A Prime Minster's press release from 19 June announced that new School Sport Partnerships and a new Enrichment Framework for schools will be created to ensure all young people have equal access to high-quality sport and extracurricular activity. Girls are to be given the same opportunity as boys to play sport at school, as well … Continue reading Government announces new School Sport Partnerships and a new Enrichment Framework for schools
Tag: Funding
How does the Spending Review affect education?
The BBC have produced a summary of the impacts of the recent government spending review, including how education is affected. You can find their summary here.
Improved PE and sport for more than 240,000 pupils with SEND
The DfE has launched its Inclusion 2028 programme which will improve access to PE and school sports for pupils with SEND. The aim is to train 10,000 teachers and practitioners in England across three years and 8,000 schools. You can read the full press release here.
Support for children and young people with special educational needs
In response to the recent Public Accounts Committee report on the Government's handling of SEND, the DfE published their intentions on 9 May. In it they respond to the 7 conclusions that the PAC had published: The SEN system is inconsistent, inequitable and not delivering in line with expectations, which inevitably undermines parents’ confidence in … Continue reading Support for children and young people with special educational needs
Parliamentary education committee on SEND
The most recent meeting of the Parliamentary education committee on SEND took place on 29 April. Subject specialists included: Lisa O’Connor, vice president of the Association of Educational Psychologists. She noted that cuts to council budgets and the academies movement had led local authorities to “reduce considerably their EP services, with many of them only … Continue reading Parliamentary education committee on SEND
Education Secretary keynote speech at Festival of Childhood
Here is the full transcript of Bridget Phillipson's address at the Festival of Childhood from 3 April 2025. Among other things she mentioned the government's investment of over £8bn in Early Years, funding for 300 primary schools to expand their nurseries and set up new ones, uplift in the early years pupil premium for disadvantaged … Continue reading Education Secretary keynote speech at Festival of Childhood
Education and Skills Funding Agency transfer into the Department for Education
As of 1st April 2025 the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) transferred into the Department for Education. A letter from its outgoing CEO David Withey was published on March 31st to accounting officers in academy trusts and colleges. You can read it here.
Disadvantaged pupils risk losing out as their funding increasingly used to plug budget gaps
A new report from the Government's Public Accounts Committe (PAC) finds that disadvantaged children may not be benefitting from funding intended for them, with the Department for Education (DfE) possessing only a limited picture of how schools are spending billions in funding associated with disadvantage. The report highlights that 47% of senior school leaders were … Continue reading Disadvantaged pupils risk losing out as their funding increasingly used to plug budget gaps
Raising the Nation Play Commission ‘State of Play’ report
Raising the Nation Play Commission, a year-long independent inquiry into why play is critical to the wellbeing of children in England, published its Interim Report, ‘State of Play’ on February 24th. It reveals the growing barriers to play in England, including playground closures, concerns about traffic and safety, cuts to park budgets and play facilities, … Continue reading Raising the Nation Play Commission ‘State of Play’ report
SEND in crisis campaign
The f40 group of local authorities, of which Derbyshire is one, have started a campaign for: A SEND funding strategy, linked to the SEND and AP Improvement Plan, focusing on early intervention and inclusion. Additional SEND revenue funding – f40 has calculated that £4.6bn more is required per year. Substantial one-off capital funding to expand … Continue reading SEND in crisis campaign
Education Committee question Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson
Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education and permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood appeared before the Education Committee on 15th January. You can watch a video of the meeting here. Amongst other things, they spoke about: National funding formula under review; Academy changes will introduce a pay ‘floor, but no ceiling’; ‘Improving Education Together’ partnership aimed … Continue reading Education Committee question Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson
Families to receive £126 million in early years support
The recent government press release regarding additional early years support funding shows that Derbyshire is NOT included in the grants, though Derby is. There are many areas of deprivation in Derbyshire as governors are no doubt aware, so perhaps you will challenge this and campaign to have Derbyshire included, e.g. by contacting your MP. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/families-to-receive-126-million-in-early-years-support
Schools’ responses to financial pressures 2023
This newly published report from the DfE is based on last year's figures so is not entirely up to date, but it tells a story we are all familiar with, and which has not improved since then. The research and analysis was carried out by BMG Research and CooperGibson Research. Most schools felt they were … Continue reading Schools’ responses to financial pressures 2023
New specialist places to be created in mainstream schools
The Department for Education (DfE) has announced a £740 million cash injection from the Government to pave the way for more pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve and thrive in mainstream schools. This new funding can be used to adapt classrooms to be more accessible for children with SEND, and to … Continue reading New specialist places to be created in mainstream schools
Government’s Plan for Change programme – Break Down Barriers to Opportunity
Labour has announced it's Break Down Barriers to Opportunity milestone: Giving children the best start in life. In a bid to improve Early Years, they have promised to: Roll out government-funded childcare support to improve access; Work in partnership with the sector, reforming training and support for the workforce to drive up standards; Strengthen and … Continue reading Government’s Plan for Change programme – Break Down Barriers to Opportunity
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