General
Thursday
19th Feb 2026
DfE promises ‘crackdown’ on spiralling private special school fees
National standards and price bands to be introduced for independent special schools as part of government SEND reforms
SEND crisis ‘harder to fix’ with schools outside strong MATs
Government inclusion adviser Tom Rees speaks to ÌÇÐÄVlog ahead of the publication of the schools White Paper and SEND reform plans
SEND transport bill could hit £3.4bn by 2030, councils warn
Local authorities could be transporting 100,000 more pupils with SEND to school by the end of the decade unless there is significant reform, say councils
Wednesday
18th Feb 2026
New Scottish law ‘strengthens pupils’ rights’ over religious observance
Legislation is designed to give children a stronger voice in decisions around their participation in religious education and observance in schools
EPI think tank appoints new chief executive
Julie McCulloch, currently senior director of strategy at ASCL, replaces Natalie Perera, who stepped down at the end of January
School absence up 50% in latest flu season, analysis finds
Surge in pupil sick days prompts health experts to call for the government to roll out flu vaccination to all schools before October break
Tuesday
17th Feb 2026
Suella Braverman appointed Reform UK education spokesperson
Former Tory minister, who was twice sacked as home secretary under Conservative governments, claims schools are facing ‘a quiet crisis’
Nord Anglia partners with Dubai property giant for school expansion
The partnership between Nord Anglia Education and Dubai Holding is expected to result in new schools opening across the emirate, with the first planned for Dubai Production City
Lack of diversity among curriculum drafters ‘deeply concerning’
Open letter with nearly 100 signatories calls for a ‘more diverse range’ of drafters to write the new national curriculum, warning there is a risk of ‘narrow’ content
Monday
16th Feb 2026
DfE commits £26m to recruit more educational psychologists
Funding for hundreds more educational psychologists announced amid concerns that specialists are spending too much time on admin rather than supporting children
Schools face wait for ‘urgently needed’ medical guidance
Minister says new guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions won’t be published until the spring after MPs warn of young people being left ‘exposed’