This week I report on the implications of the general election on 4 July for schools, the launch of a consultation on GCSE computer science and updated cyber-security standards for schools.

What does the general election mean for schools?
With the Prime Minister calling a general election for 4 July the Government enters the pre-election “purdah” period on Saturday where public bodies are restricted in making both announcements and decisions that could influence voting decisions.

Even if the Conservatives retain power there is no guarantee a new Tory administration would keep current plans on policy and commercial contracts.

Bodies including government departments, local authorities, quangos such as Oak National Academy, and non-ministerial departments including Ofsted are affected.

Previously, purdah has meant school funding agreements could not be signed by civil servants – impacting new free schools and academy conversions. Ofsted does not publish reports making council-wide judgments and might not release Inadequate reports in cases subject to “significant local political campaigning”.

Any decisions not made by Saturday are likely to be stuck in election limbo.

GCSE computer science consultation launched
The DfE has launched a consultation on updating the subject content for GCSE computer science to reflect advancements in technology since the publication of the current subject content in 2015. The final version of the revised content will be released in early 2025, with first teaching from 2026/2027. The consultation closes on 21 July 2024.

Cyber-security standards for schools updated
The DfE has updated the cyber-security standards in its toolkit for ‘Meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges’. The changes address tasks that should be completed by both the SLT and ICT support, with the DfE’s change summary stating: “Cyber security is not something that IT teams can carry out alone, it is a shared responsibility between multiple roles and teams. The new cyber security standards contain the same key information that the previous cyber security standards held, but the format of this has changed to make them more accessible to staff without cyber expertise.”