London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Aug 05, 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
Spain and Morocco Trade Blame After 72,000 Migrants Enter Ceuta
Met Police Investigated Journalist Who Questioned Cambridge Professor
Badenoch Defends Tory Candidate Jailed for Antisemitic Abuse of Luciana Berger
NHS Spends £240m a Year Storing Paper Records Despite Digital Push
Apple Seeks Court Order to Stop OpenAI Using Alleged Trade Secrets
Breaking With the Past: One of the World’s Smallest Countries Changes Its Name
AI Is Remaking the US Economy, From GDP Growth to iPhone Prices
Comcast: Tied to a Chair and Hit in the Face With Cake: The Regular Humiliation Ritual at the US Corporate Giant
Aston Martin Faces Legal Threat Over £550m Rescue Deal
Reform UK Wants the Royal Navy to Return Channel Boats to France
US and Japan Step In to Support the Yen in Rare Joint Intervention
The AI Pricing Problem: Companies Cannot Predict Their Own Bills
Europe’s Heat and Drought Are Now Disrupting Power, Shipping and Tourism
Apple’s OpenAI Lawsuit Becomes a Public Fight Over AI Hardware
UK Man Jailed After Keeping His Mother’s Body in a Freezer and Claiming £78,000
A SpaceX Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon — and Scientists Hope to Watch
World War II munitions discovered after wildfires in southern France
BP profits reach four-year high amid Middle East conflict
Europe’s Drying Rivers Trigger Power Cuts, Factory Shutdowns and Wildfire Emergencies
UK Driver Sentenced to Four Years for Staged Electric Vehicle Brake Failure Fraud
Conservative Party and Reform UK Face Scrutiny During Clacton By-Election Campaign
Ministry of Justice Reviews Early Release Rules After Public Anger Over Police Killer Cases
NHS Radiographers Report Rising Racist Abuse From Patients Across UK Hospitals
UK Banking Regulators Face Pressure After Customer Loses Fourteen Thousand Pounds in AI Voice Scam
Research Challenges Treasury Control Over UK Public Spending and Calls for Greater Local Decision-Making
Home Office Begins Four-Week Weapons Surrender Campaign Across Major English Cities
Southern England Records Driest July in Nearly Two Centuries as Drought Concerns Grow
Apple Challenges UK Government Request for Access to Encrypted User Data in Legal Fight
BP Reports Sharp Profit Increase as Middle East Conflict Drives Global Oil Prices Higher
Nigel Farage Expresses Openness to Potential Alliance with Restore Britain
AstraZeneca Merger Talks Reflect Intensifying Pharmaceutical Consolidation
University Merger May Set Template for Higher Education Reform
Apple's Legal Challenge Highlights Growing Tension Over Encryption and Surveillance
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Agenda Signals Shift Toward Greater Regional Devolution
Mental Health Trust Faces Criticism Over Planned £25 Million Budget Cuts
Scientists and Cultural Leaders Call for Funding to Save Jodrell Bank Observatory
UK Manufacturing Output Reaches Highest Level in Nearly Two Years
University of Greenwich and University of Kent Complete Landmark Merger
Nigel Farage Unveils Naval Border Proposal Amid Questions Over £5 Million Donation
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Tougher Action on Small Boat Crossings
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Encrypted Data Access Demands
AstraZeneca Shares Fall After Reports of $400 Billion Bristol Myers Squibb Merger Talks
Triple Lock Lifts UK State Pension but Leaves a Wider Retirement Gap
Danube Drought Forces Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Plant Into Full Shutdown
Ceuta Death Toll Rises as Spain and Europe Clash Over Border Response
Cuba’s Grid Fails Again as Fuel Crisis Deepens
Nazca Lines Flight Crash Kills Thirteen as Peru Suspends Aerodiana
Modern Slavery Decisions Broaden the Al Fayed Inquiry’s Frame
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Two Firefighting Crew Members Die in Helicopter Collision West of Athens
×