Department for Education

The Department for Education stands in London’s Westminster, a modern government building on Great Smith Street. It took over its present role in 2010, handling schools, skills and child protection for England. The permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood leads a management board with directors for schools, skills and regions. Five main sites support the work, though London remains the headquarters. The building houses ministers and civil servants who shape education policy across the country.

The department’s history goes back to 1839, when a Privy Council committee first oversaw schooling. Over the centuries the office has been reshaped many times, most recently in 2010 after the Coalition Government merged several agencies. In 2016 it absorbed higher education and apprenticeships from another department. Lucy Powell serves as Secretary of State, supported by a team of senior officials and non-executive board members.

Inside, visitors find a working government office rather than a museum. Staff offices and meeting rooms line the corridors, with directors’ suites on upper floors. The building sits close to Parliament and other Whitehall departments, reflecting its central role in national policy.