Weekly Round Up - 22/09/2024

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LOOKING BACK AT THE WEEK THAT WAS

Three of the week's headlines ...

Scotland: School exams to play a smaller role in overall grades

Teachers in England offered lie-ins to make job more appealing

Tuition fees must go up, unis say as term begins

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Three pieces of policy news - by phase

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:
Cyber security. The government published its latest report into the cyber security industry showing a mixed picture in terms of demand for cyber security professionals with just under a half of businesses facing skills gaps in basic technical areas but with an increase in the number of graduates with such skills.
Health and prosperity. The IPPR think tank published the final report from its Commission into Health and Prosperity, which over the past three years has been examining how to improve the nation’s health and thereby its prosperity and which in step with the recent Darzi report, set out a major blueprint for the future from better childhood health through to a healthy life expectancy.
Employment support. The Institute for Employment Studies (IES) published the final report from its Commission which has spent the last two years with arbn Financial Fairness Trust looking into models of employment support, coming up with a lengthy list of recommendations including an Employment Support Guarantee, an upgraded Jobs and Careers Service, and a core role for central government.

SCHOOLS:
Flexi working. The Daily Telegraph reported that the education secretary was preparing to bring out new flexi working guidance for teachers in schools, such as making it possible to undertake lesson plans and marking in agreed time at home, in an effort to encourage more women into the profession as well as support teacher retention.
Future teachers. Teach First in collaboration with the consultancy Public First looked into how to attract future teachers particularly those from Gen Z into the profession, calling for a more ‘positive’ recruitment narrative, one that incorporated benefits such as flexible working, reduced workloads and with the offer of training and early career benefits.
VAT and military families. Leaders of independent and boarding schools called on the government to ensure that any increase in private school fees arising through VAT was covered through the MoD ‘Allowance’ and not passed on to families.

FE/SKILLS:
WorldSkills 2024. WorldSkills UK reported on the successes of the UK team which last week came away from the latest WorldSkills competition in Lyons with two silver and two bronze medals plus 14 medallions of excellence.
FE pay. The NFER reported that that FE teachers earn nearly a quarter less than teachers in schools, let alone compatriots in industry as well as having to deal with high workloads and some challenging demands, calling in a new report commissioned by the Gatsby Foundation for the government to commit to closing the pay gap.
Apprenticeship reform. Edge looked at options for transforming the apprenticeship levy into a more flexible model and how far it was possible to reach what they called ‘a flexible compromise’ which could offer the changes needed while not compromising opportunities for young people.

HE:
University admissions 2024. UCAS reported on the picture on admission one month on from Results Day showing a slight (0.9%) increase in the overall number of acceptances for f/t undergraduate courses, with the numbers of UK 18 yr olds accepted up, the numbers of international students down and a large number using Clearing to ‘trade’ on their original offer.
Top class honours. The Office for Students (OfS) reported that the number of first class honours awarded last year fell for the second year running and were now back to pre-pandemic levels but that a large proportion still remained difficult to explain in the face of statistical modelling.
PQA and more. The Times Higher reported on its conversation with Jo Saxton about the continuing saga of university admissions and in particular post-qualification admissions (PQA) with the UCAS chief putting forward an alternative ‘direct to clearing’ PQA model.

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Latest research, reports and studies

Life Lessons 2024 | Sutton Trust
The role of sleep in learning and forgetting | Teacher Toolkit
Policy analysis of student loan reimbursements for improving teacher retention | NFER
Laurus Trust – Student outcomes and Progress | EPI
Measuring what matters' – why and why now? | Advance HE
Why do “home birds” decide to become teachers? | FFT Education Datalab
Building a stronger FE college workforce: How improving pay and working conditions can help support FE college teacher supply | NFER
A closer look at pupils who did not achieve the basics at GCSE | FFT Education Datalab
How to Advance the Teaching and Assessment of Social and Emotional Skills | OECD
Tomorrow’s teachers: A roadmap to get Gen Z into the classroom | Public First
How attainment gaps in literacy change over time | FFT Education Datalab
Breaking the cycle: Essential pillars for an effective child poverty strategy | IPPR
Targeted interventions add five months’ progress for students with SEND | UCL
The measurement of socio-economic status in PISA | OECD

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COMING UP IN THE NEXT WEEK

Parliament and elsewhere

Labour Party Conference (Sunday 22 – Wednesday 25 September).

Events and CPD opportunities

Friday 27 September: Next steps for climate change and sustainability education in England | Westminster Forum Projects (online event)

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Three interesting daily facts

MONDAY 23 SEPTEMBER
On this day in 1122 the Concordat of Worms was agreed between Pope Calixtus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V.
On this day in 1846 German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle discovered the planet Neptune at the Berlin Observatory.
On this day in 1938 a time capsule containing a woman's hat, a man's pipe and a length of microfilm, was buried at World's Fair in New York City to be opened in 6939.

TUESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER
On this day in 1493 Christopher Columbus embarked on his second expedition to the New World, setting sail with a fleet of 17 ships.
On this day in 1896 American author, F Scott Fitzgerald, known primarily for his novel The Great Gatsby, was born in Minnesota.
On this day in 1994 the National League for Democracy was formed by Aung San Suu Kyi and various others to help fight against dictatorship in Myanmar.

WEDNESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER
On this day in 1237 the Treaty of York was signed between King Henry III of England and King Alexander II of Scotland.
On this day in 1992 NASA launched the Mars Observer, but almost a year later all communications with it were lost.
On this day in 2005 the IRA officially disarmed, giving up its weapons in front of independent weapons inspectors.

THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER
On this day in 1888 American poet TS Eliot was born in St Louis, Missouri.
On this day in 1928 work began at Chicago’s Galvin Manufacturing Corporation which designed the first mass-produced car radios.
On this day in 1960 Cuban leader Fidel Castro delivered a four hour and twenty-nine minute long speech at the United Nations.

FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER
On this day in 1066 William the Conqueror's troops set sail from Normandy to conquer England.
On this day in 1822 French scholar Jean-François Champollion announced he had deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics using the Rosetta Stone.
On this day in 1908 Henry Ford's first Ford Model T automobile left the Piquette Plant in Detroit, Michigan.

Awareness days from around the world

SEPTEMBER IS
UK:
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month / A Month of Movement, Urology Awareness Month, Organic September, Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Festival of Learning Have a Go Month.
WORLDWIDE:
Oddfellows Friendship Month, Baby Safety Month, Bear Necessities Month, Chiari Awareness Month, Classical Music Month, Friendship Month, Happy Cat Month, Hunger Action Month, Intelligent Automation Month, International Square Dancing Month, Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month, National Chicken Month, National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, National Dmv Appreciation Month, National Dystonia Awareness Month, National Guide Dog Month, National Honey Month, National Italian Cheese Month, National Library Card Sign-up Month, National Mushroom Month, National Organic Month, National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, National Papaya Month, National Pet Insurance Month, National Piano Month, National Preparedness Month, National Recovery Month, National Sewing Month, National Suicide Prevention Month, Nicu Awareness Month, Organic September, Pain Awareness Month, Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, Read a New Book Month, Self-improvement Month, Sepsis Awareness Month, Shake Month, Skyscraper Month, Sleeptember, Sourdough September, Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, Vascular Disease Awareness Month, Whole Grains Month, World Alzheimer’s Month, World Fun Fair Month, Seed Gathering Season, Hispanic Heritage Month.

THIS WEEK IS
UK:
Great British Beach Clean, Cycle To School Week, National Eye Health Week, Organ Donation Week, Professional Care Workers’ Week, British Food Fortnight.
WORLDWIDE:
World Reflexology Week, Black Maternal Mental Health Week, National Fall Foliage Week, National Inclusion Week, Sea Otter Awareness Week, Deaf Dog Awareness Week, Ontario Garlic Week, International Week of Happiness at Work, Bee’s Knees Week, International Week of Deaf People.

MONDAY 23 SEPTEMBER
WORLDWIDE:
National Family Day, National Teal Talk Day, National Checkers Day And Dogs In Politics Day, Innergize Day, International Day of Sign Languages, Celebrate Bisexuality Day, National Field Marketer’s Day, National Great American Pot Pie Day, National Snack Stick Day, Redhead Appreciation Day, Restless Legs Awareness Day, Za’atar Day, Education Technology Day.

TUESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER
UK:
International Day of Birmingham.
WORLDWIDE:
National Punctuation Day, World Bollywood Day, National Mofongo Day, National AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day, Bluebird of Happiness Day, Heritage Day, National Voter Registration Day, International Age Diversity Day, National Day of Arts in Care Homes, National Cherries Jubilee Day Lash Stylists’ Day.

WEDNESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER
WORLDWIDE:
International Ataxia Awareness Day, World Dense Breast Day, National Open The Magic Day, National Research Administrator Day, National Tune-up Day, Math Storytelling Day, National Women’s Health And Fitness Day, National Daughter Day, Better Breakfast Day, World Pharmacists Day, National Roadkill Day, National Lobster Day, World Dream Day, National One-Hit Wonder Day, National Psychotherapy Day, National Comic Book Day, National Cooking Day, Binge Day, National Quesadilla Day.

THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER
UK:
European Day of Languages.
WORLDWIDE:
National Pancake Day, World Contraception Day, Mesothelioma Awareness Day, National Compliance Officer Day, National Situational Awareness Day, National Dumpling Day, World Maritime Day, Human Resource Professional Day, Remember Me Thursday, Love Note Day, National Johnny Appleseed Day, National Day of Praise and Worship, National Alpaca Day, Stanislav Petrov Day, National Law Enforcement Suicide Awareness Day, European Day of Languages, Lumberjack Day, Shamu the Whale Day, National Chimichanga Day.

FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER
UK:
National Doodle Day.
WORLDWIDE:
World Tourism Day, National Teaching Assistants’ Day, National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, National Day Of Forgiveness, National Scarf Day, National Brave Day, National Chocolate Milk Day, German Butterbrot Day, Native American Day, Hug a Vegetarian Day, AFL Grand Final Friday, National Doodle Day, Cool Sword Day, Morning Show Hosts Day, Save the Koala Day, National Corned Beef Hash Day, National Crush a Can Day, Ancestor Appreciation Day, National No Excuses Day.

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