The Department for Education has published its new White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, setting out the Government’s long-term vision for education in England through the 2030s.
The proposals cover almost every aspect of school life: SEND and inclusion, curriculum and assessment, attendance, workforce development, accountability, school structures, and digital technology and AI.
Many of the changes will roll out gradually, and some will need further consultation or legislation before they take effect. But the direction is clear. Schools will be expected to become more inclusive, make better use of data and technology, strengthen communication with families, and step in earlier when pupils need extra support.
Here are the key changes school and trust leaders should have on their radar.
National ambitions for 2030
The White Paper sets out several national ambitions for the end of the decade:
- Raising the national Attainment 8 score to 50
- Halving the Key Stage 4 disadvantage gap, from 15.5 to 7.7
- Cutting national absence to 5.85%
- Raising the proportion of pupils reaching the expected Key Stage 2 standard to 64.9%
- Raising the proportion of disadvantaged pupils reaching that standard to 51.3%
Behind these targets sits a broader push on attendance, inclusion, strong teaching and earlier intervention.
Major changes to SEND and inclusion
SEND is one of the biggest areas of reform.
The Government wants a more consistent national system, one where pupils’ needs are identified earlier and schools can get specialist support faster.
Proposals include a new Experts at Hand service, giving schools routine access to therapists and specialists, and Individual Support Plans for pupils who need targeted SEND support.
There’s also a proposed three-layer model, Targeted, Targeted Plus and Specialist support, alongside National Inclusion Standards from 2028.
Schools would be expected to publish an Inclusion Strategy, and a new Inclusive Mainstream Fund would help pay for provision.
The plans include expanding specialist provision and inclusion bases, with the longer-term aim that every secondary school has access to one.
EHCPs would continue for pupils with the most complex needs, while future support would sit increasingly within defined Specialist Provision Packages.
The SENCO role is also set to become more strategic: less admin, more responsibility for building inclusive practice across the whole school.
Greater focus on early years and primary education
Early identification and smoother transitions between early years settings and schools are another major theme.
The proposals include expanding Best Start Family Hubs, extra early-years inclusion funding, more school-based nurseries and wider access to Mental Health Support Teams. National ambitions here include:
- 75% of children reaching a Good Level of Development by 2028
- 90% reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check
Schools can also expect firmer expectations around information sharing between early-years providers and primary schools.
A refreshed curriculum is planned for first teaching from 2028, backed by new Reception networks meant to spread effective practice.
Changes to secondary curriculum and assessment
Secondary schools face significant curriculum and assessment changes.
New GCSEs are planned from 2029, alongside consultation on the future of Progress 8.
Other proposals include statutory reading and maths assessments at the end of Year 8, and a combined framework covering oracy, reading and writing.
There’s also more emphasis planned on:
- Digital literacy
- Media literacy
- Financial literacy
- Cognitive skills
- Communication and oracy
The Government also wants schools to deliver a full three-year Key Stage 3, backed by a new national KS3 Alliance.
That could push schools to show clearer curriculum progression from Year 7 onwards, rather than treating Key Stage 3 mainly as GCSE preparation.
Enrichment, careers and life skills
The White Paper also expands what’s expected around pupils’ wider development.
A new National Enrichment Framework is expected to cover things like civic engagement, culture, sport, outdoor learning and practical life skills.
The Gatsby careers benchmarks will be updated, and every young person would be expected to complete two weeks of work experience.
New vocational V Levels are also proposed, sitting alongside A levels and T Levels.
Better data sharing between schools, local authorities, colleges and other post-16 providers is meant to cut the number of young people who leave school without a clear next step.
For schools, that likely means enrichment, careers and preparation for adulthood become a more visible part of what they offer.
Attendance, behaviour and pupil engagement
Attendance remains a major Government priority, with a national ambition to get it above 94%.
But the White Paper goes beyond simply measuring absence.
By 2029, schools would be expected to track pupil belonging and engagement too, supported by a new Pupil Engagement Framework and annual national pupil experience data.
There are also proposals for refreshed guidance on behaviour, suspensions and reasonable adjustments, plus Reintegration Support Partnerships for pupils returning after a suspension.
School leaders should also note the greater weight placed on the quality of home-school relationships and communication with parents and carers.
A new digital system is proposed to streamline the national complaints process.
Disadvantage and targeted funding
The Government plans to consult on how disadvantage is measured and funded.
Rather than relying only on existing indicators, a future model could factor in the duration and severity of low income, as well as geographical disadvantage.
Schools can also expect more support for using the pupil premium effectively, including digital tools and funded reviews of pupil premium strategies.
Regional programmes such as Mission North East and Mission Coastal are meant to tackle entrenched geographical inequalities.
Teacher development, leadership and retention
None of this works without the school workforce, and the White Paper proposes a long list of changes there too:
- A strengthened Early Career Teacher Entitlement
- Reformed NPQs with more content on SEND and people leadership
- Expanded development programmes for experienced teachers and leaders
- A Teacher Training Entitlement across the whole workforce
- A national teacher retention programme
- Better professional pathways for school business professionals
- A national approach to supply staffing
- Longer-term investment in school buildings and maintenance
There’s also a proposal to extend maternity provision for teachers to eight weeks at full pay.
For trusts and schools, ongoing professional development is likely to matter even more, particularly around SEND, inclusion, leadership and digital skills.
All schools moving towards trust membership
One of the biggest structural changes is the expectation that every school will eventually join a trust.
The Government proposes a clearer division of responsibilities between local authorities and trusts, inspection-based accountability for trusts, and new Trust Standards covering:
- Educational outcomes
- Inclusion
- Value for money
- Community impact
- Effective governance and leadership
There would also be mechanisms to move schools out of trusts that are underperforming.
In practice, trusts are likely to be judged not just on results in individual schools, but on what they contribute to education across their wider communities.
Digital technology and AI in schools
The White Paper treats AI and EdTech as a growing part of the education system, not just an add-on.
Proposals include national safety and efficacy standards for AI and education technology, investment in assistive technologies, and better digital connectivity.
The Government also wants to develop and trial AI tutoring tools for secondary pupils, and train staff to use AI and digital resources with more confidence.
Better data-sharing infrastructure is another priority.
For school leaders, the question is no longer whether to use AI, but how to use it safely and well. That means clear policies, staff training, safeguarding arrangements and a process for evaluating new technologies before rolling them out.
What does the White Paper mean for schools now?
Many of these reforms will take years to bed in, so schools don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. Still, there are a few areas worth starting on now.
Schools should look at how well they identify and support SEND, check whether their website clearly explains their inclusion offer, strengthen attendance and parent engagement work, review curriculum progression through Key Stage 3, and make sure staff can access the right professional development.
It’s also worth checking how information reaches parents and the wider community. As expectations rise around SEND, inclusion, attendance, enrichment, complaints, policies and accountability, school information that’s accurate and easy to find will matter more than ever.
How School Jotter can help
At School Jotter, we work with schools and multi-academy trusts to make communication simpler and help them run accessible, compliant, easy-to-manage websites.
School websites will stay one of the main places for sharing policies, SEND and inclusion information, curriculum details, enrichment opportunities, attendance expectations and support available to families.
Given the growing role of AI in schools, it also matters more that new technologies are introduced carefully and with the right safeguards.
We’ll keep following Every Child Achieving and Thriving and share practical guidance as consultations, implementation dates and statutory requirements are confirmed.
The reforms will likely stretch into the 2030s. But the general shape is already visible: more inclusion, earlier intervention, closer contact with families, and heavier use of digital technology in how schools operate day to day.
