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 below ...
GENERAL Expert taskforce. The government announced the appointment of Ian Hogarth as chair of the Foundation Model Taskforce, which will head up the government’s drive towards the development of safe AI, using research and market opportunities to position the UK as a global leader in this field. Cost-of-living. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation called for an Essentials Guarantee for families as it published its latest cost-of-living tracker showing nine in ten low-income households going without essentials. Good Work in the North. The HR professional body CIPD published its latest Good Work Index focusing on this occasion at work and workers in the North of England and finding that job satisfaction and relations at work remain good but that many are worried about the cost-of-living and public sector workers in particular about pay and work pressures.
SCHOOLS Strike action. ASCL launched its first ever ballot for strike action, with eligible members in England having until the end of July to vote and any possible strike action due to be announced in the autumn term. Safeguarding. The government launched consultation on revised information-sharing advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services following recent concerns about the need to share information more widely, with proposals to provide clearer usage for the ‘Seven Golden Rules’ used in such instances. National Tutoring. The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) reported on its survey of school leaders about the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) indicating that many saw it as helpful in supporting disadvantaged learners but that too often this came at “at too high a cost in terms of finances and administration” and that other types of support could be more useful.
FE/SKILLS Minister’s address. Rob Halfon, the Skills Minister, addressed the Sixth Form Colleges Association where he focused in particular on the issues of funding, and government investment in 16-19 provision, and on BTECs, suggesting these could be reconfigured within the reformed L3 framework. Construction worker shortages. The CITB reported that 55% of employers had faced shortages of skilled workers over the past couple of years with a fall in migrant workers a key factor, calling for employers, industry groups and government to work together on its Industry Skills Plan to help alleviate future shortages. Fixing Ofsted. The sixth form colleges association hosted a blog from a teacher setting out a number of proposals for reforming Ofsted inspections including taking safeguarding out and making it subject to a separate checking experience, conducting a data sweep ahead of an inspection to identify key areas, and having a separate body for appeals.
HE Student Experience. The HE Policy Institute (HEPI) and Advance HE published the results from their 2023 Student Academic Experience Survey finding many students happy with their course and acknowledging value for money but ‘a major increase’ in the number of students in paid employment as concerns emerge about the impact of the cost-of-living. Future funding. The Office for Students (OfS) confirmed £1.4m in non-capital funding allocations for 2023/4, an increase of £56m on the previous year to include provision for more degree apprenticeships, higher tech qualifications and high-cost clinical subjects. Embracing the LLE. Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK called on the sector ‘to embrace the Lifelong Loan Entitlement’ (LLE) setting out five areas for further work including opening up opportunity and ensuring sustainable funding, as the Bill enacting the entitlement reached the Lords Committee Stage.
AELP National Conference (Monday 26 June – Tuesday 27 June). Education Committee witness session with Nick Gibb MP on persistent school absences (Tuesday 27 June).
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MONDAY 26 JUNE On this day in 1284 a piper lead 130 children away from the city of Hamelin according to the Lüneburg manuscript. On this day in 1857 the first 62 recipients were awarded the Victoria Cross for valour in the Crimean war by Queen Victoria. On this day in 2016 the Panama Canal's third set of locks opened for commercial traffic, doubling capacity at an estimated cost of $5.25 billion.
TUESDAY 27 JUNE On this day in 1880 Helen Keller, the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, was born in Alabama, USA. On this day in 1954 the world's first nuclear power plant opened near Moscow in Russia. On this day in 1967 the world's first ATM was installed in Enfield, London.
WEDNESDAY 28 JUNE On this day in 1846 the saxophone was patented by Antoine-Joseph 'Adolfe' Sax. On this day in 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated. On this day in 1919 the Treaty of Versailles, ending World War I and establishing the League of Nations, was signed in France.
THURSDAY 29 JUNE On this day in 1613 Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London burned down during a performance of Henry VIII. On this day in 1995 the American space shuttle Atlantis docked with the Russian space station Mir. On this day in 2007 Apple released the first iPhone.
FRIDAY 30 JUNE On this day in 1905 Albert Einstein submitted a paper outlining his theory of Special Relativity. On this day in 1936 Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind was published. On this day in 1937 the world's first emergency call telephone service was launched in London using the number 999.
Awareness days from around the world
JUNE IS UK: SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity) Awareness Month, National Age Without Apology Month, National Candy Month, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month. WORLDWIDE: National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, National PTSD Awareness Month, National Homeownership Month, National Give A Bunch Of Balloons Month, National Pollinators Month, National DJ Month, National Safety Month, African-American Music Appreciation Month, National Soul Food Month, National Papaya Month, National Iced Tea Month, National Great Outdoors Month, National Dairy Month, National Country Cooking Month, National Camping Month, National Fresh Fruit And Vegetables Month, National Adopt A Cat Month, National Accordion Awareness Month, Turkey Lovers Month, National Rose Month, LGBTQIA Pride Month, Fight The Filthy Fly Month, Aquarium Month, Care For Your Grandparents Month, Guitars On The Beach, Audiobook Month, International Mud Month.
THIS WEEK IS UK: Injury Awareness Week, Deafblind Awareness Week, Rabbit Awareness Week. WORLDWIDE: World WellBeing Week.
MONDAY 26 JUNE WORLDWIDE: International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, National Barcode Day, National Coconut Day, National Chocolate Pudding Day, National Beautician’s Day, World Refrigeration Day, National Canoe Day, Please Take My Children to Work Day.
TUESDAY 27 JUNE UK: National Bingo Day. WORLDWIDE: National HIV Testing Day, National PTSD Awareness Day, Helen Keller Day, International Sunglasses Day, International Pineapple Day, Micro, Small And Medium Enterprises Day, National Sunglasses Day, National Onion Day, National Ice Cream Cake Day, National Orange Blossom Day, World Arak Day, Industrial Workers Of The World Day.
WEDNESDAY 28 JUNE WORLDWIDE: International Body Piercing Day, International Caps Lock Day, National Logistics Day, National Alaska Day, National Parchment Day, National Insurance Awareness Day,National Paul Bunyan Day, National Ceviche Day, Happy Heart Hugs Day.
THURSDAY 29 JUNE WORLDWIDE: International Day Of The Tropics, National Handshake Day, National Almond Buttercrunch Day, National Waffle Iron Day, National Bomb Pop Day, National Camera Day, World Industrial Design Day, International Mud Day, Hug Holiday.
FRIDAY 30 JUNE WORLDWIDE: International Day Of Parliamentarism, International Asteroid Day, International Cream Tea Day, National OOTD Day, Social Media Day, National Meteor Watch Day, National Corvette Day.
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