13 March, 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. ASCL conference 2026

Updates from the Association of School and College Leaders conference in Liverpool, writes Schools Week.

School and trust leaders gathered in Liverpool last week for the annual ASCL conference. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson opened the event by urging leaders to “get right behind” the Schools White Paper, arguing that a new era of collaboration is essential to closing the attainment gap.

A central theme of the conference was the proposed transformation of the SEND provision. Phillipson outlined a vision where children with SEND are moved from the “sidelines” to the heart of mainstream education, supported by earlier identification and direct access to specialists like educational psychologists.

To support this, she announced the launch of the RISE Key Stage 3 Alliance, led by experienced academy trust bosses, to improve pupil engagement during these critical years.

However, ASCL General Secretary Pepe Di’Iasio offered a grounded perspective on these “laudable” plans. While welcoming the focus on support, he warned that the sector is “stretched to breaking point” by funding shortages and unsustainable workloads.

He argued that the White Paper remains a set of “just plans” until the government provides the necessary resources and a formal wellbeing plan to protect staff. Di’Iasio particularly urged leaders to “cherish” their own family time, noting that personal recovery is vital for those expected to model healthy boundaries for their teams.

The conference also addressed the social pressures facing schools. Di’Iasio highlighted a concerning rise in prejudice and division, citing an ASCL survey which found that 60% of leaders report staff or pupils experiencing harassment within school. He called for social media platforms to take greater responsibility for toxic content.

Source: ASCL conference 2026: Schools Week live blog (schoolsweek.co.uk)

2. Middle leaders carrying the strain

Middle leadership was never meant to carry this much weight, writes Schools Week.

Analysis of Edurio’s national staff experience survey from 2024/25, drawing on responses from more than 85,000 school staff in England, reveals a stark pattern.

When asked, “Overall, how well have you felt lately, physically and mentally?”, positive responses were given by 60% of senior leaders, 46% of admin staff, 38 % of teaching assistants, 35% of teachers and only 34% of middle leaders.

Middle leadership was never meant to carry this much weight. Yet in many schools, it has quietly become the role where accountability, implementation and pastoral responsibility collide, often without the time, authority or protection to match.

Department leads, heads of year and phase leaders are expected to implement reform, manage people, raise outcomes, support staff wellbeing and continue teaching, often without additional time, authority or structural protection.

As a result, middle leaders are more likely than any other group to feel stressed frequently. And they are among the most likely to say they feel overworked often, reflecting the reality of holding significant leadership responsibility alongside a full or near-full teaching load. Very few report feeling overworked rarely or never.

However, middle leaders are not disengaged. Sixty-one per cent say they feel excited by their work, and 51 per cent say they feel appreciated by leadership. Both figures are higher than for classroom teachers.

Source: If middle leaders are crushed schools have no one to step up (schoolsweek.co.uk)

3. Deliver on SEND or lose services, ministers warn councils

SEND reform plans are needed by June, and the government will withdraw services from failing authorities, local officers have been warned, writes Tes.

Councils have been warned they face “heightened scrutiny” over special educational needs and disabilities reforms – and that those found to be failing could have SEND responsibilities transferred to trusts, in a hard-hitting letter from government ministers.

The letter from education secretary Bridget Phillipson and health secretary Wes Streeting gives local area partnerships of councils and health services a deadline of June to develop and submit a local SEND reform plan.

As the government has previously announced, councils will need to have SEND reform plans approved in order to have a grant paid covering 90% of their existing high-needs deficits.

In the ministerial letter to councils and integrated care boards, they are warned that interventions could include the use of statutory powers up to and including transferring SEND responsibilities to a trust.

“Local authorities will not receive any payments until their local SEND reform plan has been approved,” the letter confirms.

Source: Deliver on SEND or lose services, ministers warn councils (Tes.com)