Schools & study
EHC plans in England: who can request an assessment and how long the council has
When SEN support at school is not enough, the next step is an education, health and care plan. Who can request one, the deadlines the local authority must meet, and why an appeal needs a mediation certificate.
Learn English free with the British Council: a level test, 10,000 exercises and speaking practice
The British Council offers free resources for adults, teenagers and children, an online level test and a Learning Hub. Here is what costs nothing, where an account is required and what remains paid.
UK Student visa funds: what to show now and from 30 November 2026
Applications made by 29 November require £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 elsewhere, for up to nine months. From 30 November the figures rise to £1,570 and £1,203. Here is the calculation, the 28-day rule and the funds UKVI will not accept.
Refused a school place: how to appeal in England and the deadlines
You get at least 20 school days to appeal, an independent panel of three hears it, and in infant classes the 30-pupil limit decides almost everything. Here is the process, from gov.uk.
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Ofsted report cards explained: schools no longer get an «outstanding» grade
Ofsted published its first independent research into new-style inspections on 9 October: 88% of those inspected called the process respectful and 81% agreed the report accurately describes what it is like to be a pupil, while nearly half of schools reported a hit to staff wellbeing. It is also a reminder of the bigger change for parents: there is no single «outstanding» or «good» grade any more, but a five-point scale applied area by area. The secondary school deadline is three weeks away.
Misogyny lessons in England's schools: what RSHE now teaches and what parents can decide
Half of girls hear demeaning comments from classmates in an ordinary school week. The Department for Education has announced a plan: teachers will be trained to unpack 'manosphere' subcultures, £16 million goes into pilot programmes, and the updated RSHE lessons — covering misogyny, deepfakes and online influencers — have been running since 1 September. Here is what it means for parents, and which lessons a child cannot be withdrawn from.
Free clubs in 400 English schools: £22.5m for sport, music and debating — how to check if your school is in
Over 400 secondary schools in disadvantaged areas will get co-ordinators and funding for free extracurricular activities under the £22.5m Enrichment Expansion programme. What appears on timetables, why the state is paying for clubs, and what to ask your school now.
SEND in an English school: £200m for teacher training — and how a parent gets support for their child
On 24–25 September the Department for Education published the first free training materials for teachers working with children who have special educational needs. It is the start of a £200m programme, but schools are not obliged to use it. Here is what actually changed, and the deadlines the law gives parents: 16 weeks for the council's decision, 20 weeks for an EHC plan, 2 months to appeal.
New Vocational GCSEs in Britain: first subjects from 2029 and 200,000 work experience placements
On 23 September the government announced Vocational GCSEs, which will sit alongside traditional GCSEs and replace Technical Awards. The first subjects are promised from as early as September 2029, with technical pathways starting in September 2028. Employers are being asked for an extra 200,000 work experience placements for 14 to 16-year-olds.
Primary school applications close on 15 January: only 85% of Inner London children get their first choice
Applications for a Reception place from September 2027 are open now and close on 15 January 2027. They cover children born between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023. Offers land on 16 April. Across England 92.4% get their first preference; in Inner London it is 85.0%. And separately: school is not yet compulsory at four.
Secondary school applications close on 31 October: in London only 70% of children get their first choice
Applications for Year 7 entry in September 2027 close on 31 October 2026 — a Saturday, six weeks away. It covers children born between 1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016. Late applications are handled second, once the popular schools are full. Across England 83.6% of children get their first choice; in London it is 70.5%. And separately: a school cannot demand immigration documents.
Free school meals: from this year every family on Universal Credit qualifies — but you have to apply
The £7,400 threshold has gone and meals are available to any family on Universal Credit. That is £475–£570 a year per child you stop paying. How to apply, what else the entitlement unlocks, and what will be banned from school menus in 2027.
Applying, rankings and school for a child: the 2027 cycle dates and the cost after VAT
The personal statement is no longer an essay but three questions inside 4,000 characters. The equal consideration deadline is 13 January, not the 15th that older articles print. Most of the rankings people choose by are commercial, and only two official quality measures exist. And a private boarding place now costs around £54,000 a year — with the arithmetic behind that figure.
Studying in Britain in 2026: who pays £9,790, who pays £70,000, and three dates you cannot miss
The gap between home and international fees runs to seven times, and it is decided by three years of residence rather than by citizenship — and you need not have held settled status for all three, which is the part most often misread. Plus: the visa maintenance figure rises on 30 November, the Graduate route drops from two years to eighteen months on 1 January, and Chevening closes on 6 October.