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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:
UK Poverty 2026. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation reported on the state of poverty in the UK today showing that progress has ‘flatlined’ and in some cases worsened, that families with children, the disabled, informal carers and minority ethnic groups are among the groups worst affected and that the government should focus on ensuring financial protection for people in and out of work.
Child Poverty. The Education and Work and Pensions Committees announced a new joint Inquiry into the government’s Child Poverty Strategy, seeking to establish whether it will deliver on its objectives or whether it should be more ambitious in its intent.
AI progress. The government published details of the progress made under the AI Action Plan one year on, showing among other things 200,000 people studying AI-related HE programmes, 1m AI courses delivered since last June and £6bn investment raised by UK AI firms.
Labour market. The government published the latest Labour Market Insights promised in the wake of last year’s ‘Get Britian Working’ White Paper, showing worklessness ranging from 70% to 80%, higher for older participants, coastal towns struggling and NEETs highest in the North East.
Antisemitism survey. UNESCO published the results of a new EU-wide survey showing ‘an alarming rise in antisemitism and Holocaust denial’ as it announced a range of new classroom resources to help mark Holocaust Remembrance Day. SCHOOLS:
Mobile phones. The Education Secretary issued ‘strengthened’ guidance for school leaders on mobile phone use in schools, confirming her backing for their enforcement of bans during the whole school day and Ofsted’s role in policing this.
AI tutoring tools. The government announced plans to work with teachers and tech companies on trialling from this summer ‘AI powered tutoring tools’ for students most in need of one-to-one help, with the aim that these would be available for all schools from the end of next year.
AI in schools. The Tony Blair Institute argued that many schools, let alone the country, were falling behind competitors in the development and adoption of AI learning tools, calling for a system-wide AI action plan for schools backed up by a dedicated AI unit to oversee developments.
School governance. The National Governance Association (NGA) highlighted the key role that governance plays in the school system in a new report timed to celebrate NGA’s 20th birthday, arguing that governance is about strategy and leadership as much as compliance and calling on the government to recognised its role in the national accountability framework.
Suspensions. The government set out its latest approach on pupil suspensions following a notable increase in numbers in recent years, urging schools not to send non-violent pupils home but to keep them engaged in school albeit within sanctions.
Behaviour Hubs. The government published an evaluation report into the Behaviour Hubs programme which ran for three years from April 2021 suggesting that it had ‘largely achieved its objectives,’ with 80% of participating schools finding the programme helpful, particularly in reframing priorities and establishing guidelines, and with the potential for outcomes to be maintained.
Mental Health. Future Minds, a coalition of groups campaigning for children’s mental health, outlined in a new report the challenges around young people’s mental health, proposing a new ‘roadmap for reform’ built around early intervention, harnessing digital tools and developing local support services.
SEND support. The NEU added its voice to the Save Our Children’s Rights (SOCR) campaign calling for the legal rights of children and families with SEND to be protected and for EHCPs to be retained, ahead of the forthcoming publication of the Schools White Paper
Latest research projects. The Education Endowment Foundation announced six new research projects in schools in England covering such matters as protected offsite PPA time for primary teachers, whole-school mental health programmes and activity programmes for Yr 9s.
Curriculum thoughts. The NIESR underlined some of the important recommendations from last year’s Curriculum and Assessment Review, including the importance of oracy education, the need for a better-balanced curriculum and the case for more flexible assessment, ahead of its webinar this week on Citizenship Education. FE/SKILLS:
AI skills. The government announced the creation of a new AI and Future of Work Unit along with expanded plans to provide ‘free, newly benchmarked courses’ to ensure a further 10m adult UK workers have the AI skills needed for work.
Technical education. The Centre for Social Justice followed up its recent report on developing technical education by hosting a high-profile panel event on the findings from the report and in particular the importance of strengthening the vocational route for young people.
Apprenticeships. The NFER looked into withdrawals from apprenticeships as part of a new Gatsby funded study, finding disadvantaged learners at greater risk generally of dropping out, calling as a result for better targeted support.
L7 Apprenticeships. The Transport Committee called on the government to bring back funding for L7 apprenticeships for people aged 22 and over, as it published the results of its Inquiry into manufacturing skills, pointing to skills shortages in the transport manufacturing sector. HE:
Applications latest. UCAS reported on how the 2026 application cycle was shaping up as of the January Equal Consideration Date, showing an increase in applications from UK18 yr olds, notably for high tariff institutions, and in international students, notably from China, with more UK 18 yr olds signalling they may live at home.
Fee loans. The House of Commons Library Service outlined the various student loan repayment schemes and the differing rates of interest involved in each in a new briefing, as media headlines continued to raise concerns about the so-called Plan 2 repayment scheme.
Not just about the money. The Office for Students (OfS) reported on its commissioned survey into how students were viewing the current financial restraints affecting the sector and what effects if any these were having, with just over half of the respondents reporting noticing cost-cutting measures in their institution but with higher numbers (83%) reporting a gap between what had been offered and the reality.
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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 ‘Educational outcomes for disadvantaged boys and young men’ (Tuesday 3 February)
Education Committee witness session on ‘Reading for Pleasure’ (Tuesday 3 February)
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Conferences and CPD opportunities
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Wednesday 04 February: Ambitious About Inclusion - Newcastle | Mission 44 (in-person event)
Wednesday 04 - Thursday 05 February: Exams Conference 2026 | AoC (online event)
Thursday 05 February: The Purpose Pursuit: Unlock Your Leadership Potential | EducationScape (in-person event)
Thursday 05 February: Sport Curriculum Conference 2026 | AoC (in-person event)
Friday 06 February: Make Time for What Matters | NAHT (online 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 02 FEBRUARY
On this day in 1852 the first public flushing toilets opened at 95 Fleet Street, London.
TUESDAY 03 FEBRUARY
On this day in 1959 rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and JP Richardson, were killed in a plane crash along with the pilot near Iowa, USA.
WEDNESDAY 04 FEBRUARY
On this day in 2004 Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook from his Harvard University dormitory room.
THURSDAY 05 FEBRUARY
On this day in 1924 the Royal Greenwich Observatory began broadcasting the hourly time signals known as the Greenwich Time Signal or the 'BBC pips'.
FRIDAY 06 FEBRUARY
On this day in 1819 British East Indian administrator Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore as a British trading port.
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