About us

The Department for Education is responsible for children’s services and education, including early years, schools, higher and further education policy in England.

We are the department for opportunity and we also have a fundamental role in delivering growth. 

We are working to deliver better life chances for all, breaking the link between young people’s background and their chance of success.

We will do this by protecting children and ensuring the delivery of higher standards of education, training and care.

We will create opportunities for children and learners to achieve and thrive today, so they can succeed and flourish in life and work, strengthening our society, powering our economy and enabling equality.

Responsibilities

We are responsible for:

  • teaching and learning for children in the early years and in primary schools
  • teaching and learning for young people in secondary schools
  • teaching, learning and training for young people in further education
  • teaching and learning for students in higher education
  • supporting professionals who work in our sectors
  • helping all children and young people, including those who are disadvantaged or with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to achieve and thrive
  • making sure that local services protect and support children

Our priorities

Working with other departments across government, our priorities are to:

  • give every child the best start in life, with more children reaching a good level of development by age 5 

  • ensure that every child achieves and thrives in school, with higher standards and narrowing of the disadvantage gap

  • support young people to develop skills they and the country needs, with an increased share of young people participating in higher level training

  • improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND, at every stage, through an inclusive system, providing early, local, fair and effective support

  • keep children safe, helping more children and families to stay together and get the help they need

  • deliver a lasting reduction in child poverty during this Parliament and tackle the impacts of poverty on children

Who we are

We are a ministerial department supported by 14 agencies and public bodies and non-ministerial departments.

Our staff are based at our ministerial offices in London and in a number of other locations around England.

We work closely with:

  • national and local agencies who look after children
  • local authorities
  • professionals who work in schools and further and higher education institutions, children’s services and health services

Corporate information

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