Department for Children, Schools and Families
About the Department

Ministerial Team Responsibilities

The Secretary of State is responsible for all the Department's policies.

Jim Knight MP

Minister of State for Schools and Learners
Jim Knight

  • School standards

  • Ofsted and school improvement

  • National curriculum 5-19, including assessment and liaison with QCA

  • Personalised learning

  • 14-19 curriculum, qualification and delivery programme

  • Work-based learning for 14-19s, financial support for 16-19s

  • School funding

  • School admissions

  • School governance

  • Schools’ capital and BSF

  • Teachers and workforce issues including pensions and GTC

  • PREVENT strategy/counter-terrorism/community cohesion

  • Raising the participation age

  • School trips/Education outside the Classroom

  • Olympics

  • ICT, digital curriculum, Teachers’ TV and e-strategy

  • Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)

  • Parental engagement in schools

  • School Leadership including NCSL

  • New Relationship with Schools

  • Local authority funding (with Beverley Hughes)

  • Black Country Challenge


Lord Adonis

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools and Learners
Andrew Adonis

  • House of Lords Spokesman

  • Academies

  • Trusts

  • Specialist schools

  • School Organisation

  • Class sizes

  • Supporting Jim Knight on 14-19 qualifications

  • 16-19 Reorganisations, including school 6th Forms

  • Primary schools and National Strategies oversight

  • Failing schools

  • Performance tables

  • Special Educational Needs and disabled children

  • Independent schools

  • Boarding schools

  • Gifted and talented

  • Specialist Schools and Academies Trust

  • Music and dance scheme

  • School transport

  • Pupil health and safety

  • Music

  • Freedom of Information

  • London Challenge

  • Diversity and equality

  • Race Equality


RT HON Beverley Hughes MP

Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families
Beverley Hughes

  • Youth and Youth Justice

  • Children’s views/Children and Youth Board

  • Child poverty

  • Parenting and families strategy

  • Financial capability (across the board, including in schools)

  • Early learning and development, Curriculum 0-5

  • Extended schools

  • Children’s Centres

  • NEETs

  • Ofsted re children’s services

  • UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children)

  • Childcare Act 2006 implementation

  • Children’s Trusts

  • Every Child Matters finance

  • ECM inspection and intervention

  • ECM commissioning and market development

  • ECM communications

  • Local government policy

  • Government offices and field forces

  • Teenage pregnancy strategy

  • Domestic violence

  • Young people’s Information Advice and Guidance

  • Social Exclusion

  • Knowledge for improvement

  • Local authority funding (with Jim Knight)

  • Manchester Challenge


Kevin Brennan MP

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families
Kevin Brennan

  • Safeguarding and child protection including Vetting and barring scheme

  • Children in Care, Fostering and adoption

  • Supporting Beverley Hughes on Youth Justice Board

  • Behaviour and attendance, bullying

  • PRUs

  • Respect

  • Health issues including school food, Healthy Schools, obesity, drugs and alcohol

  • Sport and Youth Sport Trust, Playing for Success

  • Efficiency

  • Children’s workforce

  • Parent Know-How

  • Parenting Fund

  • CAF (Common Assessment Framework) and Lead Professional

  • ContactPoint

  • Sustainability and environment

  • Young carers

  • Asylum seeking children

  • CAFCASS and family law

  • Third sector


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