Autumn 2025 Update

 EFFECTIVE CHAIRS – Autumn 2025

A new academic year bringing key areas of educational change.

1.Ofsted reform is now here, Ofsted will publish its response to the new inspection framework consultation along with inspection materials over the next few weeks, with a full programme of sector engagement. Inspections under the new framework will begin in November, with inspections paused in September and October to accommodate Ofsted staff training. Report cards will judge schools on up to 11 areas with toolkits for each and each area rated using a five-point, traffic light system. All inspections will be ‘full’ inspections, no more ungraded inspections. One red and schools will be put in a category and monitoring will continue until all areas are secure. Once the new framework is up and running DAG will be arranging an online Ofsted seminar for members.  We will keep you posted on when it will take place.

2.The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill has completed its progress through the commons and is at the committee stage in the Lords. The key changes are detailed in the guidance.

3.The curriculum and assessment review continues, a phased programme of work perhaps with changes regarding re-sits for English and Maths GCSEs. See the report for more information.

4.RISE. Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams are in place. Based on the findings of Ofsted report cards from November 2025, schools will be placed into one of three categories and the RISE teams will support schools in the first two:

• Schools with minimal issues, RISE teams will develop local area priorities and signpost schools to hubs and leading schools, to promote sharing of good practice
• For schools requiring more targeted support, RISE teams will commission help from a supporting organisation with a track record of improvement, a trust, a local authority or another local partner.
• For schools needing intervention, there will be no role for RISE teams. These schools will move into strong trusts, with delivery teams in the Regions Group ensuring it happens.

5.Breakfast: Some breakfast club options are coming to an end…

• Breakfast Clubs (2025) The ‘adopter’ first phase of the national roll out is under way with the subsequent aim to see free breakfast clubs in every primary school in due course. Provided free to parents.
• The National School breakfast Programme (2023), supported by Family Action will continue for 2025/26. Under the scheme all participating schools receive 75% subsidy for food and delivery costs, schools contribute 25% of costs. Provided free to parents.
• Wraparound childcare scheme (2024) will continue until March 2026 the guidance provides details for before and after school care that schools charge parents for.

6.Money, money… The main discussions around educational funding continue to be linked to SEND. Whilst many local authorities are running significant SEND deficits, it is worth noting that poorly funded local authorities including Devon still have less money to educate all of their pupils than other authorities. F40 is the organisation that is trying to make this case to government. A task force report prior to a Schools White Paper this autumn should provide more information around SEND reform.

SEND and AP: £1 billion will be used for SEND and alternative provision (AP) likely to be used by local authorities (LAs) to reduce their own in-year deficits, still leaving three quarters of the total of local authority deficits within High Needs Funding outstanding.

Teachers pay rise (4%) and support staff pay rise (3.2%): Government providing additional financial support for 1.7% of the teachers rise and 0.9% of the support staff rise. Schools to use funding already provided for pay rises to fund 1.3% of both increases and use ‘productivity gains and smarter spending’ to cover the remaining 1% of teachers and support staff increase.

Extra Nurseries: £15 million already announced to create 3,000 new or expanded nurseries.

Free Childcare: From September working parents can get 30 hours (up from 15) of funded childcare (0 – 4yrs) some non working parents may also be eligible for 30 hours if they receive certain benefits under Free Childcare for Working Parents scheme.

Capital Funding: £6.7 billion in capital funding, of this, £1.4 billion to deliver on the existing School Rebuilding Programme, announced in 2020. This extra cash also includes £2.1 billion for school maintenance, an increase of £300 million over the previous year. £740 million from this pot to provide access to create specialist places in mainstream schools for SEND pupils.

Creative: £3 million to expand the Creative Careers Programme, which will help school children learn more about creative career routes.

Employers’ national insurance contributions increased from 13.8 per cent to 15 per cent from April 2025. The government has announced that it will provide a grant delivering £930 million for this academic year and be rolled into mainstream school funding for the next.

Free School Meals Auto Enrolment: Currently, many children eligible for FSM in Devon are not registered, meaning they miss out on both free meals and additional support given to their school through Pupil Premium funding. To address this, Devon are implementing an auto-enrolment process, where early years, primary and secondary school students will automatically be registered to receive free school meals unless families choose not to participate. Schools have been contacted to explain how they can ensure eligible pupils benefit from this initiative.

DAG played a key role in bringing this initiative forward and worked closely with DCC to encourage its adoption. Alex Walmsley, DAG committee member and vice chair of Devon Education Forum said “this is a great example of DAG representation making a difference for the benefit of all our schools and young people. We are grateful to our colleagues at DCC and school leaders for supporting the introduction of auto enrolment, which should provide substantial additional funding for our schools in the coming years.”

If you would like to know more about Free School Meal Auto Enrolment, please have a look at the DAG Briefing Paper on this subject.

The 0.5% block transfer: If this is new to you, it’s worth noting because it may affect your budget. Devon Local Authority’s very significant overspend of the SEND High Needs Block is now part of the ‘safety valve’ scheme to reduce the deficit driven by SEND demand. Devon schools were consulted at the end of 2024 on the transfer of 0.5% between council funding blocks for 2025-26. 164 schools (82%) disagreed with the transfer from the schools block to the high needs block.  The Schools Forum (DEF) therefore rejected the transfer, but the DfE made the decision to approve DCC’s request and override the decision made by DEF in January.  Members of DEF, including governors and trustees will hold Devon Local Authority to account for how it spends the money transferred from schools to high needs.

Narrowing the digital divide: £45 million has been pledged to improve digital connectivity in schools to close the digital divide over the next year. This includes £25 million for wireless networks and £20 million for fibre upgrades. The government is setting a long-term ambition for all schools and colleges to meet six core standards by 2030. These include broadband internet, wireless networks, network switches, digital leadership, filtering and monitoring and cyber security. While the 2030 target seems far away, there’s help available now. Use the government’s Plan Technology For Your School tool to assess your current tech infrastructure.

PE and sport premium expenditure reporting return. The deadline for completing the digital expenditure return has been extended to 30 September 2025.

Remember the Procurement Act took effect from February 2025. This sets out how public bodies should buy goods and services. There is training available

Boards to consider: Does our school have well trained finance governors/trustees and does the board provide full accountability for the funding it receives as evidenced by up to date statements on the school website?

7.Your Board:

Housekeeping: This month many boards will have new members and many board members will have new responsibilities.  A key time to consider how much your board members know about their role and how to upskill everyone to be more effective in 2025/26. Consider using our short quiz to check what everyone knows about their role, DAG has developed one for maintained schools, one for academies and one for MAT local committees. Once your board has allocated key responsibilities to governors and trustees this term, consider referring them to the updated DAG Busy Governor Guides on:

• Safeguarding
• SEND
• Exclusions
• Attendance
• Child Sexual Exploitation
• Challenge
• Pupil Premium
• Sport Premium
• DAG Busy Governance Guide to Environment Sustainability

And if you are a new chair consider the DAG Busy Governor Guide to Chairing. Further DAG guides have been developed to support the work of the board and the clerk across areas such as:

• Admissions
• Headteacher’s Report
• Raising Additional Funds
• Formal Hearings and Procedures
• Careers Strategy
• Partnership and Due Diligence

Also be aware that the DfE has published updated versions of their governance guides. Updated Academy Trust Handbook will come into effect on 1 September Financial Oversight Guidance for Trusts published in June 2025 supplementary to the Academy Trust Handbook and Expanded Guidance on Conflicts of Interest and Related Party Transactions also updated. The Department for Education (DfE) has published an updated version of the Governance Guide for maintained schools also with effect from 1 September 2025.

8.Training for free…

Food: A whole school approach to food: Online training on the school food guidance for governors with free to access training from NGA.

Prevent in education, training for governors and trustees. The training package has been designed by DfE for school governors to understand their responsibilities and the importance of the Prevent duty. Monday 29^th September 2025 session, book here, sessions fill up quickly.

Attendance is still a big issue for all schools ‘Working together to improve school attendance is statutory, and governors and trustees need to engage with their responsibilities around this educational priority, see the DfE School Attendance Guidance Training Webinar, Effective governance that supports stronger attendance. See also DAG Busy Governance Guide to Attendance for more information.

Governors For Schools have a range of eLearning modules that are free, have a look at the selection available including SEND, reducing exclusions and school improvement.

Board to consider: Is your board trained and up to date, and how do you know?

 9.From September 2025:

Safeguarding Policy: The Devon Safeguarding Team has updated the model Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy which needs to be in place for September 2025 in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025 which comes into effect on 1 September 2025. Changes to KCSIE this year have been technical only.

Early Years: The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework has new versions to strengthen safeguarding requirements from September 2025. Also be aware of the ‘Experience based route for early years’ guidance, for staff and early years ratio calculations.

Use of reasonable force and other restrictive interventions in schools comes into effect following a recent consultation. The guidance has been updated to provide new statutory guidance about recording and reporting the use of force, effective from September 2025.

Environmental Sustainability: A nominated sustainability lead and a climate action plan are both required for this term. The DfE are clear that senior decision makers, SLT and governors should support and drive school sustainable activity. Need some help with this area?  Have a look at the DAG Busy Governance Guide to Environment Sustainability for help.

Relationships, sex and health education guidance: The DfE has published new relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education guidance. The statutory guidance will support schools in addressing misogyny and incel culture, violence against women and girls, and related factors. For the first time, secondary school pupils will be taught topics such as how online content can impact a person’s understanding of sexual ethics and behaviour, staying safe in public spaces and positive concepts of femininity and masculinity. Whilst the guidance is statutory from September 2026, schools can begin teaching it from September 2025 if they choose.

Workplace Recycling: Since March 2025 all workplaces in England, including schools must separate their waste before it’s collected, including any waste produced by employees, customers and visitors. See guidance for further details.

On the radar…

SSSNB: Response from government awaited following the consultation on the establishment of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) covering pay, terms and conditions, training, and career progression for support staff in all state-funded schools in England.

Service Pupils in Schools, Non statutory guidance to help schools understand and address the needs of service pupils.

Grants for schools on the Devon County Council website page ‘Grants for schools’  and remember to stay up to date with general grants available from your local district council, many provide weekly email updates, see their websites for further information.

Music: All schools should have a music development plan, as set out in the national plan for music education and are now expected to publish a summary of their music development plan on their website and then update the summary in the summer term. Devon Music Education Hub has unveiled its newly appointed Lead Schools for Music, do you know which one links to your school?

The School Estate Management Standards are designed to support schools to manage their estates effectively. School estate management standards gives practical advice on the basics of managing a school estate and how to progress to fully achieving effective practice. It also signposts users to expert advice.

AI: The Department for Education has launched a package of measures to transform how schools use AI. AI guidance sets out how schools can safely and effectively use AI, it also provides information on how Ofsted will view the use of AI in classrooms.

Clerking Handbook.  A free clerking handbook guide from the National Association of Governance Advisory services (NAGAS).  Advice, examples and resources to support this key role within governance for academies and maintained schools. Download a copy at www.nagas.org.uk

Boards to consider: How do we ensure that we stay up to date and aware of what is happening within the education sector both locally and nationally?

Finally, a bit about what DAG can do to support your governance…

In addition to over 150 articles each year and bespoke resources all free to DAG members, we support members coming together online to discuss the latest issues affecting governance. Have you considered our community networks?

DAG Community Networks – Chairs: Support for chairs each term from across the Devon local authority to come together in a free interactive session. Those who attend are chairs of governing boards, chairs of academy trusts and chairs of local academy bodies.

DAG Community Networks – Governance Professionals/Clerks: DAG supports clerks and governance professionals each term to come together in a free interactive hour-long session recognising the key role clerks have in delivering effective governance.

DAG Community Networks – Governors/Trustees: DAG supports all governors and trustees to come together in a free interactive hour-long session to consider areas of key responsibility.

Each forum has a theme and is facilitated by DAG board members or associate members with considerable governance experience, dates for this term will be available soon, contact [email protected]

Board to consider: Are all opportunities being taken to upskill the board, share experiences and concerns and support all board members and the clerk?