Department of education building

Ministerial Portfolios Announced

DfE

The new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak MP, has assembled his new cabinet to fulfil the duties of the government. Education sees new ministers at all levels for the third time in as many months. While this is not unexpected it puts another potential barrier to the current SEND Review and the timeline for response, which was expected to be by the end of the calendar year. 

Gillian Keegan MP is Secretary of State for Education (replacing Kit Malthouse).  Her brief covers Early Years and childcare; children’s social care; teacher quality, recruitment and retention;  school curriculum; school improvement; Academies and free schools; further education; apprenticeships and skills; and higher education. 
 
Nick Gibb MP is Minster of State for Education and returns to the DfE following his removal by Boris Johnson last year.  His portfolio includes supporting a high-quality teaching profession (inc professional development); recruitment and retention of teachers; pupil premium; curriculum; behaviour, attendance, and exclusions; EdTech. 
 
Robert Halfon MP is Skills and Higher Education Minister.  His portfolio includes T-levels; Qualifications review; FE workforce and funding; careers education; reducing number of people not in education, employment, or training (NEET).  Like Gibb, Halfon is also well known in the sector having served as chair of the Education Select Committee since 2017. He was skills minister for a year before that.
 
Claire Coutinho MP is junior minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, which replaces the schools and childhood brief held by Kelly Tolhurst.  Her portfolio includes SEND; Alternative Provision; Early Years; Disadvantaged/vulnerable children; Mental Health; Children’s Social Care and Children in Care.
 
Baroness Barran is now Minister for the School system and student finance. Her portfolio includes regulatory review and overall approach to academisation; intervention in underperforming schools and school improvement; academies and multi-academy trusts.
 
Former schools ministers Robin Walker and Jonathan Gullis are running to become the next Chair of the influential Education Select Committee, along with David Simmonds. Voting will take place on November 15. 
 

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