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, not-to-be-missed statistics and what to look out for next week.

As your starter for ten we've chosen three items from each phase to include below ...

GENERAL
 
Cost of living. The Resolution Foundation published a stark report on the cost-of-living crisis currently facing the country, pointing to a likely sharp fall in household incomes, an increase in both child and absolute poverty, and little hope of improvement for some months to come.
Family lives. The Children’s Commissioner for England published the first part of a review, commissioned by government, into family life and its current issues and perspectives, highlighting the complexities but also the importance of family life and the need to improve services and support in many cases.
Paternity Leave. The HR professional body, CIPD, reported on its survey among employers into statutory paternity/partner leave, finding few new parents taking up options to share parental leave, calling as a result for extending paternity leave to help balance caring responsibilities. 

SCHOOLS

School attendance. The government launched a new drive on school attendance ahead of the new term with a new mentoring pilot, attendance dashboard and sharing of support mechanisms.
Careers guidance. The government published updated draft statutory guidance for schools on responsibilities and duties for careers guidance, covering such areas as ensuring Yr 8-13 students hear about technical and apprenticeship options as part of the ‘Baker Clause’ commitment and applying the ‘Gatsby benchmarks’ to determine quality careers provision.
Early years gap. New research from Exeter University and UCL suggested that many of the pupils who fail to achieve standard GCSE passes in English and maths were already falling behind by age five and were often associated with disadvantaged backgrounds.

FE/SKILLS
 
Devolution Deal. The government published details of a proposed devolution deal for the East Midlands which would see £38m pa available over 30 years to support locally determined priorities including transport, homes and local skills improvement plan led adult education and skills.
Supporting skills. The government outlined how it was aiming to support local skills development through the rollout this year of local skill improvement plans (LSIPs) and funding through the strategic development fund (SDF.)
Multiverse degrees. Multiverse, the tech start-up founded by Euan Blair that works with apprenticeships, announced it had been granted Degree Awarding Powers with an initial group of 170 apprentices due to be enrolled this autumn and applications for all 16-24 yr olds, especially the disadvantaged, opening later this year.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Grade inflation. The Times Higher reported that the Office for Students (OfS) was looking into ‘sharp increases’ in top degrees at three unnamed HE providers.
Spiking. Universities UK published a ‘practice note,’ drawn up with support of a DfE Working Group and released ahead of the start of a new academic year, on the issue of spiking and how best universities can manage, support and work with others in dealing with such incidents.
Horizon Europe. The government announced an extension to the Horizon Europe guarantee scheme to cover calls that close up to the end of the year as discussions continue about agreeing future arrangements.

Supporting those facing complex barriers to employment | Learning & Work Institute
Key Stage 4 attainment in 2022: The headlines | FFT Education Datalab
School exclusions: What does research tell us about the scale of the problem and challenges? | BERA
Research evaluation - past, present and future | HEPI
Language learning in England: Why curriculum reform will not reverse the decline or narrow the gaps | EPI
Why is it that we can predict every year which types of students will have been excluded from school? | BERA
Independent schools might not have gamed the system but the grades they awarded in 2020 and 2021 were still unfair | FFT Education Datalab

Parliament returns. (Monday 5 Sept).
Conservative leadership election result. (Monday 5 Sept).
Release of provisional Key Stage 2 results. (Tues 6 Sept).
Education Committee evidence session on careers education. (Tues 6 Sept).
Institute for Government briefing on ‘What’s at the top of the new PM’s in-tray?’ (Tues 6 Sept).
Adjournment debate in the Commons on Free School Meals. (Thurs 8 Sept).

Tuesday 6 September: Professional Development for Early Years Staff | Teacher Development Trust (online event).
Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 September: BERA Conference 2022 | BERA (in-person event at University of Liverpool).

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.

MONDAY 05 SEPTEMBER
On this day in 1666 the Great Fire of London was extinguished.
On this day in 1774 America’s first Continental Congress was convened in Philadelphia.
On this day in 1997 Mother Teresa of Calcutta died, aged 87.
 
TUESDAY 06 SEPTEMBER
On this day in 1879 the first public telephone exchange in Britain opened.
On this day in 1948 test pilot John Douglas Derry became the first Briton to break the sound barrier.
On this day in 1997 after a public funeral in London, Diana, Princess of Wales, was buried in the grounds of Althorp, Northamptonshire.
 
WEDNESDAY 07 SEPTEMBER
On this day in 1191 King Richard I defeated Saladin at Arsuf.
On this day in 1940 the Blitz began as the Luftwaffe bombed London for the first of 57 consecutive nights.
On this day in 1789 US Congress established the Department of Foreign Affairs, now referred to as the State Department.
 
THURSDAY 08 SEPTEMBER
On this day in 1588 the English fleet used fire ships to scatter the Spanish Armada.
On this day in 1660 the city of Boston, Massachusetts was founded.
On this day in 1868 the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, granting citizenship to former slaves.
 
FRIDAY 09 SEPTEMBER
On this day in 1766 the United Colonies were renamed the United States of America.
On this day in 1976 China’s leader Mao Zedong died, aged 82.
On this day in 2015 Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch.
 
SATURDAY 10 SEPTEMBER
On this day in 1547 Edward VI was ordered to marry Mary Queen of Scots.
66 the United Colonies were renamed the United States of America.
On this day in 1919 China became a member of the League of Nations.
On this day in 1967 the people of Gibraltar voted in favour of remaining under British rule.
 
SUNDAY 11 SEPTEMBER
On this day in 1297 in the Battle at Stirling Bridge, Scottish rebel William Wallace defeated the English.
On this day in 1881 the first regular commuter train service began between London and Brighton.
On this day in 1997 Scots voted in favour of a plan to give them their own assembly.

SEPTEMBER IS:
 
UK:
Urology Awareness Month, Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Organic September, Festival of Learning Have a Go Month, Vascular Disease Awareness Month.
 
INTERNATIONAL:
Read A New Book Month, Oddfellows Friendship Month, Piano Month, Sourdough September, Sepsis Awareness Month, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, World Alzheimer’s Month, Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month.
 
US:
Suicide Prevention Month, Piano Month, Honey Month, Chicken Month, Mushroom Month, Chiari Awareness Month, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Sewing Month, Happy Cat Month, Preparedness Month, Library Card Sign-up Month, Shake Month, Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, Hunger Action Month.

THIS WEEK IS:
Migraine Awareness Week (UK), National Payroll Week (UK), Know Your Numbers Week (Blood Pressure UK), Conservation Week (International), Housekeepers Week (US), Assisted Living Week (US), Nephrology Nurses Week (US).

MONDAY 05 SEPTEMBER
Wine and Cheese Day (UK), Day of Charity (International), World Samosa Day (International), Teachers’ Day (India), Labor Day (US), Lazy Mom’s Day, Carousel Day (US), Hot Fudge Sundae Day (US), Thread the Needle Day (US), Day (US), Culinarian’s Day (US), Christmas in July (US), Cheese Pizza Day (US), Shrink Day (US).

TUESDAY 06 SEPTEMBER
Read a Book Day (International), Day of Charity (International), World Samosa Day (International), Cheese Pizza Day (US), Mouthguard Day (US), Be Late for Something Day (US), Another Look Unlimited Day (US), Bonaire Flag Day (US), Coffee Ice Cream Day (US), Great Egg Toss Day (US), Telephone Tuesday (US).
 
WEDNESDAY 07 SEPTEMBER
Buy a Book Day (International), Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (International), World Duchenne Awareness Day (International), Fluidra Pool Party Day (International), Global Talent Acquisition Day (International), Google Commemoration Day (US), Grandma Moses Day (US), Indigenous Literacy Day (US), Acorn Squash Day (US), Beer Lovers Day (US), Feel the Love Day (US), First Day of Peel Season (US), Grateful Patient Day (US), Neither Snow Nor Rain Day (US), New Hampshire Day (US), Regina Day (US), Salami Day (US), Tatiana Day (US), Superhuman Day (US) Brazil Independence Day (International).
 
THURSDAY 08 SEPTEMBER
Literacy Day (International), World Physical Therapy Day (International), Ampersand Day (International), David Day (US), Dog Walker Appreciation Day (US), Iguana Awareness Day (US), Paediatric Haematology/Oncology Nurses Day (US), School Pictures Day (US), Native Women’s Equal Pay Day (US), Pardon Day (US), Star Trek Day (US)Actors’ Day (US), Are You Okay Day (US).
 
FRIDAY 09 SEPTEMBER
Emergency Services Day (UK), Sudoko Day (International), Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day, Technical Analyst Day (International), Box Wine Day (International), Day to Protect Education from Attack (International), Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day (International), California Admission Day (US), Care Bears Share Your Care Day (US), When Pigs Fly Day (US), Wiener Schnitzel Day (US), Stand up to Cancer Day (US), Steak Au Poivre Day (US), Teddy Bear Day (US), Wonderful Weirdos Day (US), Toronto International Film Festival, Tajikistan Independence Day.

SATURDAY 10 SEPTEMBER
Pitru Paksha (Hindu Holiday when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors – 10 September to 25 September), Heritage Open Days (UK), Hot Dog Day (UK), World Suicide Prevention Day (International), Teachers’ Day (China), Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day (US), Drive Your Studebaker Day (US), Farmers’ Consumer Awareness Day (US), Harvest Moon Festival (US), Mid-Autumn Festival (US), Anti-Junk Light Day (US), TV Dinner Day (US), Swap Ideas Day (US), Top UP Day (US), White Balloon Day (US), German Language Day (US), Gibraltar National Day.
 
SUNDAY 11 SEPTEMBER
Coptic New Year (Feast Day that commemorates martyrs and confessors in the Coptic Orthodox Christian Church), Ironman Wales (UK), Day of the Homeland (Germany), Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance (US), Libraries Remember Day (US), Emergency Number Day (US), Grandparents Day (US), Hug Your Hound Day (US), Libraries Remember Day (US), Hot Cross Buns Day (US), Make Your Bed Day (US), Pet Memorial Day (US), No News is Good News Day (US).