A look back at the last week in education, a peek at what's coming up, plus lots of other interesting stuff to help with lesson planning  ...

LOOKING BACK AT THE WEEK THAT WAS Three of the week's headlines ... Summer holiday childcare in UK now costs £1,000 a child, research finds Read more Ucas plans to drop personal statements for UK university applicants Read more Government will not announce decision on teacher pay this week  Read more Visit EdNews to filter all the education news by phase or topic Three pieces of policy news - by phase Follow this link to view the full version of Steve Besley's popular policy round-up - including an overview of all the important stories, his top headlines of the week, tweets and posts of note, the most memorable quotes, not-to-be-missed statistics and what to look out for next week. As your starter for ten, we've chosen three items from each phase below ... GENERAL: King’s Speech. The government set out its legislative programme for the coming session of parliament in the traditional King’s Speech with a full list of some 39 Bills, including many promised for education such as raising educational standards, reforming the apprenticeship levy and improving mental health provision. Child Poverty. The PM announced a new Child Poverty taskforce, to be led jointly by the education secretary and the work and pensions secretary and to work with experts to create an ‘ambitious’ new Child Poverty Strategy. Devolution deserts. Deputy PM Angela Rayner called on local leaders, particularly those in what she called ‘devolution deserts’ to join her in a devolution revolution that would see local issues like housing, transport and adult skills devolved to local communities. SCHOOLS: Exam results 2024.The bosses of Ofqual and UCAS wrote to students ahead of this year’s exam results days reminding them of how marking and grading operate, how to prepare for results day and what to do if you don’t get the result you’d hoped for.  Curriculum review. The government announced that Professor Becky Francis, currently the boss at the Education Endowment Foundation will lead its much-vaunted review of the curriculum and assessment, covering all Key Stages and due to report next year. Disadvantage gap. The Education Policy Institute published its 2024 annual report looking in particular at exam achievement last year compared to that before Covid and highlighting the growing disadvantage gap over this period, calling among other things for targeted funding, a dedicated strategy and support for pupils with SEND to help improve things. FE/SKILLS: Supporting T levels. The WPI Strategy Group reported on the skills and economic growth challenges facing the new government, criticising the ‘confusing’ post-16 qualification system, calling for ‘bold action’ and positioning T levels as a key factor in raising skill levels generally. AoC response. The Association of Colleges (AoC) in a response to the WPI report reiterated its call for a full and ‘urgent review of every single T level’ so as to ensure they meet the needs of both students and industry. More on T levels. The Edge Foundation reported on its research project looking into how students viewed T levels and pointing to four emerging findings including students being ‘steered into’ T levels rather than through choice, concerns about the teaching style and structure of T levels and issues over placements. HE: Top six. The MillionPlus Group outlined ‘six key areas’ for the new Labour government to consider, including stabilising sector finances, maintaining funding for BTECs, enhancing participation via a social mobility premium, and working with rather than against universities. This year’s applicants. Unite Students and HEPI reported on this year’s HE applicants, their hopes and fears, expectations and concerns with many optimistic and confident about getting a good job afterwards but in some cases still carrying the scars of a disrupted education through the pandemic and worried about the impact of the cost-of-living. Results day pointers. Ben Jordan, Director of Strategy at UCAS, suggested in a blog on the HEPI site ‘five things to watch ahead of this year’s results day,’ including trends around widening participation, any changes around international student numbers and how confirmation and offers play out with the numbers of 18-year-olds remaining high. Access all issues of Steve Besley's Education Eye Latest research, reports and studies New Government, new start | MillionPlus National Consortium for Languages Education boosts support as report finds 60% of schools face challenges recruiting language teachers | British Council Applicant Index Report | Unite Students Annual Report 2024 | EPI Careers education in primary schools shows early promise | Careers & Enterprise Company Expanding educational frontiers: Lifelong Learning in Europe and the UK | Lifelong Education Institute What do students really think about T Levels? | Edge Foundation Teaching on the cheap? The extent and impact of teaching assistants covering classes and leading lessons | BERA Shifting career motivations are not to blame for worsening teacher shortages | NFER What became of the failing schools of the early 2000s? | FFT Education Datalab Who cares? How postgraduate parents fall through the gap for government childcare grants, and how to fix it | HEPI Generating growth and opportunity across England: briefings | UUK How can we use GenAI pedagogically? Can we be led by (graduate) learning outcomes? | BERA Families facing holiday childcare increases this summer, whilst shortages continue to grow | Coram Family and Childcare Changing the narrative on youth violence and knife crime: turning evidence from young people into policy change | IOE School inspection: unconscionable acts of reason? | BERA Search our education research section COMING UP IN THE NEXT WEEK Parliament and elsewhere General debate in the House of Commons on education and Opportunity (Wednesday 24 July). Events and CPD opportunities Tuesday 23 July: ESFA Funding Assurance Review Insights | AELP (online event) Tuesday 23 July: Unlocking better governance: Dan Honig in conversation with James Plunkett | Nesta (online event) Tuesday 23 July: What can we learn from Sure Start? | Nesta (in-person event) Thursday 25 July: Financial, Accountancy and Legal sector Forum | AELP (online event) Friday 26 July: Ofsted In Conversation with AELP | AELP (online event) Running an education-related event that you'd like to see included in our calendar? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with details and a link to the booking info. See all events Three interesting daily facts MONDAY 22 JULY On this day in 1862 US President Abraham Lincoln announced his intention to issue an emancipation proclamation to free enslaved people. On this day in 1942 the systematic deportation of Jewish people from the Warsaw ghetto to a new concentration camp at Treblinka in Poland began. On this day in 1983 Australian ***** Smith became the first person to fly a helicopter around the world solo.   TUESDAY 23 JULY On this day in 1829 William Austin Burt patented America's first typographer, an early version of the typewriter. On this day in 1962 Telstar 1, a communications satellite, relayed the world's first transatlantic television signal. On this day in 1995 astronomers Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp discovered Comet Hale-Bopp which became visible to the naked eye nearly a year later.   WEDNESDAY 24 JULY On this day in 1567 Mary Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate and her one-year-old son became King James VI of Scotland. On this day in 1911 the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu, was discovered by American explorer Hiram Bingham III. On this day in 2019 published research claimed global warming to be at its fastest in 2,000 years.   THURSDAY 25 JULY On this day in 306 Constantine I was proclaimed Roman Emperor by his troops. On this day in 1814 English engineer George Stephenson introduced his first steam locomotive. On this day in 1978 the world's first test tube baby conceived using in-vitro fertilization (IVF) was born.   FRIDAY 26 JULY On this day in 1803 the world's first public railway, the Surrey Iron Railway, opened in south London. On this day in 1945 Winston Churchill resigned as British prime minister following his party’s electoral defeat by Labour. On this day in 1965 the Maldives gained independence after 78 years of British rule. Awareness days from around the world JULY IS UK: National Picnic Month, Plastic Free July, Good Care Month. WORLDWIDE: Group B Strep Support (GBSS) Awareness Month, Sarcoma Awareness Month, Global Enterprise Agility Month, Independent Retailer Month, SPANA’s World Tea Party, National Fragile X Awareness Month, National Hemp Month, National Contract Sewing Month, National Anti-Boredom Month, National Grilling Month, World Watercolor Month, National Peach Month, National Blueberry Month, National Ice Cream Month, National Hot Dog Month, National Horseradish Month, National Culinary Arts Month, National Cell Phone Courtesy Month, National Baked Bean Month, Lasagna Awareness Month, Wild About Wildlife Month, National Hemp Month, National Powersports Month, Bank Account Bonus Month, World Watercolor Month.   THIS WEEK IS UK: Festival Of British Archaeology, Talk To Us, Love Parks Week, Royal Welsh Show. WORLDWIDE: National Moth Week, National Zoo Keeper Week, National Parenting Gifted Children Week, International Marine Week.   MONDAY 22 JULY WORLDWIDE: National Fragile X Awareness Day, National Penuche Fudge Day, National Mango Day, National Hammock Day, National Rat Catcher’s Day, National Be a Good Teammate Day, World Brain Day, Spoonerism Day.   TUESDAY 23 JULY WORLDWIDE: National Vanilla Ice Cream Day, National Lemon Day, Sprinkle Day, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Day, World Sjogren’s Day, National Gorgeous Grandma Day, International Yada, Yada, Yada Day.   WEDNESDAY 24 JULY UK: 24/7 Samaritans Awareness Day/The Big Listen/Talk to Us Day. WORLDWIDE: National Tequila Day, National Thermal Engineer Day, National Cousins Day, National Amelia Earhart Day, Pioneer Day, National Tell An Old Joke Day, National Drive-Thru Day, International Self Care Day.   THURSDAY 25 JULY UK: National Schizophrenia Awareness Day. WORLDWIDE: A Day in Archaeology, National Hot Fudge Sundae Day, National Merry-go-round Day, International Red Shoe Day, National Chili Dog Day, Earth Overshoot Day, National Intern Day, National Refreshment Day, National Hire a Veteran Day, National Wine and Cheese Day, Carousel Day, National Thread the Needle Day.   FRIDAY 26 JULY WORLDWIDE: National BagelFest Day, National Coffee Milkshake Day, National All Or Nothing Day, National Get Gnarly Day, National System Administrator Appreciation Day, National Talk in an Elevator Day, Holistic Therapy Day, National Disability Independence Day, National Dog Photography Day, National Aunt and Uncle Day, One Voice Day. Share Tweet Forward Not already an EdCentral member? 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