FAQ Articles

🧭 What it looks after

The DfE is responsible for the full journey of education and early support:

• Early years & childcare
  Free childcare hours, nursery standards, and support for working families
• Primary and secondary schools
  What children learn (the curriculum), school standards, and funding
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
  Support for children who need additional help, including EHCPs
• Further education & apprenticeships
  Colleges, vocational training, and career pathways
• Higher education
  Universities, student finance policy, and access to degrees
• Children’s social care
  Safeguarding, fostering, adoption, and support for vulnerable children

⚙️ What it controls

The DfE doesn’t run schools day-to-day, but it sets the framework everything operates within:

• Education policy and laws – what schools must follow
• Funding – how money is allocated to schools and local authorities
• Standards and inspections – working alongside bodies like Ofsted
• Curriculum guidance – what subjects are taught and expected outcomes
• Safeguarding rules – keeping children safe in education settings
• Teacher regulations – qualifications, training, and workforce policies

Think of it as the “rulebook + funding + oversight” behind the education system.

🤝 What it helps with (from a citizen perspective)

This is where it becomes relevant day-to-day. The DfE supports you by:

• Helping you find and compare schools
• Providing access to free childcare and funding schemes
• Setting the process for applying to schools, including when you move areas
• Supporting families with children who need additional SEND support
• Offering apprenticeships and training opportunities
• Publishing guidance to help parents make decisions (e.g. school readiness, screen time)

It also runs services like childcare accounts and provides official guidance used by schools and councils.

🧑‍⚖️ Who runs it

The department is led by the Secretary of State for Education, currently Bridget Phillipson, supported by ministers responsible for schools, children, and skills.

🧩 In simple terms

If you strip it back, the Department for Education:

• Looks after → the entire education and child support system
• Controls → the rules, funding, and standards
• Helps with → making sure families, schools, and young people get the support they need

It’s the backbone of how education works in England, even if most people only notice it when they’re applying for schools, childcare, or support.