London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 11, 2026

Ofsted to get new powers to tackle illegal unregistered schools in England

Ofsted to get new powers to tackle illegal unregistered schools in England

New legislation would give the schools regulator powers to crack down on unregistered schools operating illegally in England, ministers say.

The government says its Schools Bill will also introduce compulsory registers so children not receiving a full education can be identified.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said the bill would ensure "every child has access to an education they deserve".

But, Labour said the Conservatives were "failing our children".

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government was "obsessing over structures instead of improving children's experience in the classroom".

She said there was "no plan" to improve teaching or "tackle the exodus of school staff from our classrooms" and that Labour had proposals to boost new teacher numbers by 6,500.

The government's new Schools Bill will be formally announced in Tuesday's Queen's Speech - where Her Majesty will read out the legislation ministers intend to introduce during the next session of Parliament.

Releasing details of the bill ahead of that speech, the government said it would give the schools regulator Ofsted more powers to tackle illegal unregistered schools.

Ofsted defines an unregistered school as "an educational establishment that meets the legal definition of an independent (private) school, but is not registered with the Department for Education".

In 2019, Ofsted estimated that a fifth of unregistered schools were faith schools including 36 Islamic, 18 Jewish and 12 Christian schools.

Last year, the regulator warned that such schools "intentionally operate" outside of regulations that protect children's welfare, safety and education standards.

Chris Russell, from Ofsted, said the buildings were often "unsafe and squalid" and that many of the settings' offered a "narrow curriculum" that failed to meet children's educational needs.

He said legislation had not "kept up with the reality on the ground" and that institutions were "exploiting loopholes" in the law.

The government says introducing compulsory registers would ensure the "system can identify those who are not receiving a suitable full-time education".

The bill would also place a duty on local authorities to provide support to home-schooling families so that "no child falls through the cracks".

In October 2021, the Association of Directors of Children's Services estimated that there were around 81,2000 registered home educated children in England - although this was based on partial responses from local authorities.

The government says its Schools Bill would put in place proposals outlined in its white paper - a policy document - including implementing changes to how funding is allocated, requiring schools to publish an attendance policy to ensure children consistently attend school and supporting schools to become part of multi-academy trusts

Academy schools are state-funded directly by government and run independently from local councils. At the moment, 52% of pupils are at academies.

A Higher Education Bill is also expected to be included in the Queen's Speech. The legislation will introduction of the lifelong loan entitlement - allowing people to access a loan to retrain.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Scottish Fishing Industry Calls for Emergency Support Amid Rising Costs
UK Supports Stronger European Response to Russian Actions in Ukraine
Devon and Cornwall Police Release Suspect in Ann Widdecombe Murder Investigation
Scottish MPs Demand More Government Support for Fishing Industry
UK Aviation Sector Faces New Rules as Parliament Reviews Passenger Protection Reforms
King’s College London Disciplines Students Over Pro-Palestine Campus Protests
Ministry of Defence Expands Military Capabilities Through New Precision Strike Investment
United Kingdom Condemns Russian Treatment of Ukrainian Children at International Security Forum
House of Lords Reviews Civil Aviation Bill to Strengthen Passenger Rights and UK Aviation Competitiveness
UK Aerospace and Defence Industries Contribute Nearly Forty-Seven Billion Pounds to Economy
UK Government Advances Consultation on Possible Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen
United Kingdom Ratifies Global High Seas Treaty to Protect Marine Biodiversity
United Kingdom Joins United States Precision Strike Missile Programme With One Hundred Ninety Million Pound Investment
UK Senior NHS Doctors Vote for Further Strike Action Over Pay and Contract Disputes
BBC Leadership Resigns After Donald Trump Launches Ten Billion Dollar Defamation Lawsuit
UK Fiscal Watchdog Warns Andy Burnham Government Faces One Hundred Billion Pound Budget Challenge
The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More
Concern: Sexually Transmitted Bacterium Among Men Develops Antibiotic Resistance
Following Massive Investor Demand: SK Hynix Raises 26.5 Billion Dollars on Nasdaq
Passenger Partially Pulled Out of Ryanair Jet After Cabin Window Fails Mid-Flight
After Four Years, and Under a Heavy Veil of Secrecy: King Charles Meets His Grandchildren, Harry and Meghan's Children
Cross-Party MPs Call for National Climate Emergency Broadcast
Bayeux Tapestry Arrives in the United Kingdom for Landmark Exhibition
United Kingdom Launches Modern Slavery Prevention Programme in Vietnam
Police Warn Against Misinformation Following Disorder in Glasgow
Pension Reform Takes Effect to Consolidate Workplace Savings Industry
Treasury and Bank of England Monitor Economy as Energy Price Pressures Ease
Government Orders Treasury Reform of Disciplinary Procedures Following Civil Servant's Death
Ofcom to Require Major Technology Platforms to Block Scam Advertisements
Labour Apologizes Over Gaza Position in Bid to Rebuild Support
High Court Rules UK-France Asylum Agreement Protection Cuts Were Unlawful
Metropolitan Police Open Murder Investigation Into Death of Former MP Ann Widdecombe
University College London Report Proposes Replacing Council Tax and Stamp Duty With National Property Tax
Treasury Places Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle Under New UK Financial System Oversight Rules
Severe Heatwave Drives Dangerous Ground-Level Ozone Pollution Across Two Thirds of European Union
Westminster in Freefall as Farage's By-Election Gamble Triggers Broader Systemic Crises
Institutional Fractures and Political Volatility Reshape Britain's Domestic Landscape
Deadly Fire, Health Emergencies and Political Upheaval Shape a Volatile Global News Cycle
UK Energy Strategy Focuses on Storage and Offshore Wind to Support Renewable Transition
Regional Governments Gain Greater Role in Britain’s Infrastructure and Economic Strategy
Britain Strengthens Technology Sovereignty Through Tougher Artificial Intelligence Competition Rules
UK Government Expands Artificial Intelligence Use Across Public Services Despite Privacy Debate
UK Universities Warn of Financial Pressure After Sharp Fall in International Student Enrolment
Welsh Government Completes Rail Nationalisation With One Point Five Billion Pound Modernisation Plan
Northern Ireland Records Export Growth as Companies Benefit From Dual UK and EU Market Access
Greater Manchester Launches Two Billion Pound Plan to Convert Empty Commercial Sites Into Housing
National Grid Connects Europe’s Largest Battery Storage Facility in Yorkshire
UK Defence Ministry Plans Royal Navy Autonomous Fleet Deployment to Indo-Pacific
Scotland Approves Europe’s Largest Floating Offshore Wind Project Near Aberdeen
Competition and Markets Authority Blocks Forty Billion Pound Technology Deal Over AI Security Concerns
×