The government is set to publish enrichment benchmarks for schools this week, alongside announcing a £132.5 million scheme to fund activities in schools.
Headteachers, academy leaders, trustees, school support staff and charity leaders are among those recognised for their services to education in the King’s birthday honours.
Ofsted inspectors will look more closely at whether pupils with “barriers to their learning or wellbeing” are achieving well in schools from September.
Pupils will learn how to identify plants, animals and fungi, as well as learn about climate change and habitats, under subject content proposals for the new natural history GCSE.
Colleges will be included in new government enrichment benchmarks to be published this week, but ministers have not said they will be eligible for funding from a new £132.5 million activities scheme.
Colleges and training providers receiving new SEND inclusion funding will have to show inspectors how the money is improving outcomes for students under updated Ofsted rules coming into force this September.
Around one million young people will be offered a meningitis B (MenB) vaccination this summer under a one-off government programme aimed at preventing outbreaks in universities and residential further education colleges.
The number of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has risen by 5.2% to more than 1.8 million over the past year, according to data released by the Department for Education.
Steve Besley's Education Eye: week ending 12 June 2026
Welcome to Education Eye, a regular update detailing the policies and stories happening in UK education, compiled by Steve Besley.
What's happened this week?
Important stories across the board:
The top...
On Monday, a new Policy Exchange report added to the ever-growing pile of literature and comment about whether too many young people are going to university.