29 May, 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. New school plans must show they will move into MATs

Binning of free school presumption branded ‘unnecessary’ as new LA schools will still have to academise, writes Schools Week.

Rule changes made after the requirement for all new schools to be academies was binned don’t make sense, trust leaders have said.

The passage of Labour’s schools bill earlier this month saw the free school presumption scrapped, opening the door to councils to lodge bids to launch their own primaries and secondaries.

But the changes have been branded “unnecessary” as guidance published on Monday states local authority proposals need to detail how the school will “move into a high-quality trust over time”.

CST chief Leora Cruddas said: “We think it is unlikely that given the government’s vision for all schools being part of a trust that many, if any, new maintained schools will actually open.”

In the vast majority of cases it is going to make little sense to open as a maintained school only to become an academy a few years later.”

The guidance said local authorities can invite proposals for a new school if, following a consultation, it determines there is a need for one.

Bidders – including councils – can submit plans “for a new school other than an academy”. But the government’s expectation remains that they “will join or form high-quality trusts”.

Source: New school plans must show they will move into MATs (schoolsweek.co.uk)

2. School system ‘failing by design’ to prepare pupils for work, review finds

Government-commissioned review finds national curriculum and exam-based assessment approaches are big factors in many students being ‘effectively set up to fail’, writes Tes.

The school system does too little to prepare students for work and support those most at risk of unemployment, a landmark review warns.

The government-commissioned report, which was led by former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn, says education in England is too focused on exam-based qualifications rather than whether pupils go on to sustained employment or learning.

Almost one million young people aged 16-24 in the UK are not in education, employment or training (Neet), and education is not alone in falling short – health and welfare systems, for example, are also failing in creating paths towards work, the interim report says.

The review also cites survey findings showing that 67% of Neet young people believe the curriculum does not prepare them for work, while 55% feel the education system does “not suit people like them”.

Furthermore, it shows that only 47% of 18-24-year-olds, and 36% of those who are Neet, felt ready for work when they left education. It adds that only 32% of young people reported receiving face-to-face careers advice in 2025, while apprenticeships were discussed with just 18%.

“Good qualifications are still one of the best defences against a young person becoming Neet,” the report states, but it also warns school accountability drives leaders too often towards qualifications rather than work-readiness or employment outcomes.

Source: School system ‘failing by design’ to prepare pupils for work, review finds (Tes.com)

3. Study confirms strong link between belonging, attendance and mental wellbeing

A large-scale study involving 25,000 year 8, 9 and 10 students has produced evidence of the impact that strong relationships and belonging in school can have on mental wellbeing, writes Sec-Ed.

A study based on the University of Manchester’s #BeeWell programme (Cheng et al, 2026) has found that poor mental health can drive disengagement from school, while strong relationships and a sense of belonging can protect mental wellbeing and help to reduce student absence.

Academics tracked more than 25,000 students in years 8 to 10 from 154 secondary schools in England and found that when students felt more connected to their school and had stronger relationships with staff, they “experienced fewer emotional difficulties over time” – things like worry or low mood.

These students also saw better attendance.

The study is therefore advising schools to ensure that any efforts to bolster student attendance include a focus on “students’ experiences of connection and support”.

Dr Qiqi Cheng, lead author of the study, said: “Our findings show that how young people experience school on a day-to-day basis really matters. While schools rightly focus on making progress on attendance, what happens once pupils are inside the school gates is equally crucial.”

Source: Study confirms strong link between belonging, attendance and mental wellbeing (sec-ed.co.uk)

Measure pupil belonging in your setting

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