What's New

Amidst concerns that there is still no indication of when schools might reopen to all pupils, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson recently said that schools and colleges will have two weeks' notice of any plan to open more widely.

Everyone, no matter where they live or their background, will be able to gain the skills they need to progress in work at any stage of their lives according to a blueprint for a post-16 education system set out in a new Government White Paper.

We reported recently that Education Secretary Gavin Williamson had contacted Ofqual with regard to his decision to replace normal examinations in the year ahead (see “Exchange of letters on alternative arrangements for exams in 2021”).

An exchange of correspondence between Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and Ofqual's Chief Regulator, Simon Lebus, has been published regarding the process to agree alternative arrangements for exams in 2021.

In January 2021, the Department of Health & Social Care published the UK COVID-19 vaccines delivery plan.

UK residents will now be able to apply for a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), the Department of Health and Social Care has announced.

Ofsted has published some advice to help school and college leaders and teachers develop their provision of remote education.

The alert level four restrictions introduced in Wales before Christmas are to remain in place and will be strengthened in some key areas to prevent the new, highly-infectious, strain of the virus spreading from person to person in those shops and workplaces which remain open.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has made a statement to Parliament regarding schools in national lockdown in which he confirmed many of the arrangements previously announced by the Prime Minister (see “New lockdown announced for England”).

When the 11-month transition period ended on 31 December 2020, the UK finally completed its slow withdrawal from the European Union with, at the last possible moment, a trade deal setting out at least part of their future relationship.