England's school news this week brought a future vocational GCSE model, a sharper funding outlook and fresh evidence about staffing and SEND preparation. New attendance statistics and Ofsted's IDSR update also give leaders early-term evidence to check locally.
This briefing covers Sunday 20 September to Saturday 26 September 2026. It separates government proposals, official statistics and sector research.
Sources and status were checked on 27 September 2026. National evidence is a prompt for local review, not a finding about an individual school.
Quick scan: six developments
| Date | Development and status | Leadership response |
|---|---|---|
| 21 September | SEND teacher-training review published | Check how training, placement and mentoring join up |
| 23 September | Vocational GCSE model announced for future consultation | Brief curriculum and careers leads without redesigning yet |
| 23 September | Trust survey reported staffing and SEND pressures | Test the findings against the trust's own plan |
| 24 September | IFS published a revised school-funding outlook | Model pupil-number, staffing and SEND assumptions locally |
| 24 September | First 2026/27 attendance statistics released | Check coverage before using the figures as a comparator |
| 25 September | Ofsted refreshed school IDSRs | Review the new data, context and October follow-up |
Curriculum and workforce: direction is clearer than delivery
21 September: a SEND training review focused on classroom capability
NASBTT published its Bridging the SEND practice gap report after a year-long review of school-led initial teacher training. It draws on focus groups and a survey of 75 providers.
The report says 65% of providers surveyed did not believe new teachers were equipped for increasingly complex SEND in mainstream classrooms. Only 39% felt their organisation was adequately prepared to develop trainees at the required level.
This is sector research, not a national audit of every provider or school. Its six recommendations focus on embedding inclusion across training, strengthening mentors and tracking trainee confidence and capability over time.
Schools hosting trainees should compare centre-based teaching with what mentors model in classrooms. Ask whether trainees can observe, rehearse and receive feedback on adaptations, then plan ongoing support for early career teachers.
Sources: NASBTT's full report and its 21 September summary.
23 September: vocational GCSEs were announced, with detail to come
DfE announced planned Vocational GCSEs with national subject content and Ofqual-regulated assessment and grading. They are intended eventually to replace Technical Awards.
Some subjects could be available from September 2029, within broader technical pathways planned from 2028. The subjects listed by government are possibilities, and a consultation is due later in 2026.
The same announcement launched a work-experience mission seeking 200,000 additional placements for 14 to 16 year olds. It did not create a duty or a finished qualification specification on 23 September.
Curriculum, careers and staffing leads can map likely implications and current employer links. Avoid changing options or promising subjects until consultation, approval, accountability and funding details settle.
Source: DfE's Vocational GCSE and work-experience announcement, published 23 September 2026.
Budgets and staffing: national averages still need local arithmetic
23 September: trust leaders reported SEND and staffing pressure
The Confederation of School Trusts and Edurio published their fifth National School Trust Survey. It reflects responses from 294 trust chief executives collected in June and July 2026.
CST says 75% placed SEND and inclusion at the centre of education-quality priorities. Tes reported that 49% planned to reduce teacher full-time equivalents and 52% planned to reduce teaching-assistant staffing.
These are leaders' plans and perceptions from a survey sample. They don't establish what every trust will do, or whether an indicated staff reduction has happened.
Trust boards should put workforce, SEND expertise, pupil numbers and delivery commitments in one scenario review. Record which assumptions are confirmed and which depend on recruitment, funding or reform detail.
Sources: the National School Trust Report 2026, CST's 23 September summary and Tes's staffing analysis.
24 September: the funding headline improved, with major caveats
The Institute for Fiscal Studies revised its outlook for school funding in England. It projects 9% real-terms growth per pupil between 2025/26 and 2028/29 after recent top-ups and faster falls in pupil numbers.
The IFS estimates that the increase falls to 3% when planned SEND and high-needs additions are excluded. It also warns that falling rolls are hard to translate into proportionate savings at school level.
This is independent economic analysis based on national funding, cost and pupil projections. A rising per-pupil average does not prove that an individual school can balance its budget or maintain its staffing model.
Re-run forecasts with the school's actual roll, staffing structure, pension position, SEND commitments and sensitivity range. Governors should see the assumptions behind any claim that pressure has eased.
Source: Luke Sibieta's IFS report, The outlook on school funding in England, published 24 September 2026.
Attendance and inspection: read the coverage before the comparison
24 September: the first attendance release was an early partial view
DfE published the first 2026/27 pupil-attendance release. The headline page covers 7 to 11 September, while a separate daily table includes the week commencing 31 August.
The 31 August table's response rates were low because many schools had not opened. For 31 August, the preview shows a 26% response rate across phases, so its attendance percentage is not a stable national benchmark.
Leaders should compare like dates, phases and coverage. Use the release to frame questions about the school's own complete session data, absence reasons and support, without inferring cause from a percentage.
Sources: DfE's pupil attendance release and the week commencing 31 August data table, published 24 September 2026.
25 September: Ofsted refreshed school IDSRs
Ofsted updated IDSRs for all schools with provisional 2026 key stage 2 data, 2025 three-term exclusions, 2026 one-term absence and the latest school-workforce staff-turnover data.
The 2026 similar-schools analysis was also rolled forward for key stage 2. A further October release is planned with census, children-in-need, provisional key stage 4, phonics and two-term absence data.
Ofsted says the IDSR is a starting point for inspection conversations. It is not a complete picture or a judgement, and special schools do not receive national comparisons in the attendance summary tables.
Download the refreshed report under its access controls. Check values against Analyse School Performance, note provisional or lagged fields, and prepare short explanations grounded in the school's source records.
Sources: Ofsted's IDSR release notes and interpretation guide, updated 25 September 2026.
Where Student Radar fits
Student Radar's Attendance Analytics, Statutory Cohorts and SEND workflows can help authorised staff bring local records into a review. Planner and My Actions can hold agreed follow-ups, owners and dates.
The platform can't validate a national statistic, judge inspection outcomes, set curriculum or staffing policy, or decide why a pupil was absent. Those remain human decisions using authoritative source records.
Week ahead: six checks
- Review how trainee and early-career mentoring models inclusion.
- Brief curriculum and careers teams on the proposal's status.
- Put workforce and SEND assumptions into the same board scenario.
- Re-run budget forecasts with local rolls and delivery commitments.
- Check attendance coverage before using a national comparator.
- Download the refreshed IDSR and log provisional or disputed data.
By Wednesday 30 September, applicable schools should also complete the PE and sport premium digital expenditure return. Watch for the October IDSR refresh and the later-2026 Vocational GCSE consultation.
Source: DfE's 23 September operational update. For local follow-through, use the three-week attendance guide and the intervention delivery audit.