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 Shadow Chancellor’s address. Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves addressed the Labour Party Annual Conference where she committed a future Labour government to “iron-clad fiscal rules” but also promised a new charter for budget responsibility, to charge VAT and business rates on private schools, create a National Wealth Fund, provide a ‘genuine’ living wage and develop plans to get Britain building. Jobs. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG published their latest report on the jobs market showing firms continuing to look for short-term rather than permanent appointments as economic uncertainty remained. Children’s services. The Local Government Association (LGA) published a commissioned report into the current state of children’s services arguing that while the operating context had become more complex since Covid and the cost-of-living crisis, many services have responded well and become more adept at listening and responding to needs.
SCHOOLS Test results. The government published the results from this year’s KS1 assessments and phonics screening check, showing increases on last year in the numbers of pupils meeting the expected standards in each of the KS1 assessments as well as in the phonics screening check. School funding. Teaching unions called on the government to restore the funding rate following last week’s revelation of a forecasting error that could see schools lose out, and to commit to continued investment in education in line with the PM’s Conference promise. Teacher recruitment. The government announced a series of measures to help tackle the issue of teacher recruitment and retention with a range of scholarships, bursaries and grants for both trainee and early career teachers in priority subjects, along with a push on reducing workloads and an overall strategy update promised for later in the year.
FE/SKILLS Skills training. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IfS) published the chapter on skills training from its forthcoming Green Budget report, pointing to a drop in recent years in both investment and participation in training, and putting forward a number of options for government(s) to consider, including beefing up investment, looking at tax relief for self-funded training, broadening the apprenticeship levy, and clarifying the role of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. Manufacturing growth. Make UK and RSM set out their thoughts for the Chancellor ahead of next month’s Autumn Statement, calling in particular for reform of the UK’s regime of tax and regulation, investment in infrastructure and skills, and transformation of the apprenticeship levy. VTQ results 2024. Ofqual confirmed arrangements for the delivery of vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) results next year, building on the procedures adopted this year but with the term-time checkpoint to be taken before exams begin in May and for similar arrangements being extended to L1 and L2 results used for progression, but with the continuation of the early release of results to schools and colleges to allow for any problems to be resolved early.
HE Freedom of speech. Arif Ahmed set out his background, beliefs and the approach that he will take as the Director of Freedom of Speech at the Office for Students (OfS) in his first major speech in the role, pledging to “protect the lawful speech rights of speakers at universities - students, staff, visiting speakers – independently of the viewpoint that they are expressing”. Who pays? The consultancy Public First published a major new survey report on public attitudes to tuition fees finding that while people don’t support tuition fees, there’s no consensus on alternatives, and for many people other priorities were more important. The view from here. PA Consulting reported a sector in transition as it published its latest annual survey report into on how UK university vice-chancellors saw the state of play in UKHE at present, showing a sector adopting a wide range of reforms from AI to degree apprenticeships, coping with systemic issues notably around funding and market uncertainty, but all the while continuing to deliver research and student numbers.
IfS Green Budget (Tuesday 17 October). Education Committee session on Ofsted’s work in schools (Tuesday 17 October). HEPI/UPP/Student Minds webinar and report on ‘Climate Change and Student Mental Health’ (Wednesday 18 October). Wonkhe/Kortext event on ‘How universities are deploying technology to achieve their ambitions for student success’ (Wednesday 18 October). Edge event on ’14-19 Diplomas – A Missed Opportunity?' (Thursday 19 October).
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MONDAY 16 OCTOBER On this day in 1384 Jadwiga was crowned King of Poland, despite being a woman. On this day in 1793 Marie Antoinette was beheaded at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. On this day in 1923 Walt Disney and his brother Roy founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in Hollywood, California.
TUESDAY 17 OCTOBER On this day in 1814 eight people died in the London Beer Flood when vats of beer burst and flooded city streets. On this day in 1907 Guglielmo Marconi's company began the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Canada and Ireland. On this day in 1943 the Burma railway, built by Allied POWs and Asian laborers, was completed for use by the Japanese army.
WEDNESDAY 18 OCTOBER On this day in 1851 American novelist Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" was first published. On this day in 1867 the US took formal possession of Alaska from Russia having paid $7.2 million for the large and sparsely populated territory. On this day in 2007 the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, ended her self-imposed exile after eight years living abroad.
THURSDAY 19 OCTOBER On this day in 1722 French C Hopffer patented the automatic fire extinguisher in England. On this day in 1943 the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis, Streptomycin, was isolated by researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey. On this day in 2015 US scientists found evidence that life on earth may have begun 4.1 billion years ago, 300 million earlier than previously thought.
FRIDAY 20 OCTOBER On this day in 1097 Crusader knights arrived in Antioch during the First Crusade in the Holy Land. On this day in 1973 Queen Elizabeth II dedicated the Sydney Opera House. On this day in 2020 the US Justice Department sued Google for illegal monopoly over search and search advertising.
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 Baking Week, Recycle Week 2023, National Adoption Week, Chocolate Week. WORLDWIDE: National Chemistry Week, National School Bus Safety Week.
MONDAY 16 OCTOBER WORLDWIDE: National Boss’s Day, World Food Day, Restart A Heart Day, Global Cat Day, Department Store Day, National Feral Cat Day, Steve Jobs Day, National Dictionary Day, National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day, National Liqueur Day, World Spine Day.
TUESDAY 17 OCTOBER UK: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. WORLDWIDE: National Mulligan Day, National Pasta Day, Forgive an Ex Day, Wear Something Gaudy Day, Spreadsheet Day, National Playing Card Collection Day, Black Poetry Day.
WEDNESDAY 18 OCTOBER UK: Anti Slavery Day, Epilepsy Action Virtual Tea and Cake Break. WORLDWIDE: SUDEP Action Day, National Missouri Day, Global Dignity Day, National Prayer Day, Global Ethics Day, National Chocolate Cupcake Day, Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day, Hagfish Day, National No Beard Day, World Menopause Day.
THURSDAY 19 OCTOBER WORLDWIDE: National New Friends Day, Conflict Resolution Day, International Gin and Tonic Day, National Get Smart About Credit Day, Evaluate Your Life Day, National Seafood Bisque Day.
FRIDAY 20 OCTOBER UK: Wear it Pink. WORLDWIDE: Community Media Day, International Chefs Day, Office Chocolate Day, National Brandied Fruit Day, Information Overload Day, Suspender’s Day.
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