Schools & study
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 Here is what it means for parents, and which lessons a child cannot be withdrawn from.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.
UK student visa: from 30 November you must show 14,130 pounds in the bank
The Home Office has raised the maintenance funds a prospective student must hold before applying. London goes to 1,570 pounds a month from 1,529; the rest of the country to 1,203 from 1,171. Across the standard nine months that is 14,130 and 10,827 pounds. The new figures bite on 30 November 2026, and it is the application date that counts, not the course start date.
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.
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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.