10 January, 2026

Top education news stories

Explore this week’s news roundup to uncover the key challenges and priorities for schools across the country.

6 min read

1. Ofsted trust inspections could begin in 2027

New legislation will also give DfE new intervention powers to ‘step in’ when trusts don’t meet standards, writes Schools Week.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has confirmed the government will introduce legislation to enable multi-academy trust inspections via an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and new inspections could begin as early as 2027.

Currently, Ofsted provides summary evaluations of trusts (MATSEs), which involve “batch-inspecting” multiple schools within a trust. But it does not inspect the way their central teams work. According to the DfE, trust inspections “will focus on leadership, governance and impact.”

Trust CEOs have welcomed it as a move that will “strengthen accountability,” but warned inspections must reflect “different sizes and approaches across the system”, and questioned whether Ofsted’s inspectors have the expertise to “do this well”.

“Trust inspection will recognise excellence, support improvement and ensure no child is overlooked, especially those with the greatest needs,” said Phillipson.

The DfE will draw up detailed plans with Ofsted and trust leaders, and the approach will be piloted before being rolled out. More details on the format and delivery of MAT inspection reports will be shared by the government in due course, and feedback will be sought from leaders.

The inspections are not expected to begin before the 2027-28 academic year.

Source: Ofsted MAT inspections could begin in 2027 (schoolsweek.co.uk)

2. Ofsted: Heads need to ‘think carefully’ about phones in schools

Sir Martyn Oliver stops short of agreeing that inspectors should fail a school on safeguarding if students are seen with phones, writes Tes.

Headteachers need to “think carefully” about their school’s approach to mobile phones under Ofsted’s new inspection framework, Sir Martyn Oliver has warned, responding to the Conservatives’ shadow education secretary, Laura Trott.

Ms Trott, the MP for Sevenoaks, urged Ofsted to “formally recognise smartphone use in schools as a safeguarding issue”, meaning that schools would “fail the safeguarding check” if phones were out during the school day.

She also asked that inspectors’ conversations with school leaders during inspections routinely include “safeguarding from digital risks”.

In his reply, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, Sir Martyn expressed his support for phone bans in schools but stopped short of agreeing to Ms Trott’s requests.

He wrote: “Mobile phones are often a distraction and, with the growth of social media and messaging apps, can contribute to children’s anxiety.”

His letter also added: “Our renewed inspection framework is explicit that headteachers need to think carefully about their approach, especially in relation to children’s behaviour and safety.”

Phones are referenced in the “toolkit” used by inspectors to judge schools in the new report-card inspections, which states that inspectors will assess whether schools “have high expectations for all pupils’ attendance, behaviour and attitudes…including expectations related to mobile phones”.

Sir Martyn’s letter said that inspectors “will not penalise headteachers banning mobile phones”

Source: Ofsted: Heads need to ‘think carefully’ about phones in schools (Tes.com)

3. New Year Honours: education leaders recognised

Six multi-academy trust leaders are among the education figures included in the New Year Honours list, writes Tes.

57 people working in or with the school community in England were recognised in this year’s New Year Honours list.

Four will receive the CBE, 15 the OBE, 25 the MBE and 11 the British Empire Medal.

Among those recognised are 17 current or former trust CEOs or school executive headteachers, including Steve Taylor, chief executive officer of Cabot Learning Federation, Anita Bath, chief executive officer of Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, Simon Elliott, CEO of The Community Schools Trust, Rachel Wilkes, CEO of Humber Education Trust, William Smith, the CEO of Greenshaw Learning Trust, and Brendan Tapping, CEO of Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust.

Additionally, nine heads, eight people from the charity or third sectors, six support staff, five council officials, three governors or trustees, two volunteers, two academics, a civil servant and an assistant head have also been recognised.

Source: New Year Honours: MAT boss knighted, and other leaders recognised (Tes.com)