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8 May 2026

Author: Freddie Whittaker

Attendance: School Covid contact absences quadruple in a week

The number of pupils absent because of a potential contact with Covid-19 in school has quadrupled in just one week, new government attendance data shows. Attendance survey data published by the Department for Education shows 171,600 pupils missed school on June 17 because of potential contact with the virus in school, up from 40,200 on […]

Williamson wants to rush through university admissions reform ‘without legislation’

The government wants to rush through its plans for a post-qualifications admissions (PQA) system for universities “without legislation”, the education secretary has said. Gavin Williamson told the House of Commons today that “we really want to bring PQA forward as rapidly as possible”, and said he would like to do it “without legislation and in […]

Covid ‘outbreak management plans’: What DfE wants schools to do

The Department for Education has published an updated Covid-19 contingency framework for schools, setting out what measures may be needed in response to local outbreaks. Here’s what you need to know.   1. Have an ‘outbreak management plan’ (and DfE hands power back to councils) The guidance states schools should have “outbreak management plans”, outlining […]

Williamson’s policy adviser set to be new Ofqual boss

A former academy trust boss and policy adviser to Gavin Williamson has been put forward to be the new chief regulator of Ofqual. The government has named Dr Jo Saxton as its preferred candidate for the role, following approval by the prime minister. Simon Lebus has been in post in the top job on an […]

DfE finally confirms £320m PE and sport premium will continue in 2021-22

Primary schools will continue to receive the £320 million PE and sport premium in the next academic year, the Department for Education has finally confirmed. Schools will also be able to carry forward underspends from this year and last so they can “prioritise physical activities, sport and physical education with mental health and wellbeing support, […]

Schools, pupils and their characteristics 2021: 5 things we learned

The secondary and special school populations continue to grow in England, the latest data shows, with a slight decrease in the number of primary pupils and a big fall in those attending pupil referral units. The Department for Education has published its annual schools, pupils and their characteristics data collection, which is based on the […]