27th July 2026 • My Family Our Needs

The Labour party’s Deputy Leader, Lucy Powell, has been appointed as Education Secretary, replacing Bridget Phillipson, in a government reshuffle by the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham.

In response to her appointment as Education Secretary, Powell said she was ‘absolutely thrilled’ to take on the position. She is the tenth holder of the role in ten years.

Powell is a Manchester Central MP who briefly served as Shadow Education Secretary between 2015 and 2016 and was leader of the House of Commons from 2024 to 2025.

She said, ‘For me there’s no more important job for any government than making sure young people have the best education, the best opportunities and the best future they can. Lots to do and I look forward to getting started.’

Later on X, she said, ‘Every child, wherever they live, should grow up with opportunity on their doorstep.’

Powell has previously raised concerns about the cuts to further education and technical education, arguing that they had caused lasting damage and forced 16-year-olds to choose between the two routes.

She will work with Pat McFadden, reappointed Work and Pensions Secretary, to deliver the government’s post-16 education and skills reform. This responsibility was moved to the Department for Work and Pensions last September.

Expressing her support for the new Prime Minister, Powell said, ‘Andy Burnham has a plan to rewire Britain so it works better for ordinary people with more power in the hands of local areas to shape their futures, and more public control over life’s essentials.’

According to Downing Street, the former Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, will remain a full cabinet member as Minister for Women and Equalities.

Phillipson posted on X that she was ‘proud of all we achieved at the Department of Education over the past two years to break the unfair link between background and success.’

During Phillipson’s time as Education Secretary, she oversaw schools’ policy reforms including changes to Ofsted inspections, the curriculum and assessment review, the flagship Children’s Wellbeing and School Act, the Schools White Paper and SEND reforms.

Many have congratulated Powell on her appointment as Education Secretary, though some are warning of the education sector’s biggest unresolved issues.

Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of the NAHT School Leaders’ union warned that ‘too many schools feel ill-equipped to go about their core business, let alone deliver changes to SEND support and the curriculum.’

Whiteman also paid tribute to Phillipson: ‘The education white paper set a vision for education that we have not seen for well over a decade, and there has been some new funding for schools, improvements to pay, action on poverty and a commitment to finally grasping the nettle and reforming the broken SEND system.’

Powell is taking on the role of Education Secretary at a critical moment. The SEND changes proposed under Phillipson will take effect in the next few years and many key adaptions to education policy come into effect in September.

For more information about SEND support, visit www.myfamilyourneeds.co.uk/supporting-your-child/education-learning

In other news, we looked at how Andy Burnham’s policies would differ from Keir Starmer’s government, and what he would mean for SEND.