Department for Education returns in coalition rebrand

The DCSF logo has been ditched by the new government

Michael Gove has started as Education Secretary by ditching Labour's rebranding of his department.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) will be known once again as the Department for Education.

The DCSF's rainbow logo has also disappeared from the department's website and Westminster headquarters.

It is still in charge of children's services but higher education stays in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills under Vince Cable.

FROM DES TO DFE, IN 5 STEPS

1992: Department of Education and Science (DES) became Department for Education (DFE)

1995: Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)

2001: Department for Education and Skills (DfES)

2007: Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)

2010: Department for Education (DfE)

Conservative MP David Willetts has been appointed universities minister. There had been speculation higher education could be brought back into the Education department's fold.

The DCSF, which gained control of issues like child obesity, school sports and youth crime, was created by Gordon Brown shortly after he became prime minister.

The new Education Secretary Michael Gove has told his staff in an internal e-mail he wants to "refocus" the department "on its core purpose of supporting teaching and learning".

Mr Gove has also signalled his plan to free up controls on schools within the next few months has not been watered down by the coalition deal with the Liberal Democrats.

In an e-mail to civil servants he said: "In the weeks ahead, I want us to offer all schools the chance to enjoy academy-style freedoms so that heads and teachers across the country can be liberated. This will be the focus of the legislation we hope to bring forward later this month."

The 2007 rebranding exercise is thought to have cost several thousand pounds.

There has been speculation about other government departments being rebranded and reorganised by the new coalition government.

Francis Maude, the minister in charge of policy implementation, said before the general election the Conservatives did not want to cause too much disruption by changing governmental lines of responsibility.