King’s Speech 2026: Education for All Bill

The King’s Speech delivered on 13 May set out an Education for All Bill that pairs school standards with what the Government called “generational reforms” of the special educational needs system, alongside continued investment in apprenticeships and responses to both the Milburn and Timms Reviews.

His Majesty King Charles III opened the new parliamentary session in the House of Lords this morning with a speech that placed economic security and public service reform at its centre. For the Further Education sector, the most consequential measures sit within the Government’s wider commitment that “every child is included in the nation’s highest aspirations”.

Education for All Bill

The headline legislation for the sector is the Education for All Bill, which the speech said will “raise standards in schools and introduce generational reforms of the special educational needs system”.

The pairing of school standards with SEND reform in a single Bill suggests the Government intends to address both within one legislative vehicle, building on the SEND White Paper trajectory. The generational framing signals ambition, though the detail will determine whether the reforms address the structural pressures on local authority high needs budgets, EHCP processing, and transitions at 16 that the sector has been raising for years.

Apprenticeships and youth unemployment

The Government committed to “continue to invest in apprenticeships and measures that tackle youth unemployment”, placed within a broader passage on welfare reform.

The speech said Ministers “will respond to the Milburn Review and the Timms Review and continue to reform the welfare system to support both young and disabled people to flourish in work as the basis for long-term economic security”.

That framing, linking apprenticeships to youth unemployment, the Milburn Review on social mobility, and the Timms Review on disability welfare, signals a continued focus on NEET reduction and pathways into work for groups furthest from the labour market.

Vocational education recognised

In a notable line for the sector, the speech said every child “deserves the chance to succeed to the best of his or her ability and not be held back due to poverty, special educational needs, or a lack of respect for vocational education”.

Parity of esteem language landing in a King’s Speech is reportable in itself, placing the cultural status of vocational pathways alongside poverty and SEND as barriers the Government wants to address. How that intent translates into the design of T Levels, V Levels, and the wider technical education offer will be the test.

Digital Access to Services Bill

The Government will introduce a Digital Access to Services Bill to deliver Digital ID, which the speech said will “modernise how citizens interact with public services”.

For the sector, the implications will play out in learner verification, funding system access, and how providers interact with DfE and DWP. The detail of implementation, particularly around learners aged 16 to 19 and apprentices, will be worth tracking as the Bill progresses.

Industrial strategy and skills pipelines

Several Bills carry indirect implications for skills supply. The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill continues the Government’s intervention in the sector. The Energy Independence Bill commits to scaling up homegrown renewable energy. The Nuclear Regulation Bill takes forward recommendations of the Nuclear Regulatory Review and the speech committed to “a new era of British nuclear energy generation”.

Each of these will require workforce pipelines, with implications for apprenticeships, T Levels, and the broader technical education offer. The Northern Powerhouse Rail Bill, Highways (Financing) Bill, and Civil Aviation Bill, alongside the commitment to airport expansion and the Lower Thames Crossing, similarly point to construction and engineering skills demand over the coming years.

What is not in the speech

There was no specific mention of FE colleges, the Growth and Skills Levy, or the QAR data framework. References to the sector sit within the broader school standards, SEND, apprenticeships, and welfare framings.

The absence of a dedicated FE or skills Bill, distinct from the Education for All Bill, means the legislative shape of the Government’s skills agenda will depend on how broadly the Education for All Bill is drawn, on the response to the Milburn and Timms Reviews, and on secondary legislation and policy announcements through the session.

What happens next

The Bills set out in the King’s Speech will now be introduced and progress through Parliament. Sector reaction is expected through the day from membership bodies, providers, and policy organisations. FE News will continue to cover developments as the legislative programme takes shape.

Sector Reaction

Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University said:

“It is welcome that the King’s Speech placed an emphasis on raising living standards in every part of the country in the years ahead, underpinned by a more active state. But after nearly two decades of economic stagnation, the scale of the challenges facing the UK demands bold and urgent action.

“Renewed global turbulence means cost of living pressures will remain a serious concern for families across the country throughout the remainder of this Parliament. Many households are already vulnerable to further price rises, with many workers barely seeing any real wage growth – nearly one in four workers report they would be unable to cover an unexpected £850 expense.

“The real test of these new Bills will be whether they support a sustained increase in economic growth that supports higher wages and better access to secure employment, while providing Government more control to address the fundamentals currently driving rising costs.

“It is also critical that, alongside the 35 Bills announced, the Government delivers on priorities from the previous session of Parliament in full. In particular, key elements of the Employment Rights Act, such as a new right to guaranteed hours, must remain on track for delivery by 2027.

“At a time of fevered political speculation, it is essential the Government prioritises delivering the measures in the King’s Speech that improve the working lives of people, provide more opportunities to young and disabled people to enter work and protect the most vulnerable workers against rising costs.”

Dr Lisa Williams, Founder and Clinical Director, The Autism Service, said:

“Most families would agree the current SEND system is not working as it should. Long waits, inconsistent provision and increasing pressure on schools and NHS services mean reform is clearly needed.

“However, any changes to EHCP eligibility or neurodevelopmental pathways will inevitably create anxiety for parents, particularly those already struggling to access support for autistic children or children with ADHD in schools.

“Earlier intervention and stronger support in mainstream schools could make a meaningful difference, but only if schools are properly resourced and specialist assessment remains accessible for children with more significant or persistent needs.

“Increased awareness around autism and ADHD has helped many children and families finally access understanding and support that may previously have been unavailable. But we must be cautious in ensuring that diagnoses made are clinically accurate, robust and consistent. It is not that diagnoses themselves need to be reduced, but rather about making sure that diagnoses are made correctly and in line with professional standards.

“The priority now should be creating a SEND system that is timely, evidence-based and joined up across education and healthcare, rather than one where families continue to face long delays and uncertainty.”

Jane Harris, Chief Executive of Speech and Language UK, said: 

“Today’s King’s Speech pledge to reform the special education needs system is welcome – but warm words will not fix a system young people and families know is broken. 

“Whoever leads Labour and the Government must keep the current drive to improve the system. They must listen properly to young people and families and make sure the ‘missing million’ children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) are included, which they weren’t in the Every child achieving and thriving Schools White Paper.  

“The success of any SEND reform will be judged by whether it reaches these children, who are currently invisible, unsupported and left behind.” 

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI Chief Executive, said:

“As the country continues to feel the effects of strong global headwinds, businesses were looking for the King’s Speech to put stability, resilience and growth firmly at the heart of the government’s legislative agenda.

“Moves to strengthen energy security, bolster transport connections and streamline financial services regulation are welcome, as are concrete measures to deepen ties with Europe. The EU remains our most important trading partner and the government is right to take steps to smooth UK-EU trade and help us realise the full potential of this vital trading relationship. 

“Action to support prompt payment is positive and can help smaller firms build resilience, but this must be balanced carefully against the need to protect the competitiveness of larger businesses – particularly those operating across complex supply chains.

“Bringing British Steel into public ownership helps keep strategically important production in the UK, but it remains an expensive option of last resort. Meanwhile, hard-pressed hospitality businesses are calling for local authorities to avoid introducing a tourist tax that could make holidays more expensive for domestic and international visitors.

“Businesses are keenly aware of ongoing political volatility at home and are clear about the need for stability to protect investor confidence and breathe new life into the country’s growth mission. Firms want to go for growth, but they need strong leadership from government to reform an unfair business rates system, lower business energy bills, and find appropriate landing zones on the Employment Rights Act.”

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:

“Children with SEND have been failed for too long. The legislation announced today risks failing them again. These proposals cannot be delivered on the funding and workforce commitments now on the table.

“There is a serious workload risk for education staff right across the reform package. Targeted Plus, individual support plans, specialist provision packages, inclusion bases, the co-ordination of Experts at Hand, new training duties, National Inclusion Standards, the new Inclusion Strategy duty and new accountability measures all fall on the same SENCos, class teachers and support staff – people who are already at breaking point. This is a potential disaster that SEND parents can also well do without.

“Ministers’ ambitions on SEND will be undermined further by the Schools White Paper’s accountability proposals. Retaining Progress 8, introducing new high-attainment measures, extending Targeted RISE on data triggers and widening Ofsted’s role on inclusion all pull in the wrong direction. Reform of accountability and curriculum is a precondition for inclusive practice, not an optional accompaniment.

“We welcome a government willing to act on SEND. But good intentions are no substitute for serious investment. SEND reform will succeed only if the Treasury matches ambition with resources.”

Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, said:

“We welcome the Government’s continued focus on tackling youth unemployment and investing in apprenticeships and training opportunities for young people. However, there remains a significant gap between the Government’s ambition and action, and we need to see more concrete proposals on this. There isn’t a single mention of apprenticeships in the Government’s briefing document beyond the introduction, so it’s unclear how they will be addressing this beyond what is already planned. 

“With almost one million young people currently not in education, employment or training, there is growing urgency to move beyond reviews and consultations towards practical action. Employers need clearer incentives and support to create sustainable entry-level opportunities, particularly in sectors and regions facing acute skills shortages. 

“There is a strong case for an apprenticeship guarantee for 16-24 year olds to help ensure all young people can access high-quality pathways into work and help deliver the skills pipelines employers need to grow now and in the future.

“While it is positive the Government is trying to minimise the regulatory burden on organisations through its Regulating for Growth Bill, work is needed to ensure key measures in the Employment Rights Act still to be finalised don’t undermine employment and growth. 

“Some of the Act’s provisions, which are taking effect as employers grapple with rising costs and global instability, risk holding organisations back from the investment in their workforces that can generate the productivity and growth the economy urgently needs.  

“The Government can show it’s serious about being pro-business by restarting tripartite discussions with employers and trade unions to find compromises on key measures to ensure they are workable in practice before they become law.”

Harry Quilter-Pinner, executive director of IPPR, said:

“With Westminster distracted by leadership drama, the King’s Speech is an opportunity to get back to what really matters: the policies that could improve people’s lives. 

“The local elections sent a clear message that voters are deeply frustrated with the status quo and expect a response that matches the scale of that anger.

“The government needs to show it has a serious plan for change — with much bolder action on the cost of living, including rent controls, alongside longer-term reforms to growth, the state, and Britain’s relationship with Europe.”