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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: DfE Report. The National Audit Office (NAO) published its Overview Report on the funding, priorities, associated bodies and work of the DfE over the last year, complete with an intense spider graph of how it spent its money.
Child poverty. The IfS examined the latest trends in child poverty and possible options should the government consider scrapping the two-child limit, concluding that absolute child poverty had risen slightly for larger families since 2016/17 and that options, such as using a lower element for three or more children, all involved delicate ‘trade-offs.’
Budget submission. The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) submitted its proposals to the Treasury ahead of the forthcoming Budget, calling among other things for the two-child limit to be scrapped, the benefits cap to be removed and childcare to be reformed.
Free breakfast clubs. The government indicated that 2,000 new schools could join the free breakfast club programme from next April as it announced sponsorship deals for the programme with a number of supermarkets and food manufacturers. SCHOOLS: SEND. The Education Secretary reported on progress around SEND, confirming in an open letter to the Education Committee that the government needed more time to test out reform proposals and would hope to report formally in a White Paper early in the new year.
SEND reform. The IPPR think tank called for ‘a new blueprint’ for SEND reform as it published a report showing a support system overwhelmed, delays in families receiving care plans and rising numbers of appeals, proposing among other things a new school-based Additional Learning Support system.
Skills white paper. The government published its Skills White Paper incorporating a number of measures of potential interest to schools including the promise of 2- weeks work experience during secondary education, ensuring that schools help 16 yr olds transition into some form of education and training, developing new V level and ‘stepping stone’ resit qualifications, and pledging more support for careers guidance generally.
Inspection views. The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) reported on how Ofsted could best hear from a wider range of people including families and pupils during inspections, suggesting among others making it easier for such views to be heard and for using surveys.
CPD picture 2025. The Teacher Development Trust published its latest report into teacher CPD calling for an audit of current spend on CPD as it suggested that some £1bn annually is spent on such professional development with much of it piecemeal and leaving some questioning its effectiveness. FE/SKILLS: Skills white paper. The government published its Post-16 Skills White Paper giving FE a key role in providing and enhancing skills training and provision with promised new qualifications, confirmed funding, trained staff and stronger relationships with employers and HE.
NEET concerns. The Resolution Foundation in partnership with the Health Foundation examined the growing numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET,) noting that many are young people with poor qualifications and are not actively looking for work, calling for ‘a national front door’ system to help such groups re-engage.
FE pay. The AoC submitted its thoughts on FE pay to the School Teacher Review Body, highlighting the gap in pay between teachers in FE and those in schools and putting forward three proposals, including a substantive pay increase, a 5-year plan and extra funding for priority areas to help close the gap.
Impact Report. The Learning and Work Institute published its Impact Report for the last year, showing progress made against its four priorities of lifelong learning, essential skills, employment and better work but equally what more needs to be done as participation in adult learning continues to struggle. HE:
Skills white paper. The government published its Post-16 Skills White Paper pledging to strengthen ‘our world-leading HE system’ through such measures as inflation linked fee and maintenance loan increases, incentivised research, tighter efficiency and regulation, more flexible provision, and improved access and participation
HEPI response. Director of HEPI Nick Hillman offered his thoughts on the Skills White Paper in a piece for the Times Higher, suggesting that the proposed fee increase may not deliver the sustained funding needed and that the paper still left many aspects of HE, such as regulation, either not included not clear.
Educated here. HEPI and Kaplan reported on where world leaders had studied as part of its latest Soft-Power Index, showing the US and UK continuing to perform strongly with 59 world leaders having studied at Oxford, Sandhurst, Cambridge and LSE among others in the UK.
NSS 2026. The OfS set out the arrangements for the 2026 National Student Survey (NSS) which will launch at the start of next year using the same set of questions as for 2025.
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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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Westminster Hall debate on holidays during term time (Monday 27 October)
Education Committee evidence session on RAAC and the school estate (Tuesday 28 October)
Westminster Hall debate on funding for the IB in state schools (Wednesday 29 October)
UCAS publish undergraduate data from the 15 October deadline for 2026 Oxbridge and medical places applications (Wednesday 29 October)
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Conferences and CPD opportunities
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Tuesday 28 October: Approaches to Careers Education: How Your Learners Control Their Future | AELP (online event)
Saturday 01 November: researchED Edinburgh | researchED (in-person event) |
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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. If we believe it's relevant to our readers we will consider publishing it.
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MONDAY 27 OCTOBER
On this day in 1982 China announced that its population had reached over one billion people.
TUESDAY 28 OCTOBER
On this day in 2015 research published by University of Copenhagen team in Cell indicated that plague can be dated back to the Bronze age in skeletons 5,783 years old.
WEDNESDAY 29 OCTOBER
On this day in 1618 English adventurer, writer and courtier Walter Raleigh was beheaded for allegedly conspiring against King James I.
THURSDAY 30 OCTOBER
On this day in 1938 a radio broadcast of H G Wells's The War of the Worlds, narrated by Orson Welles, allegedly caused mass panic with thousands in the vicinity of the 'landing sites' desperately trying to flee.
FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER
On this day in 1541 Renaissance master Michelangelo Buonarroti finished painting The Last Judgement in Vatican City's Sistine Chapel.
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