE about the support that pupils with allergies must receive in schools. It includes information and examples that schools can use to: create and publish an allergy safety policy put allergy safety training in place for all staff identify the children and young people who require Individual Healthcare Plans (IHPs) to manage … Continue reading Allergy safety in schools
Preventing and tackling the bullying and harassment of school staff
Bullying and harassment of school staff is unacceptable. This new non-statutory guidance from the DfE outlines the government’s expectations of schools and provides clarity for employers on: their legal duties to prevent and address bullying and harassment the actions they should take to ensure all staff are supported, respected and protected in line with the … Continue reading Preventing and tackling the bullying and harassment of school staff
Keeping Children Safe in Education
This week the Department for Education (DfE) published updated statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), which will take effect on 1 September 2026. (This is also linked to on our Key Documents page). Key additions include: The requirement for boards to review filtering and monitoring systems annually. Guidance for schools supporting children … Continue reading Keeping Children Safe in Education
Meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges
Published in 2022, the DfE has issued an update to it's guidance "Meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges". Derbyshire County Council's schools Cyber Security team have posted a useful summary of the changes, highlighting what schools need to know and do. You can find it herehttps://services.derbyshire.gov.uk/Article/189895
The enrichment framework for schools and colleges
The DfE have published non-statutory guidance to support schools and colleges to design and deliver a high-quality enrichment offer for all pupils and students. While the guidance is non-statutory, it will be a reference point for Ofsted from September 2026, meaning enrichment will increasingly be seen through the lens of how purposeful, broad and inclusive … Continue reading The enrichment framework for schools and colleges
Inclusive education estates
The DfE have published guidance on design adaptations to support an inclusive and accessible environment in mainstream education settings. This is supported by investment of £3.7 billion over five years enabling local areas to make education estates more accessible and inclusive, delivering a transformational expansion of inclusion bases in mainstream settings and expansion of special schools where … Continue reading Inclusive education estates
Inclusive mainstream fund: 2026 to 2027
The government have issued an update to the Inclusive mainstream fund: 2026 to 2027. They sate that over time they aim to re-balance funding for SEND, directing much more of it into core budgets for schools and colleges. This will allow planning for provision, employing staff and delivering interventions, without having to go through lengthy … Continue reading Inclusive mainstream fund: 2026 to 2027
School attendance: annual and one-off events driving short-term absences
A report published on 9 June by the DfE showcases a number of different scenarios and their association with pupils’ school attendance. These are illustrative examples: we know each local community will have its own unique circumstances and that there are similar annual and occasional events all across the country taking a variety of forms. … Continue reading School attendance: annual and one-off events driving short-term absences
Record numbers of children with mental health support in schools
A new press release dated 10 June from the DfE states that the government is on track to meet its manifesto promise that every school and college will have access to mental health support teams by the end of 2029. Read more here.
Communicating with parents about school attendance
The DfE has published information and resources to help schools communicate well with parents and carers to support improved attendance. You can find it on their website, here.