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LOOKING BACK AT THE WEEK THAT WAS
Three of the week's headlines ...
Extra billions for schools in England will be quickly swallowed up, say experts
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Labour’s VAT policy to force 37,000 children out of private schools
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Questions over how Cambridge University runs up £53m deficit
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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:
Autumn Budget 2024. The Treasury published the full Budget Report setting out the government’s policies on taxes, spending and revenue raising, along with details on two new fiscal rules, dept spending plans and proposals for public service reform.
Budget speech. The Treasury published the full text of the Chancellor’s Budget speech spelling out some of the details from the Budget under the themes of ‘fixing the foundations,’ ‘protecting working people’ and ‘building a better future.’
Living Wage. The Chancellor announced ahead of the Budget a pay rise for ‘workers’ that will take effect from next April and will see the National Living Wage rise to £12.21 an hour and the National Minimum Wage for younger people rise to £10 an hour.

SCHOOLS:
Budget headlines. The Chancellor announced a £2.3bn increase for the core schools budget as part of her Budget Statement with a £1bn uplift for SEND, along with earlier announcements of £1.4bn for school rebuilding and £30m for breakfast clubs.
VAT consultation. The Treasury published the government response to the earlier consultation on applying VAT to private school fees acknowledging that fees may go up by 10% and that over 35,000 pupils may leave the private sector but that overall, the policy is expected to raise £1.8bn pa by 2029/30.
VAT matters. The French and German ambassadors called on the government not to impose VAT on international private schools arguing that such schools are primarily for international students and partially funded by overseas governments who wouldn’t look kindly on such a fee imposition.

FE/SKILLS:
Budget headlines. The Chancellor announced an extra £300m for FE as part of her Budget Statement with £950m for skills capital, along with reform of the apprenticeship levy, a White Paper on helping people get back to work and implementation of Skills England. 
Skills Bulletin. Edge published its latest Bulletin looking at skills shortages in the UK with many contributors looking at likely future changes to the skills system and others providing examples of how they’re supporting different groups of workers in gaining skills and employment.
Prison education. City and Guilds announced that it had secured a government contract, starting next October, to deliver English and maths, engineering, hospitality, and transport qualifications in prisons in England with the potential to include other qualifications over the seven-year period of the contract.

HE:
Budget headlines. The Chancellor confirmed full funding for the Horizon association and promised stable budgets and continued support for core research albeit with a year’s delay in the implementation of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement as part of her Budget Statement.
Tuition fees. BBC Education Editor, Branwen Jeffreys, took an InDepth look at tuition fees and some of the harsh realties facing both institutions and individuals as discussions about linking fees to inflation and softening the blow with maintenance grants continues.
The value of history. The Royal Historical Society reported on how history was faring both as a subject in UKHE and among the general public, finding it still popular for many students but facing a constant battle against cuts particularly in post-92 institutions.
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COMING UP IN THE NEXT WEEK
Parliament and elsewhere
MPs’ Education Questions (Monday 4 November).
CIPD Annual Conference (Wednesday 6 – Thursday 7 November).
Publication of Ofqual data on access arrangements for this year’s exams (Thursday 7 November).
AELP Autumn Conference (Thursday 7 November).
Confederation of School Trusts Annual Conference (Thursday 7 – Friday 8 November).
NIESR Autumn Economic Forum and Budget Response (Friday 8 November).
Events and CPD opportunities
Tuesday 05 November: An Introduction to the Principles and Practices of Assessment | Skills and Education Group (online event)
Thursday 07 November: AELP Autumn Conference 2024 | AELP (in-person event)
Thursday 07 November: Relationships, Sex and Health Education in Schools Conference 2024 | Government Events (online event)
Thursday 07 - Friday 08 November: Confederation of School Trusts Annual Conference | CST UK (in-person event)
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.
See all events
Three interesting daily facts
MONDAY 04 NOVEMBER
On this day in 1922 British archaeologist Howard Carter and his workmen discovered a step leading to the tomb of King Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.
On this day in 1960 primatologist Jane Goodall witnessed a chimpanzee in the act of making and using tools — an ability previously believed to be exclusive to humans.
On this day in 2016 the Paris Agreement came into effect, a sweeping international pledge to dramatically reduce carbon emissions.
 
TUESDAY 05 NOVEMBER
On this day in 1935 the Parker Brothers first launched the board game Monopoly.
On this day in 1943 the Vatican City was bombed by a fascist Italian aircraft breaching the neutrality of the Vatican during World War II.
On this day in 1994 George Foreman (aged 45) became boxing’s oldest heavyweight champion when he defeated Michael Moorer in the tenth round of their WBA fight in Las Vegas.
 
WEDNESDAY 06 NOVEMBER
On this day in 1860 Republican Abraham Lincoln of Illinois was elected as the sixteenth President of the United States of America.
On this day in 1962 the United Nations passed a resolution to condemn apartheid in South Africa.
On this day in 1999 Australia rejected a referendum to become a republic with a president as its head.
 
THURSDAY 07 NOVEMBER
On this day in 1492 the oldest meteorite with a known date of impact struck a wheat field near the village of Ensisheim in Alsace, France.
On this day in 1872 the Mary Celeste sailed from Staten Island for Genoa but was mysteriously found abandoned four weeks later.
On this day in 1917 Vladimir Lenin led the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution where they took over the winter palace and ended the rule of the post-Tsarist provisional government.
 
FRIDAY 08 NOVEMBER
On this day in 1602 the Bodleian Library at Oxford University was opened.
On this day in 1895 German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range today known as x-rays.
On this day in 1974 British peer the Earl of Lucan disappeared and has never been seen again after his children's nanny was found murdered in London.
Awareness days from around the world
NOVEMBER IS
UK:
Mouth Cancer Action Month, Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.
WORLDWIDE:
Adopt A Senior Pet Month, Adopt a Turkey Month, Aviation History Month, Banana Pudding Lovers Month, Bladder Health Month, COPD Awareness Month, Diabetic Eye Disease Month, Epilepsy Awareness Month, Erectile Dysfunction Awareness Month, Eye Donor Awareness Month, Family Stories Month, Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month, Historic Bridge Awareness Month, Inspirational Role Models Month, Long-term Care Awareness Month, Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Manatee Awareness Month, Men’s Health Awareness Month (Movember), Military Family Month, Mouth Cancer Action Month, National Adoption Month, National Alzheimer's Disease Month, National Career Development Month, National Children’s Month, National Diabetes Month, National Entrepreneurship Month, National Family Caregivers Month, National Family Literacy Month, National Fondue Month, National Fun with Fondue Month, National Gratitude Month, National Healthy Skin Month, National Home Care and Hospice Month, National Impotency Month, National Inspirational Role Models Month, National Life Writing Month, National Marrow Awareness Month, National Medical Science Liaison (MSL), National Military Family Month, National Native American Heritage Month, National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), National Peanut Butter Lovers Month, National Pepper Month, National Pet Cancer Awareness Month, National Pinhole Gum Rejuvenation Month, National Pomegranate Month, National PPSI Aids Awareness Month, National Raisin Bread Month, National Repair Done Right Month, National Rice Awareness Month, National Roasting Month, National Scholarship Month, Native American Heritage Month, Noshavember, Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, Pet Cancer Awareness Month, Pet Diabetes Month, Prematurity Awareness Month, PTA Healthy Lifestyles Month, Spinach And Squash Month, Stomach Cancer Awareness Month, Sweet Potato Awareness Month, Veg Pledge, World Vegan Month, Worldwide Bereaved Siblings Month.
 
THIS WEEK IS
UK:
National Spa Week, Talk Money Week, National Pathology Week, Great British Game Week.
WORLDWIDE:
Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, Children’s Book Week, Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, Global Prebiotics Week, International Stress Awareness Week, Marzipan Week, National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, National Fig Week, National Medical Cannabis Week, National Radiologic Technology Week, National Spa Week, Polar Bear Week, Pomegranate Festival, Rad Tech Week, Talk Money Week, World Communication Week.
 
MONDAY 04 NOVEMBER
WORLDWIDE:
Color the World Orange Day, Flag Day in Panama, Job Action Day, Marlborough Anniversary Day, National Bison Day, National Broadcast Traffic Professional's Day, National Candy Day, National Chicken Lady Day, National Easy-Bake Oven Day, Recreation Day Tasmania, Use Your Common Sense Day.
 
TUESDAY 05 NOVEMBER
UK:
Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night.
WORLDWIDE:
American Football Day, Election Day, Gunpowder Day, Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night, Melbourne Cup Day, National Chinese Takeout Day, National Donut Day, National Love Your Red Hair Day.
 
WEDNESDAY 06 NOVEMBER
UK:
National Stress Awareness Day.
WORLDWIDE:
Benjamin Banneker Week, Dog Film Festival, Eating Healthy Day, International Sweater Vestival, Marooned Without a Compass Day, National Advent Calendar Day, National Basketball Day, National Ladies Learning Code Day, National Nachos Day, National Report Home Health Care Fraud Day, National Saxophone Day, National Stress Awareness Day, Wobbly Wednesday.
 
THURSDAY 07 NOVEMBER
UK:
Wales International Film Festival.
WORLDWIDE:
International Project Management Day, International Stout Day, National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day, National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day, National Cash Back Day, National Hug A Bear Day, National Men Make Dinner Day, National Programmatic Advertising Day, National Retinol Day, Notary Public Day.
 
FRIDAY 08 NOVEMBER
WORLDWIDE:
Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day, International Day of Radiology, National Ample Time Day, National Cappuccino Day, National Dunce Day, National Harvey Wallbanger Day, National Parents as Teachers Day, National STEM/STEAM Day, NYC Kidney Walk, Pertussis Awareness Day, Shot Day, World Pianist Day, World Radiography Day, World Town Planning Day.
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