7385posts
-
Start your school day right - the benefits of breakfast clubs
Headteacher Mrs Ash McGann shares Burton Green Primary School’s experience of being part of the Healthy Breakfast club pilot scheme and the benefits it’s brought to the whole school.
-
Explaining more about the top 10 driving test faults: our webinar recap
Amanda Lane and Graham O'Brien recap our recent webinar about the top 10 driving test faults and answer questions that were not covered during the live webinar.
-
Early Career Ocean Professionals at the All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA)
Written by Parvathi Vallivattathillam, National Oceanography Centre (NOC), Lianne Harrison, Cefas and Francesca D'Enno, Defra. The All-Atlantic Ocean Research and Innovation Alliance (AAORIA) is a science diplomacy effort which unites twelve countries across the Atlantic to strengthen and foster collaborative …
-
More projects improving the environment through nature market initiatives
More projects improving the environment through nature market initiatives Today we hosted our Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF) Round 3 grantees at the University of Warwick for a dedicated networking and learning day. This fund is one of the …
-
The ILACS framework – what’s changing and why?
In December 2024, we updated the inspecting local authority children's services (ILACS) framework. This blog will discuss why we’re making these changes, the reviews that informed them, and how we are responding to your feedback. Why we updated the framework …
-
Sustainable festivities: how you can reduce your waste this Christmas
The festive period is a time to celebrate and enjoy decorating trees, giving gifts and eating lots of delicious food. But all of this can have an impact on the environment. In this post, the Environment blog team will share actions you can take to enjoy festivities sustainably.
-
Celebrating 75 years of the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act
By Marian Spain, Chief Executive, Natural England We know now that access to nature is vital for our health and wellbeing, and when we feel a connection with nature, we’re more likely to care for it and help its recovery. …
-
Making it quicker and easier to search on GOV.UK
We’ve made some changes to the interface of site search on GOV.UK to create a simpler, more user-friendly experience.
-
Portsmouth’s New Emergency Department Opens with support from Defence Medical Services personnel
The transition to a state-of-the-art Emergency Department (ED) at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth was successfully completed on 26 November 2024, thanks to an innovative collaboration between Defence Medical Services (DMS) personnel and NHS staff. The seamless move was …
-
Magic Maps: change to service platform
What is MAGIC? The ‘Multi-Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside’ (MAGIC) service has been around since 2002. The MAGIC website provides geographic information about the natural environment from across government. The information covers rural, urban, coastal and marine environments across …
-
Ambitious and future-thinking: advising on digital government
Baroness Martha Lane Fox discusses her role in shaping the government’s new digital centre.
-
Farewell to Ipsum
After thirteen years we’re preparing to say goodbye to Ipsum, our online patent search tool. Emma Sharman, Senior Transformation Product Manager, reflects back on the role Ipsum has played... and explains what’s next. As 2024 draws to a close it’s …
-
Strengthening actuarial practice through collaboration
We work with Bayes Business School, which celebrates 50 years of actuarial teaching and research. Professor Kyriakou blogs about our successful collaboration.
-
Celebrating one year of Projects for Nature
It has been one year since Projects for Nature was launched. In this post, Justin Francis, the nature lead for The Council for Sustainable Business, shares his reflections.
-
Our consultation events are over but there’s still time to share your thoughts
Our consultation events have ended but you can still have your say on the draft plans until 19 January- don’t miss your chance to share your opinions. Find our factsheets and a summary video on this blog post.
-
5 tips for managing your woodland this winter
MacBradan Bones, Nature Recovery Advisor for the Forestry Commission, shares his tips on managing your woodland this winter.
-
Transforming Defra together: the journey from paper to online forms
It’s been a busy year for Defra Forms. Lead Product Manager Jenny Taylor and Senior Content Designer Anna Scott reflect on the story so far, lessons learnt and reaching the exciting step of rolling out forms guidance and tools access …
-
Guidance now available for improved Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier offer
Ahead of the improved Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) scheme opening for applications, we’ve published the new scheme guidance on GOV.UK. In this post, we share a summary and a recording of a webinar held on 8 January.
-
Getting ready to apply for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will open applications for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier from summer 2025. Find out how you can get ready to apply.
-
Puberty blockers: what you need to know
*Updated 12 December* The government has confirmed that the existing emergency measures restricting the sale and supply of puberty-suppressing hormones will be made indefinite. This decision follows independent expert advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) that there is …
-
Sharing our AI expertise
As a data analytics specialist working for the Government Internal Audit Agency, I think my experience of attending the Chartered IIA (Institute of Internal Auditors) conference back in September is probably the nearest I’ve got to feeling like a rock …
-
Our review of the area SEND inspection framework
Through the Big Listen, children, parents, carers and professionals told us that the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is ‘broken’. Families shared heartbreaking stories of their fight to get the right support. Frustrated professionals told us that they …
-
Why we are experimenting with ethnography in the metaverse
Over the past decade Policy Lab has established a foundational practice in film ethnography. Throughout this time, we have continued to push the boundaries of how this method can support policymakers to ground policy in lived experience. This year we …
-
Improving and evolving: Defra's content community projects
I’m Graeme Claridge, and I’ve been head of content design at Defra since April 2024. We’re a large community, with around 70 content designers. There's a lot to celebrate about our community: we’re incredibly supportive of each other, we’re highly …
-
Government Digital and Data in review: Top reads of 2024
As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to look back on the stories that have resonated most with our Government Digital and Data community. From groundbreaking AI advancements to best practices in digital transformation, these articles have sparked discussions, inspired innovation, and provided valuable insights across the public sector.
-
Hydrology: the study of water and why it matters
In a new blog, Abolanle Elizabeth Odusanya from the Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire hydrology team explains more about the wonderful world of hydrology; what it consists of and why it is important to the Environment Agency, particularly in the East of …
-
Details released of new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier – Natural England to work with invited farmers to develop applications
By Peter Craven, Head of Agriculture Defra has today announced the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) offer, one of three Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, to help incentivise farmers to deliver improvements for nature and support sustainable food production. …
-
Beyond qualifications: how experience, relationships and learning shaped my Civil Service career
Paul Compton, Deputy Director for Capability and Capacity at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, reflects on his career journey and learning, ranging from the RAF to SCS in the Civil Service. As the Deputy Director for Capability and Capacity at …
-
Teacher pay: what does the pay evidence mean for schools?
The Department recognises that high quality teaching is the factor within school that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education, giving them the knowledge and skills to succeed throughout life. We are committed to supporting teachers to stay in the profession and thrive.
-
SMA ISE partnership board updated on very useful modelling study workshop
The latest meeting of the SMA Screening In-service evaluation Partnership Board heard that interim results of a new modelling study into SMA screening for the UK context had been presented to a stakeholder workshop.
-
How human organs grown in labs are helping to develop the vaccines of the future
In this blog post, we’ll explore how scientists are using organs grown in labs to help accelerate the development of new drugs, therapeutic medicines and vaccines.
-
Data Bill: committee debate in House of Lords
The Data (Use and Access) Bill will underpin the Government’s plans to ensure that digital identity products and services offered in the UK can be trusted by those that want to use them. The measures relating to digital identity – which …
-
Coverage following reforms to electrical waste regulations
There has been widespread positive coverage following our announcement to make online giants pay their fair share for the treatment of electrical waste.
-
Coverage of reforms to bin collections
There has been coverage in recent days around the government’s Simpler Recycling proposals for bin collections, which will make recycling easier for households and businesses.
-
Wargaming Wisdom
As part of the Defence Experimentation and Wargaming Hub’s People in Wargaming series we recently spoke to a panel of people/experts about their experiences in the field of wargaming. Interviewer: Can you briefly introduce yourself? Tom: I’m Tom Mouat, I'm …
-
Funding Service: how digital innovation will help us to deliver grants faster, better and cheaper
MHCLG's Funding Service is transforming how grants are delivered. Find out how we're saving time and money for the department and the communities we serve.
-
Into the woods: enhancing local history with woodland and green space
Join us for this month's this month’s ‘Into the woods’ blog by Regulations and Incentives Support Officer Tab Robinson, who explores how woodland can help connect communities with the roots of their local community.
-
New Nature Connection website brings together policy, practice and research
The University of Derby and Natural England have been developing a Nature Connectedness Network and it has now gone public with the launch of its website! CLICK HERE www.natureconnectedness.net As society becomes more aware of the mutual dependency between people …
-
Coverage following British unprocessed pork exports to China resuming
Today we are looking at coverage of our announcement that the government has secured the end of China’s Covid-era restrictions on UK unprocessed pork.
-
Here are the facts about our junk food advertising ban
One in 10 reception aged children are now obese, and one in five children by age 5 are suffering from tooth decay. These children are being set up for a lifetime of health problems, and it's estimated that obesity costs …