Standards and assurance

Apply the Service Standard in the Department for Education

• Part of: Standards and assurance collection
• Last reviewed: 31 March 2026
• Owner: DesignOps

Guidance and information for how to apply the GOV.UK Service Standard to design and build accessible, user centred and secure services in DfE.

1. 1. Understand users and their needs
2. 2. Solve a whole problem for users
3. 3. Provide a joined up experience across all channels
4. 4. Make the service simple to use
5. 5. Make sure everyone can use the service
6. 6. Have a multidisciplinary team
7. 7. Use agile ways of working
8. 8. Iterate and improve frequently
9. 9. Create a secure service which protects users' privacy
10. 10. Define what success looks like and publish performance data
11. 11. Choose the right tools and technology
12. 12. Make new source code open
13. 13. Use and contribute to open standards, common components and patterns
14. 14. Operate a reliable service