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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:
Budget 2025 speech. The Chancellor sets out her Budget details, running through a series of spending and tax raising measures while sticking to her fiscal rules in her formal speech to MPs.
Budget 2025 Report. The Treasury published the full Budget Report to accompany the Chancellor’s Statement to MPs, providing details on the public finances and government economic plans along with specific measures on the government’s three priorities of cutting the cost of living, cutting the debt and borrowing and cutting NHS waiting lists.
IfS response to the Budget. The IfS offered its traditional respected day-after assessment of the Budget, suggesting that while there were some ‘bright spots’ such as the increase in headroom, the whole thing left them rather ‘underwhelmed’ and did little to tackle growth.
Corporate Plan. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published its latest Corporate Plan highlighting its importance to government’s economic plans and listing five core objectives for the future, including supporting government priorities, promoting curiosity-driven research and ‘sustaining an R/D ecosystem.’
Early years challenges. The Local Government Association (LGA) reported on its research into the early years system conducted earlier this year, pointing to both a rise in need and in the complexity of need now evident in early years, calling for targeted investment, better collaborative support and clarity around expectations.
Call for evidence. The Centre for Young Lives announced a new research project looking into the effects on boys and young men of ‘looksmaxxing,’ the internet subculture focused on physical attractiveness, calling for evidence by 9 Jan 2026.
SCHOOLS:
Budget measures. The Chancellor promised funds to help with libraries and playgrounds as she set out her 2025 Budget details but left schools worried about the future funding of SEND provision once LA funding rules change in 2028/29.
Reading Inquiry. The Education Committee pointed to concerns about a decline in children reading for pleasure, along with worries about the impact of screen time, as it announced a new Inquiry into reading and its relationship with children’s social and educational development.
A teacher’s lot. The government published its latest commissioned research into the working lives of teachers, covering some 10,000 teachers and leaders earlier this year and showing among other things an average working week of 50.1 hours, slightly down on last year, growing numbers able to work flexibly, and slightly higher numbers satisfied with their lot.
Work experience. The Careers and Enterprise Co reported on its recent survey on work experience indicating that just over 50% of businesses surveyed offer it but that more would if shorter, more flexible placements were used.
Teen screens. The Youth Endowment Fund highlighted concerns about the extent of provocative and violent content available on the phones of many young people in a new survey report, calling for not just more protection for children but also a greater focus on developing the skills young people need to be able to question and challenge such ‘shocking’ content.
Testing, testing. The NEU reported considerable concerns about the government’s latest plans around statutory assessment with most members in a recent survey suggesting the plans will narrow the curriculum and worsen pupil engagement.
Access arrangements. Ofqual reported initial figures on access arrangements for GCSE/AS/A level exams for 2024/25, showing that between 18% and 27.7% of students, slightly up on the previous year, had at least one arrangement approved, in most cases for extra time.
FE/SKILLS:
Budget 2025. The Chancellor included funding for the Youth Guarantee and Growth and Skills Levy, along with apprenticeship reforms and support for the Industrial Strategy, among the details for FE as she laid out her latest Budget details.
Who does what? The government published a briefing confirming the responsibility of functions following the closure of the IfATE, explaining which functions had gone to Skills England and which to the Dept and what work has flowed from this new set up.
Skills Paper analysis. The IfS assessed the government’s recent Skills White Paper acknowledging the increases in funding for 16-19 provision and HE but arguing that the Paper lacked an overall strategic vision with aspects such as the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and Growth and Skills Levy yet to be proven.
Future skills. The NFER published the final paper in its major Nuffield funded ‘Skills Imperative 2035’ project, setting out six essential skills for the future and concluding that while the number of professional jobs are likely to grow, some 3m routine jobs may be at risk.
Skills classification. Skills England reported on Phase Two of its work with others in developing a coherent national skills classification for the UK, pointing to a new ‘four-level hierarchy’ taking in over 3000 occupational skills, enabling detailed mapping between skills, occupations and qualifications.
Maths resits. Pearson and the Harrow, Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges Group announced a new year-long trial of a different assessment approach to help with GCSE maths resits by adopting a unit mastery approach.
HE:
Budget 2025. The Chancellor announced a 3-yr freeze of the threshold for Plan 2 student loans but equally confirmed it was going ahead with introducing an international student levy on HE providers from 2028/29, among the details for HE in her Budget.
International student levy. The government released a technical consultation on the implementation of an international student levy covering how the levy will be calculated, which providers and students would likely be included and how the levy would be paid.
Maintenance grants. The government set out the initial arrangements for maintenance grants which will be made available for eligible students from 2028/29, up to a value of £1000 pa, with details on which subjects qualify promised for nearer the time.
Funding and underfunding. Universities UK highlighted the extent of the drop in real terms funding that HE providers have faced over the last ten years and the corrosive effect this has had on the sector as it sought to remind the Chancellor ahead of the Budget of the challenges the sector faces.
Graduate destinations. Prospects Luminate published its latest annual report on graduate employment destinations 15 months on from graduation, finding just over 50% in f/t work, mainly professional, 6%+ self-employed and 6%+ unemployed.
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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 Education Questions (Monday 1 December)
Education Committee evidence session with the Education Secretary (Tuesday 2 December)
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Conferences and CPD opportunities
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Monday 01 December: Next steps for literacy and numeracy in England’s schools | Westminster Forum (online event)
Tuesday 02 December: AoC SEND Conference & Exhibition 2025 | AoC (in-person event)
Tuesday 02 - Wednesday 03 December: Connect More 2025 | Jisc (online event)
Wednesday 03 December: Winter Data and Funding Conference | EducationScape (in-person event)
Wednesday 03 December: National Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET) Conference 2025 | Government Events (online event)
Thursday 04 December: The future for the PE curriculum and sports provision for children and young people in England | Westminster Forum (online event)
Thursday 04 December: University Reputation Summit 2025 | UUK (in-person event) |
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MONDAY 01 DECEMBER
On this day in 1988 Benazir Bhutto was named Prime Minister of Pakistan, the first female leader of a Muslim country.
TUESDAY 02 DECEMBER
On this day in 1804 General Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of the French at Notre Dame in a ceremony officiated by Pope Pius VII.
WEDNESDAY 03 DECEMBER
On this day in 2017 the first pizza party in space was held by astronauts on the International Space Station.
THURSDAY 04 DECEMBER
On this day in 1123 Persian mathematician, philosopher, astronomer and poet, Omar Khayyam died at the age of eighty-three.
FRIDAY 05 DECEMBER
On this day in 1945 five US Navy torpedo-bombers comprising Flight 19 were lost east of Florida in the supposed Bermuda Triangle.
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