Portfolios have finally been confirmed for the reshuffled Department for Education ministers, weeks after Lucy Powell became education secretary. New specific responsibilities including tackling antisemitism, oversight of special schools and the creation of free schools have been added to ministers’ duties. Powell was appointed to replace Bridget Phillipson as education secretary on 20 July when Andy Burnham formed his new cabinet. Early education minister Olivia Bailey was also replaced by journalist-turned-MP Paul Waugh. The rest of the ministerial team remained largely unchanged with Georgia Gould, Josh MacAlister, and Jacqui Smith retaining their positions. But their responsibilities have now been broadened or tweaked to reflect policy priorities. Schools minister Gould’s purview has also broadened, from 18 policy areas to 21. She will continue overseeing special education needs and disabilities (SEND), and will now also specifically oversee special schools, including independent special schools. School productivity, the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA), and the relationships and sex and health education (RSHE) review have also been added to her portfolio. Gould will also now be responsible for pupil movement, as well as school admissions. Meanwhile she will lose responsibility for faith schools and school transport, which will fall solely to early education minister Paul Waugh. MacAlister to deputise for education secretary Children and families minister Josh MacAlister, a Teach First alumnus and founder of social work charity Frontline, has seen his responsibilities rise from 17 responsibilities to 23. One of the duties will be to deputise for the education secretary in emergencies. Tackling antisemitism – into which government has commissioned an independent review – has also be added to his brief, along with the creation of new free schools, out-of-school settings, and fostering and regional care cooperatives. Waugh will be responsible for the same 22 areas his predecessor Bailey oversaw. As well as early years education and the early years workforce, this includes a diverse range of other areas – including independent schools, illegal schools, faith schools, school uniform, mental health support in schools, intervention in failing schools, and the use of technology and AI in education. NEET focus Skills minister Jacqui Smith will also remain responsible for the same areas as before. However, support for young people aged 16 to 19 who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) – formerly listed as part of “careers advice” – has been made a standalone responsibility. This reflects the government’s heightened focus on tackling rising NEET figures. Wording has also been updated to make clear Smith is responsible for vocational qualifications including those “level 3 and below”, meaning she will oversee Burnham’s new pathways for 14 to 16-year-olds. Meanwhile, the education secretary’s responsibilities remain unchanged from when Phillipson was in the role. Here’s the full list of each minister’s responsibilities, with new briefs highlighted in bold… Lucy Powell, education secretary early years and childcare children’s social care teacher quality, recruitment and retention the school curriculum school improvement academies and free schools further education apprenticeships and skills higher education Georgia Gould, school standards minister school improvement, intervention and inspection (including links with Ofsted) regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and high needs alternative provision special schools (including independent special schools (ISS)) initial teacher training and incentives teacher retention including the early career framework and teacher training entitlement Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) school leadership school governance teacher pay and pensions school support staff core school funding pupil premium school productivity qualifications (including links with Ofqual) national curriculum access to sport, arts and music in education, working with other departments admissions and pupil movement Josh MacAlister, children’s minister children’s social care children in care and children in need looked-after children child protection adoption kinship care and family justice fostering and regional care cooperatives care leavers children’s social care workforce unaccompanied asylum-seeking children single unique identifier for children and use of children’s social care data child protection, safeguarding and serious incidents local authority intervention and improvement family support including the families first programme tackling antisemitism prevention of serious violence in schools and post-16 settings counter extremism in schools and post-16 settings out-of-school settings school safeguarding and guidance on keeping children safe in education creation of new free schools maintenance and improvement of the education estate environmental sustainability in the education sectors deputising for the Secretary of State for Education in emergencies Paul Waugh, early education minister early years education including for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) childcare and the home learning environment early years workforce early communication skills and early intervention Best Start Family Hubs and parenting breakfast clubs school food, including free school meals holiday activities and food (HAF) programme school attendance, including register of children who are not in school reception admissions changes to existing schools home-to-school transport mental health support in schools behaviour, preventing bullying and exclusions in schools school uniform young carers independent schools illegal schools faith schools intervention in failing schools and school improvement use of data, digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in education use of research, science and evidence at DfE Jacqui Smith, skills minister governance, intervention and accountability of further education colleges funding for education and training, provision and outcomes for 16- to 19-year-olds further education financial stability and workforce access to higher education, participation and lifelong learning entitlement quality of higher education and the student experience (including the Office for Students) student finance (including the Student Loans Company) technical and vocational qualifications (level 3 and below), including T Levels higher technical education (levels 4 and 5) careers advice support for young people aged 16 to 19 not in employment, education or training (NEET) skills strategy and delivery technical excellence colleges international education