The schools minister Nick Gibb has been given an expanded role at the Department for Education, with the additional responsibility for steering sex and relationships education (SRE) reform.
The government announced today that as well as his schools remit, which includes teacher recruitment, school admissions, and the national funding formula, Gibb will also be the minister for equalities.
Gibb’s new brief will include responsibilities for SRE and PSHE reforms, which were set in motion earlier this year. These responsibilities did fall under Edward Timpson, the former minister for children and families – who lost his seat in the general election.
However questions were raised about the suitability of the new children’s minister, Robert Goodwill, to preside over SRE changes after Schools Week revealed that Goodwill voted against the legalisation of same-sex marriage.
Gibb will also be responsible for children and young people’s mental health and preventing bullying in schools, while Goodwill takes on the early years portfolio previously held by Caroline Dinenage, who was given a different job at the Department for Work and Pensions in the reshuffle and will not be replaced.
Goodwill will also be responsible for SEND policy, free school meals, the pupil premium, school sports and the 12 opportunity areas announced by the government earlier this year.
Justine Greening, the education secretary, retains overall responsibility for the DfE and government equalities office while Lord Nash will continue in his role as minister for the school system.
Anne Milton, already minister for apprenticeships and skills with responsibility for sixth form colleges and other post-16 provision, will also be minister for women, while Jo Johnson will have an expanded remit looking after universities, science, research and innovation across the DfE and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Here are the responsibilities of the four ministers with responsibility for schools…
Justine Greening, education secretary
Early years
Adoption and child protection
Teachers’ pay
The school curriculum
School improvement
The establishment of academies and free schools
Further education
Higher education
Apprenticeships and skills
Nick Gibb, minister for school standards
Recruitment and retention of teachers and school leaders (including initial teacher training, qualifications and professional development)
Supporting a high-quality teaching profession (including links to National College for Teaching and Leadership)
Admissions and school transport
National funding formula for schools and school revenue funding
Curriculum, assessment and qualifications (including links with Ofqual)
School accountability (including links with Ofsted)
Personal, social and health education (PSHE), relationship and sex education (RSE) and children and young people’s mental health
preventing bullying in schools
Lord Nash, minister for the school system
A strong school system (including free schools, academies, multi-academy trusts, university technical colleges, studio schools, faith schools, independent schools, home education, supplementary schools)
Tackling school underperformance
School improvement (including teaching school alliances, national and local leaders of education and school improvement funds)
School governance
School capital investment (including new school places, school maintenance, land and playing fields)
Tackling extremism in schools and colleges
Behaviour and attendance, exclusions and alternative provision
Robert Goodwill, minister for children and families
Child protection (including protection from child sexual exploitation and safeguarding), local authority children’s social care and family law
Children in care, care leavers and adoption
Childcare policy including delivery of the 30 hours free childcare offer, inspection and regulation
Early years policy including inspection, regulation and literacy and numeracy
Funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils of all abilities (pupil premium and pupil premium plus)
Funding and policy on free school meals
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
School sports and healthy pupils
Cadets and military ethos in the education system
Improving social mobility in the 12 opportunity areas
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