Education sector: news in brief - October 2026

Schools to receive new support to tackle misogyny

The government has announced a new whole-school approach to tackling misogyny and challenging harmful attitudes towards women and girls among young people.

Schools will receive practical guidance, teacher training and resources for parents to help build a culture of respect and belonging. The approach will promote healthy relationships, challenge harmful behaviour and help pupils navigate online and offline influences.

The announcement follows data showing that half of girls heard misogynistic comments from other pupils in a single week. Nearly a third of pupils in Years 10 and 11 had recently heard comments that raised concerns about girls’ safety.

The measures build on the strengthened Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum and wider government work to tackle misogyny. Programmes funded through the £16 million Violence Against Women and Girls Prevention Programme will also promote healthy relationships and challenge harmful online influences.

£22.5m investment to widen access to ‘enrichment’ activities

Hundreds of thousands of children in disadvantaged communities will gain greater access to, what the government refers to as enrichment activities through a new £22.5 million government programme.

More than 400 secondary schools will receive funding and tailored support to expand opportunities for children in sport, music, debating, volunteering, outdoor learning and others.

The Youth Sport Trust will deliver the programme with national partners, helping schools identify gaps in provision and widen opportunities for pupils. The investment supports the government’s wider commitment to high-quality enrichment, particularly for disadvantaged young people.

School funding at lowest point in 16 years

Schools in England have lost £4.5 billion in real-terms funding over the past 16 years, including a further £300 million in the last year, according to analysis by School Cuts.

The analysis found that 74% of maintained schools, 14,053 schools, have experienced real-terms funding reductions since 2010. This includes 70% of primary schools and 92% of secondary schools, while 1,323 schools have lost more than £1 million.

Wider pressures include poor building conditions: 66% of teachers reported working in buildings affected by leaks, while 84% said overheated classrooms were directly affecting pupils’ learning.

The report linked prolonged underfunding to recruitment and retention pressures, noting that one in four teachers leaves the profession within three years and one in three within five years.

Teachers call for broader approach to improve school attendance 

Many teachers believe schools cannot resolve the attendance crisis alone and question whether punitive measures, including holiday fines, are effective, according to a report by Impetus and Public First.

Drawing on discussions with 62 secondary school staff in disadvantaged communities, the report found that occasional absence or term-time holidays were often seen as less concerning than sustained disengagement. Some staff also said fines could damage their relationships with families.

The report identifies limited mental health support, unmet special educational needs and pressure on external services as wider causes of absence. Staff described relationship-building, mentoring and home visits as effective but resource-intensive.

It concludes that the attendance crisis reflects wider pupil disengagement and calls for stronger support from other services to help schools re-engage children and young people.

Schools improve cyber resilience 

Schools are recovering more quickly from cyber incidents, according to government figures indicating improved cyber resilience across the education sector.

The proportion of schools reporting a cyber incident fell to 27% in 2025/26, compared with 29% in 2024/25 and 34% in 2023–24. Where incidents occurred, 66% of schools recovered immediately, up from 55% in the previous academic year, while the proportion experiencing critical damage fell to 7%.

Despite this progress, schools are advised to keep cyber security a priority to protect systems, data and day-to-day operations.

Commissioner warns of 42,000 ‘hidden NEETs’ in colleges

An estimated 42,000 16- and 17-year-olds enrolled in colleges in England may be “hidden NEETs”, according to analysis highlighted by the Children’s Commissioner.

The analysis, based on data from 262 of England’s 290 college groups, suggests that thousands of students attend less than half the time and may miss support provided to those formally identified as not in education, employment or training (NEET).

The Children’s Commissioner warned that these young people could fall through gaps in the system and miss interventions designed to improve participation and future opportunities.

High SEND schools more likely to receive lower Ofsted inclusion ratings

Schools with higher proportions of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are more likely to receive lower Ofsted inclusion ratings, according to analysis.

Secondary schools with the highest levels of SEND were five times more likely to be judged below the expected standard for inclusion than those with the lowest levels. Similar patterns appeared across Ofsted’s other main inspection areas and in schools with higher proportions of disadvantaged pupils or pupils with low prior attainment.

Schools receiving the highest inclusion grades generally had fewer pupils on SEN support or with education, health and care plans (EHCPs), while those receiving the lowest grades tended to support larger numbers.

Support staff covering lessons leaves pupils missing out

Younger children experiencing neglect to be focus of new multi-agency inspections

EEF seeks views to shape future education research priorities

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is inviting education professionals to help shape its future research programme. It wants to hear which challenges schools, colleges and early years settings are facing, where evidence gaps remain, and what practical guidance would be most useful. Responses will help inform the EEF's research priorities for 2027-2029.

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