The majority of the school reforms pledged in the Labour manifesto have either been implemented or are progressing, a Schools Week analysis has found. But there has been no progress seemingly made on five of the 30 policies. They include a pledge to deliver a 鈥榩honics for maths鈥 scheme and a teacher training entitlement. Meanwhile, promised funding for many schemes has yet to materialise. We’ve rated pledges based on a traffic light system. Policies implemented or on track (with some sort of public commitment or actual date for progress), got green. Amber went to those where there was little progress, or it was unclear. Note: the 6.5k teacher pledge got amber because it has shapeshifted so much. Meanwhile red went to the policies where there was zero progress and nothing said in the public domain. We went to the Department for Education with our analysis for each policy, and where they provided response we have included below. Curriculum, assessment and accountability 1. Launch an expert-led review of curriculum and assessment, 鈥渨orking with school staff, parents and employers鈥. A review was launched in July last year. An interim report, published in March, outlined key reform areas under consideration, including reducing the volume of content taught in primary schools and reducing the volume of GCSE exams. The full report is due in autumn. GREEN 2. Support children to study a creative or vocational subject until they are 16, and 鈥渆nsure accountability measures reflect this鈥 (Progress 8). The government does not appear to have said anything publicly on this. However, the curriculum review is looking at accountability and reviewing the EBacc. AMBER 3. A 鈥減honics for maths鈥 programme in primary schools No progress. RED 4. Fund 鈥渆vidence-based鈥 early-language interventions in primary schools. In May, it was announced the early language support for every child pilot had been extended for another 12 months, with slightly less cash than previously (拢3.4 million). But ministers hope it will help 20,000 more youngsters than the 20,000 already supported in about 200 schools. GREEN 5. Introduce new regional improvement teams to 鈥渆nhance school-to-school support, and spread best practice鈥. The first 200 鈥渟tuck鈥 schools have been identified for support 鈥 but it will take until March 2026 for all of the roughly 600 schools to get help. GREEN 6. Replace single-headline Ofsted grades with a new report card 鈥渢elling parents clearly how schools are performing鈥. Headline grades were scrapped in September, with new report card inspections due in November. However, there is widespread criticism that schools will not see final inspection plans until September. GREEN 7. Bring multi-academy trusts 鈥渋nto the inspection system鈥. No progress yet, but Ofsted did get a 拢20 million budget boost at the recent spending review, including to 鈥渄evelop and implement multi-academy trust inspections and increase accountability of MAT leaders鈥. The DfE said this was a 鈥渃omplex proposal鈥. Officials are 鈥渆ngaging with the sector and are keen to hear views鈥. GREEN 8. Introduce a 鈥渘ew annual review of safeguarding, attendance, and off-rolling鈥. No progress publicly. Ofsted said in its Big Listen consultation in September it was 鈥渨orking with government鈥 on the plans, but chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver said in January that such checks would cost 拢45 million a year, adding: 鈥淚t鈥檚 right that we ask ourselves 鈥榠s this the best spending of the money?鈥欌 The DfE told Schools Week it was 鈥渓ooking at options鈥 for the reviews as part of its 鈥渨ider work to reform accountability arrangements鈥. AMBER Recruitment and retention 9. Recruit an additional 6,500 new 鈥渆xpert鈥 teachers into shortage subjects, supporting 鈥渁reas that face recruitment challenges鈥, and tackle retention issues. Details have only emerged recently. It will be based on boosting the net number of teachers by 6,500 when compared with the 2023-24 academic year baseline. This means not all the 6,500 will be new teachers (current teachers who choose not to leave will count). There is also no commitment towards recruiting in subject shortages, or in areas with recruitment challenges. Primary schools have also been excluded. The government said numbers are up by 2,300 鈥 meaning a third of the pledge has already been met AMBER 10. Review the way bursaries are allocated and the 鈥渟tructure of retention payments鈥. No progress. RED 11. Update the early career framework, maintaining 鈥渋ts grounding in evidence鈥. The ECF has been updated, and is now known as the 鈥渆arly career teacher entitlement鈥 (ECTE). A full review will be held in 2027. GREEN 12. Ensure any new teacher entering the classroom 鈥渉as, or is working towards鈥, qualified teacher status. Proposals are in the schools bill and are due to be implemented in September next year. But unqualified teachers already employed before that date won鈥檛 have to get or work towards QTS, unless they move to a new school. GREEN 13. Introduce a teacher training entitlement to 鈥渆nsure teachers stay up to date on best practice with continuing professional development鈥. No progress. RED 14. Reinstate the school support staff negotiating body, which will 鈥渉elp address the acute recruitment and retention crisis in support roles鈥. Consultation launched last month. GREEN 15. Create a new excellence in leadership programme, a 鈥渕entoring framework that expands the capacity of headteachers and leaders to improve their schools鈥. Nothing said publicly. The government will also not renew the chief executive development programme, run by the National Institute of Teaching. RED SEND, inclusion and mental health 16. Take a 鈥渃ommunity-wide approach鈥 to SEND, improving 鈥渋nclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs鈥. White paper is due in autumn, with 拢1 billion extra high-needs funding delivered and 拢760 million for SEND reforms in the spending review GREEN 17. Make sure admissions decisions 鈥渁ccount for the needs of communities鈥. The schools bill includes new duties for trusts and councils to co-operate on admissions and new powers for local authorities. GREEN 18. Require all schools to 鈥渃o-operate with their local authority on school admissions, SEND inclusion, and place planning鈥. See above. GREEN 19. Provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, so 鈥渆very young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate鈥. The government has upped funding, meaning 900,000 more pupils and 1,700 schools will be able to access support by April next year 鈥 but it won鈥檛 reach all schools until 2030. AMBER Cost of living 20. Fund free breakfast clubs in 鈥渆very primary school, accessible to all children鈥. A trial has been launched in 750 of the roughly 16,000 primaries 鈥 but no details of when they will be rolled out to all schools. It is unlikely to be anytime before 2026. AMBER 21. Bring down the cost of school by 鈥渓imiting the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require鈥. The schools bill proposes primary schools will be limited to three branded items of uniform, and secondaries four items, from September next year. GREEN Other policies 22. Open an additional 3,334 nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools. First 200 nurseries to open this September offering 4,000 places. AMBER 23. Guarantee two weeks鈥 worth of work experience for every young person. Guidance updated, with a new expectation for schools to begin in September 鈥 but no extra cash to fund it. GREEN 24. Improve careers advice in schools and colleges. Pretty vague commitment, but DfE did not provide any update. RED 25. Improve data-sharing across services with a single unique identifier for children. In the schools bill. GREEN 26. Bring forward a 鈥渃omprehensive strategy for post-16 education鈥. A skills white paper is due any minute. GREEN 27. Protect time for physical education, and support the 鈥渞ole grassroots clubs play in expanding access to sport鈥. Every school鈥檚 sport and enrichment offer will be published in new school profiles. AMBER 28. Launch a new national music education network 鈥 a 鈥渙ne-stop shop with information on courses and classes for parents, teachers and children鈥. National centre for arts and music education promised to launch in September 2026, with 拢25 million investment in new musical instruments. GREEN 29. Ensure schools 鈥渁ddress misogyny and teach young people about healthy relationships and consent鈥. No public progress, but the government said it is reviewing the relationships, sex and health curriculum. AMBER 30. Introduce a supervised tooth-brushing scheme for 3 to 5-year-olds, targeting the areas of highest need. Councils got 拢11 million in April to help “hundreds of thousands鈥 of children in the 鈥渕ost deprived鈥 areas brush their teeth. GREEN Where’s the promised money? The costings are harder to work out 鈥 but many schemes have so far been funded at way less than promised. For instance, the government promised to invest 拢315 million for its breakfast clubs from closing the non-dom tax loophole. But just 拢30 million has been allocated. It said it would use 拢1.5 billion raised from putting VAT on private school fees to pay for many of its other pledges. This included 拢450 million to recruit 6,500 new teachers. The government pointed to the 拢700 million spent to boost recruitment and retention in 2024-25, however this included already established retention payments. Meanwhile, 拢5 million was promised for early language interventions, but just 拢3.4 million was announced. For mental health support, j拢49 million of the 拢175 million promised has been forthcoming so far. Of the 拢45 million promised for Ofsted, 拢20 million has seemingly been committed. And just 拢37 million of the funding for new nurseries has been delivered of the 拢370 million promised over four years. Another 拢270 million was promised to increase teacher and headteacher training and 拢85 million for work experience and careers advice 鈥 but it鈥檚 not clear if any of this has been delivered yet.