This week I highlight the DfE’s consultation on KCSIE 2026 which is a major update for September and contains a new section focusing on how best to support children questioning their gender, as well as publication of the DfE’s new 10 year school estates plan with an investment in education capital of £38 billion for 2025-26 to 2029-30.

Consultation on KCSIE 2026 and a new section on gender issues included
The DfE has published a consultation for the revisions to Keeping Children Safe in Education for September 2026. This is a major update to KCSIE and the list of changes runs to six pages (see Annex D, page 195) including strengthening or clarifying existing content, changes to multi agency working ahead of any legislation changes in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, where appropriate the recent Casey Audit, and adds content in relation to Violence Against Women and Girls.

The draft statutory guidance also includes a new section focusing on issues that might arise when considering how best to support children who are questioning their gender, along with new sections on single-sex spaces and single-sex sports. These sections are informed by the public consultation on the draft non-statutory Gender questioning children: guidance for schools and colleges. The DfE won’t be publishing standalone guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children, but proposes instead to include this content in KCSIE so that children’s wellbeing and safeguarding are considered in the round, and so that schools and colleges can easily access this information in one place.

The consultation closes on 22 April with the new version coming into force from September.

Publication of the DfE’s 10 year schools estates plan
On Wednesday the DfE published its 10 year schools estates plan with an investment in education capital of £38 billion for 2025-26 to 2029-30, which the Government says is the highest since 2010. The plan includes:

• Replacement of the Condition Improvement Fund by Autumn 2028 – in its place will be a new programme through which the body responsible for a school’s estate, be that an academy trust, local authority, voluntary-aided school body or church diocese, can access maintenance funding more easily than before, without the need to submit a full bid. To support this, responsible bodies will be required to collect granular and timely data on their estate and share this with the DfE.
• New digital tools and expectations – a new digital platform ‘Manage Your Education Estate’, will be launched this month bringing together related guidance, tools and data. From Autumn 2026, all responsible bodies will have to submit a “light touch” annual return via the service to confirm they are meeting national standards.
• Strategic planning for spare space – the Government will centralise strategic planning for spare space in schools. This will help to develop a framework for the use of school space during demographic change e.g. a falling birth rate, which is leading to falling rolls, alongside an increase in the need for SEND provision.
• A new Renewal and Retrofit Programme – in April a new programme, backed by £710 million up to 2029-30, to improve the condition of school buildings will be launched.
• The School Rebuilding Programme – over 500 schools are already in this programme and a further 250 will be selected by early 2027. Responsible bodies can nominate schools for the programme until 23 April 2026.

This week I highlight a DfE consultation on Early Years screen time and usage and confirmation that the free breakfast club rollout continues.

Early Years screen time and usage consultation
The DfE is giving people an opportunity to provide evidence that will inform the development of new parental guidance on screen time and usage for early years (0-5 year-old) children. The consultation will close on 16 February 2026.

Free breakfast club rollout continues
The DfE has announced 500 more schools will offer free breakfast clubs from April, set to benefit over 300,000 children. This forms part of a package of measures the government is pursuing to help families with the cost of living.

From today, schools with at least 40% of pupils eligible for free school meals can also apply to offer free breakfast clubs. 1,500 schools will then be selected for a September 2026 rollout. All schools who are eligible will be contacted directly and must complete an expression of interest form by 20 March.

This week I report that the DfE is looking to publish guidance for schools on the use of internal suspensions and that AI powered tutoring tools will be available to Year 9-11 pupils by the end of 2027.

Proposed DfE guidance on the use of internal suspensions
This week Ministers have said schools should only suspend pupils in the most serious cases of poor behaviour and violence, as the DfE looks to publish guidance for schools on the use of internal suspensions. The Government has said the new national framework will be included in the upcoming schools white paper, before a consultation with headteachers.

AI tutoring tools to support 450,000 disadvantaged pupils
AI powered tutoring tools will be available to Year 9-11 pupils by the end of 2027, benefitting up to 450,000 disadvantaged pupils, the Government has announced. Teacher-led trials of the tools will begin this summer, co-created alongside AI and tech companies. The AI tools will aim to provide personalised, one-to-one learning support, adapting to individual pupils’ needs.

This week I report on the publication of non-statutory guidance for parents and schools on complaints, new guidance for schools on the use of mobile phones which schools should use from April and the Education Secretary’s announcement of strengthened safety standards for AI products used in schools.

New parental and school complaints guidance published
New guidance has been published to address a sharp rise in parental complaints, with a focus on rebuilding trust and encouraging calmer, more constructive dialogue between parents and schools. Published by Parentkind, the guidance was developed in collaboration with the DfE, Ofsted and 13 education bodies, including the NGA.

The guidance sets out a five-step process to help parents raise concerns respectfully and at the appropriate level, from classroom issues to whole-school matters. It urges families to reflect on whether an issue is feedback, a concern or a formal complaint, and discourages aggressive behaviour, personal accusations, unnecessary escalation and the use of AI to generate complaints. Separate guidance for schools recommends being open, transparent, personal and accessible when dealing with concerned parents.

The upcoming Schools White Paper will set out planned improvements to the complaints system.

New DfE guidance on mobile phone policies
The DfE has published new non-statutory guidance for schools on the use of mobile phones. This comes amid growing concerns about the impact of mobile phones on children’s wellbeing, alongside increasing calls to raise the minimum age for accessing social media platforms.

As part of this shift, Ofsted inspections will place greater emphasis on mobile phone use, with schools expected to demonstrate how effectively their mobile phone policies are implemented as part of their wider behaviour management strategies.

The DfE has also launched a consultation on restricting children’s use of social media, which could ultimately lead to a ban for children under the age of 16.

Updated AI safety standards for schools
Speaking at the UK AI for Education Summit on Monday, the Secretary of State for Education announced strengthened safety standards for AI products used in schools. The updates are aimed at developers and suppliers and cover critical areas including mental health and cognitive development.

The Government has also announced a £23 million investment to expand the use of AI and edtech in education. The four-year pilot will see more than 1,000 schools and colleges involved and will begin in September.

This week I report on the announcement of a new national SEND training programme, the launch of a GCSE exam results app and the launch of the national Year of Reading.

National SEND training announced as part of additional funding package
This week the Government announced a £200 million national SEND training programme, as part of a wider additional funding package to be confirmed in the forthcoming Schools White Paper.

The new training programme will ensure every teacher and member of education staff receives support on SEND and inclusion, addressing long-standing gaps in confidence and consistency. Online and in-person training will cover areas such as adapting teaching, assistive technology and working with parents.

DfE launches new GCSE exam results app
From this summer, Year 11 students will be able to view their GCSE results on an app, following a successful regional pilot.

Whilst pupils will still go into school to receive their results, the app aims to modernise how young people access their exam results once they have left school, making it easier to enrol in post-16 destinations and enabling employers to verify education history. It is also expected to save schools an estimated £30 million per year in administrative costs.

National Year of Reading launched
As part of the National Year of Reading, the DfE and the National Literacy Trust have launched the ‘Go All In’ campaign, encouraging people of all ages to rediscover reading for pleasure. This follows data revealing only one in three 8 to18 year olds say they enjoy reading.

The campaign aims to bring together families, schools, libraries, businesses and other community organisations to connect reading with everyday passions such as football, music, food, film and gaming. Activities will include national events, local community programmes, volunteer opportunities and new resources for parents and schools.

This week I report on confirmation of the inspection of multi academy trusts, new DfE guidance on the use of restrictive interventions in schools including the use of reasonable force and the impact of the Employment Rights Act on the education sector which became law on 18 December last year.

Confirmation of the inspection of multi academy trusts
This week the government confirmed plans to introduce multi academy trust inspections as early as 2027, with the necessary legal changes introduced as an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. While acknowledging significant work is needed to refine the plans, the government has set out key principles, including:

• trusts must not be disincentivised from taking on struggling schools
• there should be consistency between DfE and Ofsted expectations
• inspectors will need appropriate expertise
• inspection workload for trusts should be minimised
• Inspections will be led by Ofsted with an inspection framework informed by updated trust quality descriptors.

New guidance on restrictive interventions in schools
New DfE guidance on the use of restrictive interventions in schools, including use of reasonable force, will take effect from April 2026. The guidance includes clearer expectations on reporting and the use of force, additional clarification to help school staff use reasonable force safely and appropriately, advice on the use of seclusion, and specific support for staff working with pupils with SEND.

The DfE says the changes are designed to help schools reduce reliance on restrictive practices and ensure staff feel confident, safe and lawful when exercising their powers in limited situations.

Legal changes to employment rights
On 18 December 2025, the Employment Rights Act became law. The Act covers a range of workforce measures including changes to pay, time off work, dismissal and trade union rights. It also establishes the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) which will start operating later this year with a remit to negotiate pay and conditions. The changes will be implemented over a two-year period and will impact all employers. Many of the details will be confirmed through secondary legislation and government guidance.

This week I report on a consultation to establish the Child Protection Authority and the announcement of £3bn for mainstream SEND places.

Establishing the Child Protection Authority in England
The government is consulting on the Child Protection Authority (CPA), a national body to improve child protection. The CPA is envisaged as an expert, accurate and decisive body that makes the multi-agency child protection system clearer, more unified and ensure there is ongoing improvements through effective evidence-based support.

The consultation seeks views on the CPA’s proposed functions, governance, and interaction with existing bodies and will close on 5 March 2026.

£3bn for mainstream SEND places, but special free schools face uncertainty
The government has announced that £3 billion will be spent creating tens of thousands of new specialist places in mainstream schools. However, the DfE has also revealed that up to 77 special and alternative provision (AP) free schools that were in the pipeline could be replaced with funding instead given to councils to use to “more flexibly and quickly” deliver equivalent places.

Some of the £3 billion for new places will go towards creating places across the country in mainstream schools for children with SEND so that they are less likely to have to travel far for their education. Dedicated breakout areas in schools would enable children who require more intensive support to access lessons “as and when appropriate”, while remaining embedded in their local school community. The announcement comes after government figures estimated that local authorities are funding home-to-school transport for around 180,000 pupils with SEND.

This week I report on the SEND Framework consultation, the release of the DfE’s new Child Poverty Strategy, increased access to early SEND support with a practitioner in every council from April 2026 and the launch of the new Maximising Value for Pupils programme designed to help schools and trusts plan and deploy resources most effectively to ensure value for money.

SEND Framework consultation
The DfE has launched a nationwide public engagement campaign to create a reformed SEND system. Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould, is hosting nine face to face events, run in partnership with the Council for Disabled Children, and five online events covering the department’s five principles of reform. The themes of engagement include:

• Early intervention, including earlier in children’s lives when this can have most impact.
• Local provision, so young people can learn at a school close to their home, alongside their peers, as well as the vital role of special provision for complex needs.
• Fairness, so every school has the resources and capability to meet changing needs – stopping parents fighting for support and ensuring clear legal safeguards for children and parents.
• Effective practice, grounded in evidence to ensure excellent long-term outcomes.
• Shared working that means education, health and care services working in partnership with local government, families, teachers, experts and representative bodies.
• Attendees can share their views on a range of proposals from experts – such as children having written records of support, giving families access to independent advocacy and providing a national framework for support available to children with SEN across all settings.

A development group of key stakeholders, including SEND parent groups, will meet regularly with Ministers between now and the end of January to drive reform forward, and a toolkit will be shared with schools and settings to encourage them to share information about engagement on SEND reform with their communities. You can sign up to attend a regional engagement event using this link or can sign up to attend an online event using this link.

New Child Poverty Strategy
The government has released its Child Poverty Strategy, which aims to lift an estimated 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030. Key measures include confirmation that children in households receiving Universal Credit will become eligible for free school meals from September 2026.

DfE announces increased access to early SEND support
Every council will have a dedicated practitioner to provide direct support for children with SEND according to a recent DfE announcement. Introduced from April 2026, the initiative is part of the Best Start in Life campaign, aiming to support parents with early childhood.

Launch of the Maximising Value for Pupils programme
This week the DfE launched its Maximising Value for Pupils programme which aims to help schools and trusts plan and deploy resources most effectively to ensure value for money. Support is centred around four key areas:

• Commercial spending – harnessing collective buying power and expanding support in high spend areas, with a focus on energy costs
• Assets – helping schools make the most of financial and physical assets, including a new banking comparison tool
• Workforce deployment – seeking to address high agency supply costs
• Developing capability – strengthening digital, commercial, and operational capability across school and trust teams, featuring updated benchmarking tools

As one of the first initiatives of the programme, the government has introduced a new agency supply framework, which schools will be expected to use, that will cap agency overheads and fees.

This week I highlight the major education announcements set out in the Chancellor’s Autumn budget speech, the publication of clearer, education-focused guidance from the ICO and a new inquiry being launched to explore the decline in children reading for pleasure.

Impact of the Autumn budget on the Education sector
The government will take over from local authorities in fully funding the cost of SEND provision from 2028-29. Further detail on how this impacts the projected DfE budget remains unclear. This was one of two major education announcements in the Autumn budget. Also revealed was the end of the two-child limit on benefits which will be lifted from April 2026 and is expected to reduce the number of children living in poverty by 450,000.

Education-focused ICO guidance
Recently, the Information Commissioner’s Office has added clearer, education-focused guidance to sit alongside its existing 10-Step Guide to Sharing Information to Safeguard Children. Nothing significant has changed in the law, this is simply extra reassurance and examples designed to help schools, nurseries and colleges feel more confident.

‘Generational shift’ in reading habits sparks parliamentary inquiry
A decline in the number of children reading for pleasure has prompted MPs to launch an inquiry into the causes of the trend and its consequences for children. Helen Hayes, chair of the Commons Education Select Committee, warned of a “generational shift” away from reading, which has long been considered vital to children’s learning.

This follows research by the National Literacy Trust revealing only 33% of young people aged 8 to18 read in their spare time, down from 51% in 2005 and the lowest level in 20 years. Young children’s daily reading rates have also fallen significantly, with a widening gender gap favouring girls.

The inquiry will explore links between reading habits, mental health, and screen time, and examine successful school and community initiatives to encourage reading. It will also consider how promoting reading for pleasure could boost attainment among disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

This week I highlight the ability to now print out the Governances Guides and the further expansion of the DfE’s free breakfast clubs.

Governance Guides
This week the DfE has enabled printing of the two Governance Guides – Maintained Schools and Academy Trusts rather than only being able to view them as a digital guide.

Free breakfast clubs expanded again
From today, schools with at least 40% of pupils on free school meals can apply to offer free breakfast clubs. The government is investing a further £80 million to add 2000 more schools to the programme between April 2026 and March 2027.

From April, participating mainstream schools will receive increased funding rates of £25 a day to cover staffing and admin costs, plus £1 per child per day. This equates to an average increase of 28%.

All schools who are eligible will be contacted directly and can apply by completing an expression of interest form available via the DfE’s online services.