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 ... Scottish government loses votes on school meals and rail fares Read more Agency responsible for £75bn of funding for schools and colleges to close Read more ‘Toxic’ Ofsted left teachers and inspectors ‘distressed and burnt out’, say insiders 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: PM’s address. The Prime Minister addressed the TUC Congress where he thanked them for their support in helping win the General Election, explained how tough things were going to be for a while because of the inheritance left behind but urged members to work in partnership with the government in what he called ‘the common cause of national renewal.’ National debt. The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee published its report into the UK national debt arguing it was becoming ‘unsustainable’ unless tough decisions about cuts or tax rises were made, calling among other things for the OBR to issue an annual report on any progress being made. Public finances. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) reported on the sustainability of public finances in its latest Fiscal Risks report based on the outlook at the time of the Spring Budget and arguing that the national debt could triple over the next 50 years without three major risks, on climate change, the nation’s health, and productivity respectively were tackled. SCHOOLS: KS2. The government published more detailed provisional figures for this year’s KS2 assessments with revised figures due in December but showing currently that 61% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, up 1% on last year. Pandemic effect. ASCL highlighted the long-term effect of the pandemic on schools in a report commissioned by them and written by Tim Oates, suggesting that it was a misnomer to believe that things were back to normal and that what was needed was a long-term strategic response at all levels. Missing out on education. The children’s commissioner called for a concerted effort including better data, definition and systems to tackle the growing problem of children and young people missing school, as she published a new report showing that such children often had special needs and tended to fall through the cracks. FE/SKILLS: Mental health. The AoC called for “a reinvigorated national strategy” as it published the outcomes from its latest mental health survey carried out earlier this year and showing a disturbing number of attempted suicides and mental health referrals to A&E, many linked to cost-of-living pressures. ESFA. The government announced that the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) would close by next March with core functions re-located to the DfE with the aim of ‘providing a single point of contact for financial management and support.’ Budget submission. The AELP published its submission to the Treasury ahead of next month’s Budget stressing the importance of skills and proposing a number of recommendations around apprenticeships including the introduction of a foundation programme and a ringfenced budget, which they argue could increase the number of apprenticeships to 500,000+ a year. HE: Study visas. The government published the latest figures for study visas for the period January – August this year, showing a 17% drop on last year’s figures following the rule changes that came in at the start of this year. Credit transfer. The QAA examined the current state of credit transfer policies in UKHE, suggesting the practice is still some way off full adoption with the continued dominance of the three-year degree a major barrier and some of the information on websites and language used difficult to access. R/D Budget submission. The British Academy submitted its thoughts to the Treasury ahead of the Budget next month, calling among other things for ‘an urgent review of HE funding,’ an open immigration system for international students, a push to boost the UK’s role as a G7 leader of R/D, and the reduction of barriers to international collaboration. Access all issues of Steve Besley's Education Eye Latest research, reports and studies Report warns of educational challenges from Covid-19 for years to come | ASCL Absence rates will stay high until the Covid generation leaves secondary school | LSE Children missing education: The unrolled story | Children's Commissioner Equity Commission urges action on workplace barriers | Youth Futures Foundation The Skills Imperative 2035: Shifting sands - Anticipating changes in the future labour market and supporting the workers at greatest risk | NFER Education at a Glance 2024: OECD Indicators | OECD The rising cost of living and access to adult education in London | Learning & Work Institute State of the Nation 2024: Local to national, mapping opportunities for all | Social Mobility Commission Funding Futures: Protecting foundations | CST UK Stronger Together – Why we need a new and expanded role for universities and university groupings | HEPI Report urges Ministers to ignore ‘Nanny State’ critics and expand sugar taxes, ban sale of energy drinks to under 16s, and roll out teeth brushing programme in schools | Centre for Young Lives Search our education research section COMING UP IN THE NEXT WEEK Parliament and elsewhere Lib Dem Conference (Saturday 14 – Tuesday 17 September). Launch of the Final Report from the Commission on the Future of Employment Support (Wednesday 18 September). UCAS Clearing data one month on from Results Day (Thursday 19 September). Events and CPD opportunities Tuesday 17 September: Child Protection in Education 2024 - London | Optimus Education (in-person event) Tuesday 17 - Wednesday 18 September: Train the Trainer | The Hub Events (in-person event) Thursday 19 September: Leading with authenticity and confidence | BTS Spark (in-person 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 16 SEPTEMBER On this day in 1620 the Mayflower sailed from Plymouth bound for the Americas with 102 passengers. On this day in 1908 carriage-maker William C Durant founded General Motors in Flint, Michigan. On this day in 1978 an earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter Scale rocked the city of Tabas in Iran killing more than 11,000 people.   TUESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER On this day in 1683 Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was the first to report the existence of bacteria. On this day in 1916 WWI flying ace The Red Baron of the German Luftstreitkräfte, won his first aerial combat near Cambrai, France. On this day in 1976 NASA publicly unveiled its first space shuttle, the Enterprise, during a ceremony in Palmdale, California.   WEDNESDAY 18 SEPTEMBER On this day in 1809 the Royal Opera House opened in London with a performance of Macbeth. On this day in 1812 the Great Fire of Moscow burned out after five days leaving 75% of the city destroyed and 12,000 dead. On this day in 1973 West Germany adopted the Deutsche Mark to help complete the economic reunification between East and West Germany.   THURSDAY 19 SEPTEMBER On this day in 1356 English forces under Edward the Black Prince defeated the French at the Battle of Poitiers. On this day in 1893 New Zealand became the first country to grant all women the right to vote. On this day in 1957 the first-ever underground nuclear explosion was carried out by the United States in Nevada.   FRIDAY 20 SEPTEMBER On this day in 1519 Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan set off on the first successful circumnavigation of the globe. On this day in 2001 US President George W Bush declared a ‘war on terror’ in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. On this day in 2019 students from 185 countries staged the world's largest-ever protest on climate change. Awareness days from around the world SEPTEMBER IS UK: Childhood Cancer Awareness Month / A Month of Movement, Urology Awareness Month, Organic September, Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Festival of Learning Have a Go Month. WORLDWIDE: Oddfellows Friendship Month, Baby Safety Month, Bear Necessities Month, Chiari Awareness Month, Classical Music Month, Friendship Month, Happy Cat Month, Hunger Action Month, Intelligent Automation Month, International Square Dancing Month, Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month, National Chicken Month, National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, National Dmv Appreciation Month, National Dystonia Awareness Month, National Guide Dog Month, National Honey Month, National Italian Cheese Month, National Library Card Sign-up Month, National Mushroom Month, National Organic Month, National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, National Papaya Month, National Pet Insurance Month, National Piano Month, National Preparedness Month, National Recovery Month, National Sewing Month, National Suicide Prevention Month, Nicu Awareness Month, Organic September, Pain Awareness Month, Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, Read a New Book Month, Self-improvement Month, Sepsis Awareness Month, Shake Month, Skyscraper Month, Sleeptember, Sourdough September, Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, Vascular Disease Awareness Month, Whole Grains Month, World Alzheimer’s Month, World Fun Fair Month.   THIS WEEK IS UK: National Eczema Week, Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Week, Orchid Male Cancer Awareness Week, National Coding Week, Great British Beach Clean. WORLDWIDE: Constitution Day (Citizenship Day), National HIV/AIDS and Ageing Awareness Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, National Retinoid Week, National Singles Week, National Keep Kids Creative Week, National Security Officer Appreciation Week, National Surgical Technologists Week, National Indoor Plant Week, National Farm Safety And Health Week, National Farm Animals Awareness Week, Child Passenger Safety Week, National Eczema Week, National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, National Construction Appreciation Week, National Parent Teacher Home Visits Week, Thinking of You Week, Hispanic Heritage Month, Small Pet Rodent Awareness Week, ​Heritage Open Days, Fairtrade Fortnight, National Neonatal Nurses Week, National Forensic Science Week, Professional Care Workers’ Week, Semana de la Chilenidad.   MONDAY 16 SEPTEMBER WORLDWIDE: Mexican Independence Day, International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, Mawlid al-Nabi, Trail of Tears Commemoration Day, Family and Community Day, Teenager Workout Day, Anne Bradstreet Day, Pet Promise Day, Mayflower Day, National Stepfamily Day, National Working Parents Day, National Play-Doh Day, Collect Rocks Day, National Guacamole Day, National Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day, National Choose Your Chocolate Day.   TUESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER WORLDWIDE: National IT Professionals Day, National Voter Registration Day, Constitution Day And Citizenship Day, International Country Music Day, World Manta Day, Get Ready Day, World Patient Safety Day, Australian Citizenship Day, National Professional House Cleaners Day, Time’s Up Day, Smithsonian Day, National Table Shuffleboard Day, Constitution Day, National Apple Dumpling Day, National Monte Cristo Day, National Pet Bird Day, Mid-Autumn Festival.   WEDNESDAY 18 SEPTEMBER UK: National Fitness Day. WORLDWIDE: National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day, US Air Force Day, National Cheeseburger Day, National First Love Day, Chile’s Independence Day, National Uniform Day, Purple Bra Day, National Day of Civic Hacking, Global Company Culture Day, International Equal Pay Day, Diesel Engine Day, World Bamboo Day, National Ceiling Fan Day, Hug A Greeting Card Writer Day, Read An Ebook Day, World Water Monitoring Day, National Respect Day, Rice Krispies Treats Day.   THURSDAY 19 SEPTEMBER WORLDWIDE: International Talk Like A Pirate Day, National Pawpaw Day, Wales International Film Festival, National Butterscotch Pudding Day.   FRIDAY 20 SEPTEMBER WORLDWIDE: National POW/MIA Recognition Day, National Fried Rice Day, National Pepperoni Pizza Day, National Tradesmen Day, International Grenache Day, National Queso Day, Raspberry Day, National Concussion Awareness Day, 4pm Finish Day, National Care For Kids Day, World Paella Day, National Punch Day, National String Cheese Day. 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