The Department for Education (DfE) has quietly updated the responsibilities of its new ministerial team. While they remain largely similar, there are some notable changes – with social mobility and reducing teacher workload no longer explicitly mentioned. “Reducing teacher workload” is also no longer listed among schools minister Robin Walker’s remit. But officials stressed it had not been de-prioritised and instead fell under his continued role of “supporting a high-quality teaching profession”. Meanwhile the academies minister Baroness Barran is no longer responsible for “school efficiency”, despite a cost-cutting crusade being what Lord Agnew was best known for when he held the post until last year. It now sits under Walker’s responsibilities. The children’s minister’s role under newly-appointed Will Quince sees ‘disadvantage and social mobility’ being ditched for “disadvantage and vulnerable children”. It comes after oversight of the government’s social mobility commission was transferred from the DfE to the Cabinet Office earlier this year. New education secretary Nadhim Zahawi’s remit remains unchanged from his predecessor. Nadhim Zahawi, education secretary Early years Children’s social care Teacher recruitment and retention The school curriculum School improvement Academies and free schools Further education Apprenticeships and skills Higher education Oversight of the departmental coronavirus (covid-19) response Robin Walker, schools minister Supporting a high-quality teaching profession including qualifications and professional development Supporting recruitment and retention of teachers and school leaders including initial teacher training Teaching regulation agency Qualifications (including links with ofqual) Curriculum including relationships, sex, and health education; and personal, social, health and economic education Standards and testing agency and primary assessment School accountability and inspection (including links with ofsted) Support for raising school standards School revenue funding, including the national funding formula for schools School efficiency Pupil premium Behaviour, attendance and exclusions Digital strategy and technology in education (edtech) Coronavirus (covid-19) response for schools Baroness Barran, academies minister Academies and multi-academy trusts Free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools Faith schools Independent schools Home education and supplementary schools Intervention in underperforming schools School capital investment (including pupil place planning, new school places and school condition) Admissions and school transport Safeguarding in schools and post-16 settings Counter extremism and integration in schools and post-16 settings Departmental efficiency and commercial Will Quince, children’s minister Children’s social care Families Children in care, children in need, child protection, adoption and care leavers Early years Special educational needs, including high needs funding Alternative provision Disadvantage and vulnerable children School food including free school meals School sport Children and young people’s mental health, online safety and preventing bullying in schools Policy to protect against serious violence Opportunity areas programme and opportunity north east programme Coronavirus (covid-19) response for children’s services and childcare Alex Burghart, apprenticeships and skills minister* T levels and qualifications reviews (levels 3 and below) Careers education, information and guidance including the careers and enterprise company Reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training Student experience and widening participation in higher education International education strategy including education exports and international students Michelle Donelan, universities minister* Strategy for post-16 education *only responsibilities related to schools listed