Election interruption

The pipeline of educational changes has been blocked by the announcement of a general election on 4th July 2024.

A selection of some initiatives that may be effected:

• A decision on teacher pay will not be published until after the election
• Updates to the academy trust handbook will be held until after the election
• The Advanced British Standard consultation closed in March and a white paper on the plans to reform qualifications was promised later this year
• Minimum service levels that would apply to schools where staff are striking is awaiting a response following a consultation on this issue which closed in January
• Non-statutory elective home education changes which would ask councils to maintain voluntary registers on children not in school is awaiting a response following consultation
• A consultation on draft guidance for schools on gender questioning children closed in March and a response has not yet been published
• The recently launched consultation on new statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance is due to run until July
• Government is also currently seeking views on proposals to lift the 50 per cent admissions cap for faith schools. The consultation closes in June
• A final set of recommendations from the workload reduction taskforce was due this spring
• A model history curriculum, first promised in October 2021was to be published in 2024
• The cultural education plan, first pledged in March 2022, remains unpublished
• Ministers are also yet to consult on content for a new natural history GCSE, due to be introduced by September next year
• The SEND reforms are currently being trialled, with decisions on whether to nationally roll out local inclusion plans and national standards, this will fall to the next government.