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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: Kemi Badenoch’s Conference address. Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch set out a number of headline measures in her address to the Conservative Party Conference, promising to reverse the government’s Employment Rights proposals, scrap the VAT levy on private schools, shut down ‘rip off’ university degrees, and most significantly scrap Stamp Duty and implement a new Golden Economic Rule that would see savings put into tax cuts and paying off the deficit.
Shadow Chancellor’s Conference address. Mel Stride, the Shadow Chancellor, addressed the Conservative Party Conference where he set out £47bn of government savings from items like welfare and overseas aid, promising instead a £5000 First Job Bonus for young people.
Education Secretary’s Conference address. Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott praised the education reforms of her predecessors notably the Gove/Gibb era when she addressed the Conservative Party Conference, promising as far as she was concerned to prioritise tackling pupil behaviour, develop more alternative provision and scrap smartphones in schools.
Local R/D. The government invited local leaders to apply through UKRI for a potential £20m funding each to help build regional strengths and expertise in science and innovation as part of latest Local Innovation Partnership Funding.
Wealth gap. The Resolution Foundation published its latest audit of household wealth indicating that as this grew during the pandemic, it left the overall wealth gap let alone the generational wealth gap significantly widened with little evidence of upward movement for many. SCHOOLS: Teacher recruitment. The government announced a range of bursaries and scholarships for trainee teachers in key subjects along with funding to support schools running teaching apprenticeships for 2026/7, in a move which also saw funding cut or dropped altogether in some subjects.
Computing education. The Royal Society called for significant investment and reform of computing education in schools in England as it published new research evidence showing low uptake of the subject especially among girls, uneven provision, a lack of specialist teachers and ‘a curriculum not fit for purpose.’
Thanks for your support. Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver posted a letter of thanks to school and college leaders across England for their work and support as preparations continue towards the launch of the new inspection regime.
White working-class survey. The consultancy Public First published survey data collected for the Inquiry into white working-class education, with evidence suggesting both students and families disillusioned with the system helping fuel growing attainment gaps.
Early career planning. The Careers and Enterprise Company published the final report in its project looking into career-related learning in primary schools, covering nearly 1400 schools and helping support teachers and children gain better understanding of extended opportunities.
Workforce pressures. The NFER announced a new 3-year Nuffield funded project looking into trends and pressures around the teaching workforce and the impact of issues such as pay, conditions and targets on different staff groups, with the first report set to be published next spring. FE/SKILLS: Industrial Strategy. The government published the first Quarterly Update of its Industrial Strategy running through the various developments in each of the key IS-8 high growth sectors for the period June-Sept, claiming to have ‘welcomed’ over £250bn of investment over the period and pointing to the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper as among the things to look out for in the next Quarter.
Joined up system. The AoC and Universities UK outlined proposals for ‘a more joined up post-16 system,’ pointing to local case study evidence where this is happening and convening a joint working group to look in more detail at ways in which Local Skills Improvement Plans and local skills and growth activity could usefully combine. Adult skills. The Learning and Work Institute called in a new report for a ‘sustained’ programme of support and investment in adult skills, arguing that it could boost the economy, save taxpayers billions and improve the lives of millions.
16-19 PD. The Education and Training Foundation welcomed new guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation aimed at supporting professional development (PD) in 16-19 settings built around a model of culture, delivery and content. HE:
Indian expansion. The Prime Minister announced that two more universities (Lancaster and Surrey) had gained approval to open campuses in India and a number of other links discussed as the PM completed his trade mission to the country helping to strengthen UKHE’s leading footprint there.
New rankings. The Times Higher reported that Oxford remained at the top of the 2026 World University Rankings for research-intensive universities based on a range of metrics covering teaching reputation, research quality and international outlook, with Cambridge third and Imperial eighth all also in the top ten.
Freedom of speech. The House of Commons Library Service published a briefing paper on the current position around freedom of speech in English HE, running through the context, key issues, the 2023 Act and the role of the OfS, following the updated implementation of the Act by the present government at the start of this year and a further guidance paper this summer.
R/D partnerships. The Russell Group called for new funding and a new strategic grouping to help strengthen UK/US R/D, pointing to the importance of global academic partnerships as the research landscape develops and new opportunities emerge that could benefit both countries.
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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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MPs return to Westminster (Monday 13 October)
Education Committee witness session with Ofsted (Tuesday 14 October)
IfS Green Budget presentation (Thursday 16 October)
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Conferences and CPD opportunities
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Monday 13 October: Next steps for universities and their local economies in the UK | Westminster Forum (online event)
Thursday 16 October: Summit 2025: Rebooting Education | Schools North East (in-person event)
Thursday 16 October: EdExec LIVE 2025: South West, Glouc & Bristol | Education Executive (in-person event) |
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MONDAY 13 OCTOBER
On this day in 1976 the first electron micrograph of an Ebola viral particle was obtained by Dr FA Murphy while working at the CDC.
TUESDAY 14 OCTOBER
On this day in 1322 Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeated King Edward II of England at Byland, forcing Edward to accept Scotland's independence.
WEDNESDAY 15 OCTOBER
On this day in 1815 Napoleon Bonaparte arrived on the island of St Helena to begin his exile.
THURSDAY 16 OCTOBER
On this day in 1793 Marie Antoinette was beheaded at the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
FRIDAY 17 OCTOBER
On this day in 1943 the Burma railway, built by Allied POWs and Asian labourers, was completed for use by the Japanese army.
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