Official figures show a 11.6% rise in children with Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs) in England, reaching a record 538,500. Overall, 21% of pupils now have special educational needs, prompting calls for urgent government action amid funding and staffing challenges.
Campaigners and disability groups are urging the UK government to halt plans to cut funding for specialist assistive software under the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA). They argue that free, mass-market tools cannot replace the functionality of specialist software, risking wider attainment gaps and increased student withdrawals.
Labour plans to cut primary school sport funding in England, replacing a £320m annual grant with a £193m "sport partnerships network" for all schools. Critics fear a 40% cut, while the DfE claims additional capital funding and transition payments will mitigate the impact.
Labour's plan to scrap the £320m primary school PE and sports premium and replace it with a £193m sport partnerships network has been met with scepticism by school leaders, who warn of a 40% cut in funding and lack of clarity.
The National Audit Office has warned that England's falling birthrate is creating a surplus of school places and will lead to a £1bn reduction in pupil funding over the next three years. The DfE only began specifically tracking demographic risks in 2024, despite primary enrolments falling since 2018, with a further 7% decline expected by 2030. The report forecasts funding cuts of £288m in 2027, £410m in 2028 and £334m in 2029, prompting concerns about school closures and mergers affecting educational quality.
The UK government has announced that universities in England failing to protect free speech could face fines of up to £500,000 or 2% of their income under a new complaints system run by the Office for Students (OfS). The scheme, launching from the new academic year, will allow staff, external speakers and non-student members to raise concerns about providers free of charge. From April 2027, new registration conditions will enable the regulator to fine universities for breaches of their duties under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, which came into force in August 2023.
