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 Prime Minister’s address. The Prime Minister included reforms to advanced level provision in his Party Conference address, pledging to transform opportunities and deliver on parity of esteem through a “new, rigorous, knowledge-rich long-term Advanced British Standard.” Chancellor’s address. The Chancellor promised to accept the Low Pay Commission’s recommendation to increase the National Living Wage from next year, as well as look at the sanctions regime for people on benefits, and freeze civil service hiring in his address to this year’s Annual Party Conference. Education Secretary’s address. The Education Secretary pointed to the success of education reforms under Conservative governments when she addressed the Party’s Annual Conference, before going on to promise new guidelines on banning mobile phones in school and consulting on minimum service levels in universities.
SCHOOLS Post-16 reforms. The government outlined major new reforms to advanced level provision including the morphing of A levels and T levels into a single qualification but promising also to look at potential changes to GCSEs including cutting down on the number of papers sat and adopting some digital assessment. Mobile phones. The Education Secretary announced at the Conservative Party Conference that the Dept would issue new guidance to support banning mobile phone use during the school day, with legislation a possibility if the guidance needed enforcing in future. School funding. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IfS) published further reflections on school funding in England, indicating that while it is increasing schools are struggling to keep up with rising costs and inflation, “leaving the purchasing power of school spending per pupil in 2024–25 still about 3% lower than in 2009–10.”
FE/SKILLS T levels week. The government heralded T Levels Week with a short video, blurb and student stories on YouTube, all hosted on the National Careers Service site but all ahead of this week’s announcements on post-16 reform. T levels. City and Guilds invited employers to become involved in T levels suggesting five ways in which they could help, including in the development of qualifications, in providing work placements, and becoming a sector ambassador. Spotlight on FE. Awarding body NCFE published the first of what’s intended to be a series of four commemorative focus reports, looking on this occasion at FE, highlighting its role in helping meet the skills challenge and pointing to three challenges it faces around workforce pay and recruitment, sector profile, and employer engagement.
HE Minimum standards. The Education Secretary announced plans at the Party Conference to hold a consultation on establishing minimum service levels in universities in areas including teaching hours and assessment, to ensure these continue to be provided for students during strike action. Hopes and Fears. The HE Policy Institute (HEPI) published essays from three leading vice-chancellors on what they were looking for from the next election with all three calling for a single overseeing dept and progress on tackling the cost of living and individually for a focus on skills and institutional diversity, sustainable investment and a Covid generation student premium, and greater funding and research. Freedom of Speech Act. Universities UK published a briefing paper to help universities prepare for the incoming Freedom of Speech Act, outlining the background and requirements of the Act and its wider context and listing what institutions and governing bodies have to do to meet the requirements of the Act.
Labour Party Conference (Sunday 08 October – Wednesday 11 October). Sir Keir Starmer’s speech (Tuesday 10 October). Colleges Week starts (Monday 9 October). World Mental Health Day (Tuesday 10 October). IfS online event launching a new report on reforming training and skills policy (Wednesday 12 October).
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MONDAY 9 OCTOBER On this day in 1855 American inventor Isaac Singer patented the sewing machine motor. On this day in 1986 stage musical "Phantom of the Opera", written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and starring Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, premiered in London. On this day in 2012 a Taliban gunman attempted to assassinate Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai.
TUESDAY 10 OCTOBER On this day in 1361 Edward the Black Prince of England married Joan Plantagenet at Windsor Castle. On this day in 1957 a fire at the Windscale nuclear plant in Cumbria became the world's first major nuclear accident. On this day in 1965 the "Vinland Map" was introduced by Yale University as being the first known map of America, drawn about 1440.
WEDNESDAY 11 OCTOBER On this day in 1939 Albert Einstein informed US President Franklin Roosevelt that the Nazis were working on developing an atomic bomb. On this day in 1968 Apollo 7 was launched to conduct an eleven day orbit of Earth and transmit the first live television broadcasts from space. On this day in 1986 Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev opened talks at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland.
THURSDAY 12 OCTOBER On this day in 1609 the children's rhyme "Three Blind Mice" was published in London in a book edited and possibly written by Thomas Ravenscroft. On this day in 1915 British nurse Edith Cavell was executed by a German firing squad in Belgium for helping British and French prisoners-of-war escape to Holland. On this day in 1999 the official Day of Six Billion was proclaimed as the day on which the world population reached six billion.
FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER On this day in 1773 French astronomer Charles Messier discovered the first spiral galaxy located approximately 30 million light-years from Earth. On this day in 1958 popular children’s literature character Paddington Bear made his debut in Michael Bond's illustrated book "A Bear Called Paddington". On this day in 1976 the first electron micrograph of an Ebola viral particle was obtained by Dr FA Murphy, while working at the CDC.
Awareness days from around the world
OCTOBER IS UK: Lupus Awareness Month, National Cholesterol Month, Go Sober For October, Pituitary Awareness Month, Unblocktober, Stoptober, Menopause Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. WORLDWIDE: National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Eye Injury Prevention Month, Anaphylaxis Awareness Week, CMT Awareness Month (Charcot-Marie-Tooth), International Babywearing Month, Black History Month, ADHD Awareness Month, The Big Draw, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, International Walk to School Month, International School Library Month, National Bullying Prevention Month, Eye Injury Prevention Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, National Pitbull Awareness Month, Mental Health Month, Mental Health Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Canadian Library Month, Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month, National Physical Therapy Month, Dysautonomia Awareness Month, Family History Month, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, National Fair Trade Month, Black Cat Awareness Month, National Pizza Month, SUDEP Action Month, Dyslexia Awareness Month, National Fire Prevention Month, Computer Learning Month, Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
THIS WEEK IS UK: National Arthritis Week, Baby Loss Awareness Week, Dyspraxia Awareness Week, National Porridge Week, National Braille Week, UK Malnutrition Awareness Week. WORLDWIDE: Fire Prevention Week, Hospice Care Week.
MONDAY 9 OCTOBER WORLDWIDE: World Post Day, International Astronomy Day, Dyspraxia Awareness Week, International Beer and Pizza Day, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Curious Events Day, National Moldy Cheese Day, Canadian Thanksgiving, Fire Prevention Day, Columbus Day, Scrubs Day.
TUESDAY 10 OCTOBER UK: World Porridge Day. WORLDWIDE: Animal Road Accident Awareness Day, World Mental Health Day, National Hug a Drummer Day, National Cake Decorating Day, National Face Your Fears Day, National Handbag Day, World Homeless Day, Ada Lovelace Day, SHIFT10 Day, Own Business Day, National Angel Food Cake Day.
WEDNESDAY 11 OCTOBER UK: National Coming Out Day, International Day of the Girl Child. WORLDWIDE: National Pet Obesity Awareness Day, National Take Your Parents To Lunch Day, International Top Spinning Day, National Fossil Day, National Emergency Nurses Day, Bring Your Teddy Bear To Work and School Day, National Sausage Pizza Day, Southern Food Heritage Day.
THURSDAY 12 OCTOBER WORLDWIDE: World Sight Day, National Farmers Day, National Pulled Pork Day, World Arthritis Day, National Gumbo Day, National Savings Day, National Freethought Day.
FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER UK: National No Bra Day. WORLDWIDE: International Skeptics Day, World Sight Day.
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