England's Level 3 results showed stable improvement and rapid T Level growth, while a new primary study documented inequalities already visible in year 1.
Leaders also received the questions for the first school-estate annual return, future care-leaver local-offer guidance and a change linking school funding guidance to local SEND reform plans.
This briefing covers Sunday 9 August to Saturday 15 August 2026. It separates results, research, guidance and future duties, with actions for schools and responsible bodies in England.
It isn't legal or financial advice. Sources and status were checked on 16 August 2026. Leaders should apply the relevant guidance, local facts and professional judgement.
Quick scan: five developments
| Date | Development and status | Leadership response |
|---|---|---|
| 10 August | DfE added the questions for the first school-estate annual return | Confirm the responsible body's owner, evidence and DfE Sign-in access |
| 12 August | Five to Twelve published year 1 baseline research | Use national associations to test questions, never to label a child |
| 13 August | Ofqual and DfE published Level 3 results | Support next steps and delay causal claims until local evidence is reviewed |
| 13 August | Care-leaver local-offer guidance was issued for 30 September | Check transition routes with the local authority and relevant partners |
| 14 August | Funding guidance replaced DSG management plans with local SEND reform plans | Ask how schools and forums will contribute; do not assume a budget change |
Level 3 results need support before comparison
What happened
Ofqual published England's summer qualification results on 13 August. It recorded 835,950 A Level results and 48,835 AS results issued that day.
Across A Levels, 28.3% of grades were A or A*, up 0.2 percentage points on 2025. Grades at C or above reached 78.1%, up 0.4 points.
DfE's provisional T Level release covered the fifth cohort. Its results-day statement said almost 20,000 students completed a T Level, 65% more than in 2025, with a pass rate above 90%.
Ofqual counts results for the technical qualification within T Levels. DfE counts completed programmes, including the industry placement, so the two totals answer different questions.
Why it matters and what leaders should do
Celebrate achievement and make advice available for university, apprenticeships, further study, employment and changed plans. Keep post-results routes clear and accessible.
Review subject, cohort and destination patterns with entry choices, prior attainment, curriculum access and local context. National rates do not explain one learner's result or one school's work.
Sources: Ofqual's summer 2026 qualification results and DfE's provisional T Level results, both published 13 August.
Five to Twelve is a baseline, not a pupil forecast
What the research found
DfE published the first Five to Twelve report on 12 August. The longitudinal study follows children who were aged 5 and 6 in 2023/24 at state primary schools in England.
Researchers interviewed 8,632 families between November 2023 and August 2024. The response rate was 47%, and the sample included an additional group eligible for free school meals.
The baseline found associations across household income, parental education, free school meal eligibility, SEN, health, home learning, school experience and measures linked to later attainment.
These are group-level associations from one starting point. Later waves are needed to examine how circumstances and outcomes change. The research cannot identify a cause for an individual child.
Why it matters and what leaders should do
Review whether early-years transition, access, family partnership and SEN support gather strengths, barriers and missing evidence without turning household circumstances into a deficit label.
Treat any score or category as one source for professional enquiry. Do not use this study to diagnose need, predict attainment or lower expectations for pupils in the groups described.
Source: DfE's Five to Twelve year 1 research brief, published 12 August, with the full report and technical report on the same publication page.
The estate return now has questions, owners and a route
What changed
DfE updated its school-estate annual-return guidance on 10 August and published the return questions. The first submission window opens in the third week of September 2026.
The late-November deadline is still to be confirmed. Eligible responsible bodies, including local authorities, academy trusts, dioceses and sixth-form colleges, are asked to submit.
Individual schools and nurseries do not submit. They may need to provide evidence to their trust, local authority or diocese. A senior estate-management role must submit the final return.
DfE says the multiple-choice return takes about an hour, requires no document uploads and does not affect funding. It expects responsible bodies to work towards level 3, described as fully effective.
Why it matters and what leaders should do
Confirm the responsible body, submission owner and DfE Sign-in access. Map who holds condition, compliance, maintenance, sustainability and governance evidence before the autumn window opens.
Keep gaps visible. DfE says there is no penalty or criticism for not meeting every standard and describes non-financial support, including peer support and training, where it is needed.
Source: DfE's school estate management standards annual return guidance, updated 10 August.
Care-leaver local offers must change by 30 September
What changed
DfE issued updated statutory guidance on 13 August for local authorities and partner organisations that support care-experienced young people in England.
The new requirements introduced through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 come into force on 30 September. Local authorities must review and update their local offer by that date.
The offer must explain statutory entitlements and local support, including accommodation, financial literacy, homelessness prevention, relationships, community participation and leaving custody.
Why it matters and what leaders should do
Schools do not own the local offer, but transition, designated-teacher and post-16 teams may be important partners. Check the local route, contacts and handover information before 30 September.
Ask how care-experienced young people have shaped the offer and how accessible versions will be shared. Keep the young person's views, trusted relationships and authorised information routes central.
Sources: DfE's care-leaver local-offer guidance and the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026.
Local SEND reform plans entered the funding guide
What changed
DfE updated the 2026/27 schools operational guide on 14 August. Section 33 now says local SEND reform plans have replaced dedicated schools grant management plans.
The guide is primarily for local authorities and schools forums. The update changes planning language and the route for relevant local requests; it does not announce an automatic school budget change.
The wider guide still requires local authorities to identify notional SEN budgets and says they should review the calculation each year alongside the local funding formula.
Why it matters and what leaders should do
Ask the local authority and schools-forum representatives how schools, SENCos, families and young people will contribute to the local reform plan and how decisions will be communicated.
Separate three questions: what the school receives, what the notional SEN calculation represents and what additional high-needs funding is available. Record assumptions and unresolved gaps.
Source: DfE's schools operational guide for 2026 to 2027, updated 14 August.
Week ahead: five checks
- Prepare support and post-results routes for GCSE and Level 2 results on 20 August.
- Expect Ofqual's summer-results release to add Level 1, Level 1/2 and Level 2 data that day.
- Confirm who owns the estate return and whether the responsible body has service access.
- Ask the local authority how schools will connect with the SEND reform plan and local offer.
- Check the maintained-nursery free-lunch entitlement that comes into force on 17 August.
For careful results interpretation, revisit what to do when two assessment results disagree. For group comparisons, use the SEND equality review guide.