Board meeting: 11 December 2025
Updated 2 June 2026
Applies to England
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Attendees and presenters
Member attendees
- Olivia Bailey MP – Minister for Early Education and Minister for Equalities
- Susan Acland-Hood – Permanent Secretary
- Sir Kevan Collins – Lead Non-executive Board Member
- Stuart McMinnies – Non-executive Board Member
- Margaret Casely-Hayford – Non-executive Board Member
- Naomi Eisenstadt – Non-executive Board Member
- Steve Crocker – Non-executive Board Member
- Sir Peter Bazalgette – Non-executive Board Member
- Rebecca George – Non-executive Board Member
- Jane Cunliffe – Chief Operating Officer
- Tony Foot – Director General, Strategy Group
Presenters
- Anne Spinali – Director, Strategic Finance
- Tom Stephens – Deputy Director, Delivery Unit
- Emily Knowles – Head of Opportunity Mission Hub
- Suki Boora – Deputy Director, SEND Strategy
- Anna Barker – Deputy Director, Regions Group
- Carolan Goggin – Director, National Directorate, Regions Group
- Ian Coates – Director, National Directorate, Regions Group
- Susan Dawson – Senior Responsible Officer, Maximising Value for Pupils Programme
- Charlie Lang – Programme Director, Maximising Value for Pupils Programme
Other attendees
- Juliet Chua – Director General, Schools
- Tim Coulson – Director General, Regions
- Gila Sacks – Director General, Families
- Warwick Sharp – Director, Strategy and Delivery
- Sinead O’Sullivan – Director, Further Education Oversight
- Bridie Marlow – Private Secretary to Minister Bailey
- Laura Hoskins – Board Secretary
- Tom McNeill – Non-executive Director Support Lead
Apologies
- Julia Kinniburgh – Director General, Skills
1. Introduction, minutes and action tracker
Minister Bailey took the chair and welcomed members to the meeting. Apologies were noted from the Secretary of State and Julia Kinniburgh, for whom Minister Bailey and Sinead O’Sullivan would deputise respectively.
The minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 22 September 2025 were approved as a correct record.
No new interests were declared.
The board secretary provided an update on the action tracker. Board members accepted the recommendation to close all actions.
2. Finance update
Officials provided board members with an update on the department’s finance, autumn budget, and schools funding.
3. Cross-missions delivery
Officials provided board members with an update on the department’s missions delivery work.
Board members discussed fostering, early years, school readiness, school attendance and ways in which the department was seeking to further improve performance after the biggest improvement ever in increased attendance in the previous academic year.
4. Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Officials provided board members with an overview of the department’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) strategy which was under development. Board members discussed the strategy and noted it would require lots of engagement with key partners and stakeholders outside of the department to ensure successful delivery.
5. Regions Group prioritisation
Officials provided board members with an overview of the work of the DfE’s Regions Group (RG) and its evolution.
Board members discussed the use of data and artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver RG’s work, and how RG would need to adapt to changes brought about by the local government reform.
6. Schools productivity programme
Officials provided board members with a verbal update on the Schools Productivity Programme.
Board members discussed educational technology, workforce challenges, and Departmental support for schools.
7. Any other business
There was no other business.
The meeting concluded at 16:00.