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LOOKING BACK AT THE WEEK THAT WAS
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The main stories from the papers
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The latest announcements and policy news
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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, and all the not-to-be-missed statistics.
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GENERAL:
Digital Inclusion. The government set out a number of initial steps and key focus areas as it launched a Call for Evidence under its Digital Inclusion Action Plan with the emphasis over the next 12 months on developing skills, enhancing local support, making government digital services more accessible and identifying where the need is greatest.
More SWAPs. The government announced a further expansion from next year of its Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) aimed at helping more unemployed benefit claimants with support, placements and a guaranteed interview as a way back into work.
Living Wage. The Living Wage Foundation published new research showing that last year saw the largest annual rise in the number and proportion of low-paid jobs ever recorded with retail, hospitality, and health and social work the hardest hit sectors and the N.E. and E. Midlands the hardest hit regions.
Benefit Trap. The Learning and Work Institute argued in a new report that reforming the benefit system with better support, a more realistic safety net and a new Benefit Passport could help an extra 500,000 people into work over ten years.
Child Poverty. The Resolution Foundation called for the scrapping of the two-child limit and for an extension of the free school meal entitlement to all families on universal credit, a package that could cost around £8.5bn but which could be an effective way to tackle child poverty.
Youth custody. The children’s commissioner called for ‘urgent reform’ of the youth custody system as she published a new report showing that children who end up in trouble have often been failed by multiple services and their time in the justice system tends ‘to worsen their disadvantage.’
No time to play. The Raising the National Play Commission called for a National Play Strategy, ringfenced time for play, and Ofsted monitoring of ‘play sufficiency’ as it published its interim report on school playtime, showing its importance to childhood development but equally a growing number of restrictions from a ‘No Ball Games’ culture to increasing encroachments on such time. SCHOOLS:
Education Bill. The Education Committee put forward a number of recommendations to improve the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, including auto-enrolment for pupils eligible for free school meals and a mental health assessment for children in care, as it raised concerns in a scrutiny report about the Bill being rushed through. Breakfast clubs. The government confirmed the first 750 ‘early adopter’ schools in England that will be offering free breakfasts from the start of next term, with a national roll out due to be announced later.
Inspections. Ofsted outlined arrangements for testing out its proposed new inspection regime, confirming that it will undertake a range of ‘voluntary’ visits covering 240 different providers to check out how the new system might work out.
SEND principles. The Confederation of School Trusts (CfST) set out 10 principles for a reformed SEND system including a new forward-looking vision for the system, new standards and training, and a system reset generally.
Special schools’ workforce. The NFER published the first in a 2-part blog looking the workforce in special schools highlighting their considerable reliance on teaching assistants as well as the low numbers of teachers with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status.)
3Rs. The Education Endowment Foundation announced it was looking to recruit a large number of schools and settings across England to work on research projects particularly around maths in secondary and reading in primary years. FE/SKILLS:
Skills Bill. The House of Commons Library Service published a primer on the IfATE (Transfer of Functions) Bill ahead of its Second Reading this week, running through the purpose of the Bill, issues with the skills system and the nature of the new skills body, along with developments around the Bill so far.
EMAs. The IfS published the results of its funded research into EMAs (Education Maintenance Allowances) which under the last Labour government provided funding support to help disadvantaged 16–19-year-olds stay on in education, concluding that the scheme failed ‘to achieve its ultimate aims of improving attainment and labour market outcomes’ and may even have had a negative impact on later earnings.
NEET matters. Policy Connect and the Skills Commission announced the launch of a new cross-party inquiry aimed at tackling the growing number of young people in the UK not in employment, education or training (NEET) by exploring such options as employment support, apprenticeships and vocational training.
Strategic Plan. The CITB published its Strategic Plan 2025-2029, promising additional investment to help develop the sector’s skills and training needs with a new training system, defined competencies and a vision to support over 35,000 employers with upskilling.
Embedding maths. The Gatsby Foundation published a paper looking at how generative AI can be used to help embed numeracy into vocational provision, suggesting that while it might take time to be adopted, it has the potential to supplement teaching and learning in a way that could benefit many. HE:
AI survey. HEPI and Kortext published the results of their commissioned survey into student use of generative AI tools, showing a massive leap over the past year in the proportion of students using such tools, often for assessment purposes, with few receiving guidance from their institution on such usage and the report calling for institutions to review their approach and undertake more training as a result.
AI and assessment. The QAA reported on the keynote speech by the AI expert Dr Phillip Dawson at its Quality Insights Conference this week where he argued that assessment will need to change in the light of AI, arguing for ‘a reverse scaffolding’ approach of students only using it when they’ve shown they can do things without it first.
Medical school. The Sutton Trust called for a fair access review across higher education taking in access to medical schools, as it published research showing that admissions processes across such schools vary and applicants from a poorer socio-economic background often miss out.
TEF 2023. The OfS published an independent evaluation report into the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) exercise concluding that it had been received ‘relatively well’ and met most of its objectives, although its impact at this early stage appeared somewhat limited.
UKRI. The government announced the appointment of Sir Ian Chapman as the CEO of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) from this summer, with a focus on developing its role in supporting the government’s growth agenda through its industrial strategy, Horizon Europe research and R/D funding generally.
Youth Mobility Scheme. The Best for Britain Group published the results of its commissioned survey into attitudes towards a UK/EU Scheme that would allow 18-30-year-olds to move between the UK and EU for work and study, finding considerable support for either a 2- or 4-year model.
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Research, reports and studies published this week
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COMING UP IN THE NEXT WEEK
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Important reports, deadlines and government events
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Colleges Week 2025 (Monday 3 – Friday 7 March)
National Careers Week (Monday 3 – Saturday 8 March)
Westminster Hall debates a petition on VAT on private school fees (Monday 3 March)
Secondary school offer day (Monday 3 March)
Education Committee Pre-appointment Hearing: Chair of the Office for Students (Tuesday 4 March)
National Manufacturing Conference (Tuesday 4 March)
HEPI Webinar on ‘How the school and college curriculum in England can prepare young people for HE’ (Wednesday 5 March)
World Book Day (Thursday 6 March)
Deadline for submission of evidence to the Education Committee Inquiry into FE (Friday 7 March)
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Conferences and CPD opportunities
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Monday 03 March: Peaceful and Purposeful Discussion in RE | NATRE (online event)
Tuesday 04 March: Connect more: Realising opportunities for strategic collaboration in higher education | Wonkhe (online event)
Wednesday 05 March: Influencing without Authority | The Hub (in-person event)
Wednesday 05 March: Making maths accessible: Teaching, curriculum and examination | SecEd (online event)
Thursday 06 March: Early Years Conference 2025 | HFL Education (online event)
Thursday 06 March: Gone international: a new generation | Universities UK (online event)
Thursday 06 March: Communications Summit 2025 | Confederation of School Trusts (in-person event)
Friday 07 March: GCSE RS – Better thinking, better writing, better results | NATRE (online event)
Saturday 08 March: researchED Birmingham | researchED (in-person event) |
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MONDAY 03 MARCH
On this day in 1938 the world's fastest steam locomotive, The Mallard, which could reach speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour, was built.
TUESDAY 04 MARCH
On this day in 1952 Ernest Hemingway completed his short novel The Old Man and the Sea.
WEDNESDAY 05 MARCH
On this day in 1496 King Henry VII commissioned John Cabot and his sons to investigate, claim and possess lands ‘which before this time were unknown to all Christians’.
THURSDAY 06 MARCH
On this day in 1924 the Egyptian government opened the mummy case of King Tutankhamen, ruler of Egypt in the 14th century BCE.
FRIDAY 07 MARCH
On this day in 161 Marcus Aurelius became emperor of Rome following the death of his adoptive father, Antoninus Pius.
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