Guidance

The latest news, analysis and best-practice advice when it comes to official education guidance coming from the government, inspectorates and governing bodies

Tuesday

9th Jun 2026

Let birthday pupils skip lunch queue to cut absence, schools told
Schools will be provided with new tools highlighting absence patterns over the year, and new communications guides to improve engagement with families
Skip the lunch queue

Friday

5th Jun 2026

Experts at Hand guidance calls for ‘innovative’ staff deployment
DfE advice seeks to allay fears that severe shortages of staff such as educational psychologists will put the brakes on its Experts at Hand service, on same day as it reveals members of key SEND panel
Experts at Hand

Tuesday

2nd Jun 2026

Reading for pleasure: 5 key challenges
Year 8 reading tests, GCSE English shortcomings, and the tricky balance between grammar and reading enjoyment were among the issues raised at an MPs’ committee today
Olivia Bailey MP

Wednesday

27th May 2026

Social media inquiry risks shifting blame on to schools, ASCL warns
Schools must not be left with the ‘policing burden’ around social media, says school leaders’ union as it demands that tech companies are held to account
Social media ban

Friday

22nd May 2026

Nearly 1 in 5 primary leaders tell parents to stop vaping
Heads’ unions hope plans to make vaping illegal anywhere on site will help settings to reinforce existing school rules
Vaping ban
Exclusive

Thursday

21st May 2026

AI in Scottish schools: 10 key points for leaders
Schools must show leadership on AI because doing nothing is the riskiest option, says Scottish secondary headteacher Stuart Clark
AI in Scottish schools: 10 key points for leaders
Why statutory RSHP is essential in Scottish schools
Scotland has ‘patchy and inconsistent’ relationships, sexual health and parenthood education, and lags behind other parts of the UK, says Joanne Smith
Why relationships, sexual health and parenthood education should be statutory in Scotland

Thursday

14th May 2026

What Scotland’s education directors need from the new government
A ‘moment of truth’ faces Scotland’s education system, says Sheena Devlin, who sets out the ADES’ view on what must change
What Scotland's education directors need from the new government

Friday

8th May 2026

DfE to call on leaders to become RISE ‘partners’
New DfE-convened regional partnerships will be expected to provide ‘formalised oversight’ of progress against school improvement priorities
DfE to call on leaders to become RISE 'partners'

Monday

27th Apr 2026

Supply agency fee capped at £55 per day under DfE ‘mandate’
New policy aimed at saving schools money is welcomed, but heads’ union points out that fewer supply staff would be needed if teacher recruitment and retention were improved
Supply agency fee capped at £55 per day under DfE ‘mandate’

Thursday

16th Apr 2026

Banning phones in schools ‘already solved’, claims minister
Education minister Olivia Bailey comes under fire as MPs reject Lords’ proposal for a statutory ban on phones in schools
Phone ban in schools

Monday

13th Apr 2026

Funding fears over new school food standards
Deep-fried food will be banned from school menus in England as part of government plans – but experts warn about the increased cost of providing healthier options
New school food standards