Board meeting: 22 September 2025
Updated 2 June 2026
Applies to England
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Attendees and presenters
Member attendees
- Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP – Secretary of State for Education
- Georgia Gould MP – Minister of State for Education
- 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
- Jane Cunliffe – Chief Operating Officer
- Tony Foot – Director General, Strategy Group
Presenters
- Anne Spinali – Director, Strategic Finance
- Warwick Sharp – Director, Strategy and Delivery
- Eva Sharma – Head of Opportunity Mission Hub
- Susie Owen – Director, Early Years, Childcare, Families and Analysis
- Will Millard – Senior Strategy Advisor
- Isabel Taylor – Senior Delivery Advisor
- Vikki McAuley – Head of Pupil Analysis and Research
Other attendees
- Juliet Chua – Director General, Schools
- Justin Russell – Director General, Families
- Gila Sacks – Director General, Families
- Warwick Sharp – Director, Strategy and Delivery
- Jane Belfourd – Director for Technical Qualifications and Essential Skills
- Graeme Henderson – Principal Private Secretary to Secretary of State
- Laura Hoskins – Board Secretary
- Tom McNeill – Non-executive Director Support Lead
Apologies
- Sir Peter Bazalgette – Non-executive Board Member
- Rebecca George – Non-executive Board Member
- Julia Kinniburgh – Director General, Skills
- Tim Coulson – Director General, Regions Group
1. Introduction, minutes, apologies and action tracker
Minister Gould took the Chair and welcomed Members to the meeting. Apologies were noted from Julia Kinniburgh, for whom Jane Belfourd would deputise, Sir Peter Bazalgette and Rebecca George.
The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 17 July 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.
Juliet Chua provided those present with a verbal update on the Schools White Paper. Board members discussed home-to-school transport, learners’ sense of purpose and cross-government join-up when delivering the policies set out in the White Paper.
2. Missions delivery
Officials provided the Board with an overview of the department’s progress against Missions delivery.
Board members discussed take-up of the two-year-old early years offer and the Department’s work to ensure all children reach a good level of development.
3. Business planning
The board heard an update on the department’s work on business planning following the Spending Review announcement on 11 June 2025.
The Secretary of State joined the meeting at this point and took the Chair.
4. Best Start in Life
Officials provided Board members with an overview of the department’s strategy and delivery of the Best Start in Life (BSIL) pillar of the Opportunity Mission.
The Secretary of State thanked officials for their work on publishing the BSIL strategy in July 2025.
Board members discussed the quality of Early Years teaching, the use of Early Years settings as Family Hubs, and funding and benefits of School Based Nurseries. Measuring the impact of BSIL delivery was also discussed.
5. Disadvantage
Officials provided board members with an overview of the department’s work to tackle disadvantage.
Board members discussed the next iteration of the work.
6. Exam Results 2025
Board members were provided with an overview of exam results at key stage 3 and above for 2025.
7. Any other business
The Secretary of State thanked Justin Russell for his work as Director General, Families, ahead of his retirement.
There was no other business.
The meeting concluded at 14:35.