What's New

Students sitting exams and other assessments in 2021 will benefit from what Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has described as exceptional measures to make them as fair as possible and to manage the disruption caused by Covid-19.

Developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, the first Covid-19 vaccine for the UK has been given approval for use following “a thorough review” carried out by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

With the current national lockdown in England set to end on 2 December, the Prime Minister has already confirmed a return to the three tier system (see Prime Minister unveils his Covid Winter Plan).

The Government has, in its response to the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations, confirmed the new increased rates of National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW). The NLW will increase by 2.2% from £8.72 to £8.91 and will be extended to 23 and 24-year-olds for the first time. These new rates will be effective from 1 April 2021.

With the lockdown in England due to end on 2 December 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has addressed the House of Commons to set out his plan for the next stage in the battle against coronavirus.

In its latest briefing on Covid-19 and educational settings, the Department for Education (DfE) highlights the benefits of education far outweigh the risks of Covid-19 for children and therefore keeping settings open is a government priority.

Following a consultation on the principles that should guide its review of post-16 qualifications (see “Review of post-16 qualifications in England at level 3 and below”), the DfE has issued a call for evidence on study and qualifications at level 2 and below for students aged 16 and above.

Driving for Better Business (DfBB), the Government campaign group which encourages work-related road safety, is currently marking Road Safety Week in the UK which takes place up to 22 November 2020.

This long-awaited government guidance confirms many of the details surrounding the extended furlough scheme, officially known as the Job Retention Scheme (JRS), suggesting that those who are serving a notice period from December may not be eligible.

The Government has launched a new consultation setting out proposals for a total ban on online adverts for foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) in the UK to tackle the obesity crisis.