Articles
Funding challenges for early years providers: a practical guide for nursery owners
02 Apr 2026The government's Early Years Free Entitlement scheme (EYFE) has been significantly expanded in recent years, with another tranche of funding released in September 2025. Alongside this, there has been greater scrutiny on how funding is applied. This has created new challenges for providers.
The DfE’s Education Estates Strategy: A governance shift for Academy Trust estates
20 Mar 2026The Department for Education’s 10 year Education Estates Strategy: A Decade of National Renewal signals a decisive shift in how school and college estates are governed. At the heart of the strategy is a clear policy direction: estates must be managed proactively across the lifecycle of school buildings. The DfE emphasises the need for long-term strategic maintenance, risk management and renewal, rather than reliance on reactive repairs or occasional capital bids.
Industrial relations reforms under the Employment Rights Act 2025 and what they mean for academies and schools
20 Mar 2026The Employment Rights Act 2025 (the Act) introduces significant changes to the employer–trade union relationship. For academies, the reforms affect industrial action, recognition, facility time and union access rights, reshaping the legal framework over the coming months. Here we explore all of the changes under the Act from those already in force through those that will be implemented over the coming months.
Supporting pupils with medical conditions and allergies: what schools need to know about the new DfE statutory guidance and consultation
20 Mar 2026The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a consultation on new statutory guidance titled “Supporting Children and Young People with Medical Conditions and Allergy.” The guidance is intended to replace the current 2015 statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions at school.
The impact of the Education Estates Strategy on colleges and post-16 education
16 Mar 2026The Department for Education (DfE) published its Education Estates Strategy: A Decade of National Renewal in February 2026. This strategy outlines the government’s long-term approach to managing and improving education buildings across England. It includes further education (FE) colleges and sixth-form colleges within the national education estate, which collectively account for 9 million square metres of publicly funded internal space.
The strategy marks a significant shift in addressing decades of underinvestment in school and college buildings. It introduces a systematic approach to estate governance, lifecycle planning, and data-driven investment, aiming to improve not only capital funding but also governance structures, estate management capabilities, and the alignment of infrastructure with skills policy.
Recruitment and probation under the Employment Rights Act 2025
16 Mar 2026The Employment Rights Act 2025 (the Act) is set to introduce significant reforms that will reshape the legal framework for employers. For colleges, one of the most important areas of change will be the rules governing unfair dismissal. These reforms, due to come into force on 1 January 2027, will have important implications for recruitment, probation management and early-stage employment decisions across the further education sector.
