GENERAL:
Business confidence. The British Chambers of Commerce published the results of its latest poll of business sentiment, taken towards the end of last year and showing business confidence at its lowest level since the Truss mini-budget, especially in retail and hospitality, with firms generally worried about tax and NI increases. 
Jobs 2025. The World Economic Forum (WEF), published its latest landmark Future of Jobs Report ahead of the Davos Summit, arguing that tech development, green transition, and economic and demographic shifts are ‘reshaping’ the current global labour market, and listing 15 professions likely to see the fastest growth and decline by 2030 – with teaching and nursing professionals among the top 15 and many admin and routine jobs among those set to decline.
Child poverty. The Resolution Foundation argued in a new briefing that more should be done through the government’s forthcoming child poverty strategy, to help not just workless families, but also working families, particularly those on low hours/wages and where a second earner is ready to work, as a way of relieving child poverty.
SCHOOLS:
School funding. The Institute for Fiscal Studies reported that despite recent increases in school funding, costs, particularly for areas like special needs, have risen even higher, making it difficult for other costs, such as school repairs and the latest teachers’ pay offer, to be covered without further cuts. 
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The House of Commons Library Service published a useful guide to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill ahead of its Second Reading in the House of Commons this week, running through each part of the Bill section by section, providing context and explanation in each case.
Private school fees. The i-newspaper reported that private schools were likely to have to raise their fees later this year ‘by anything between 3 and 9%’, following the introduction of VAT on fees this month. With pay deals, pensions and the government’s NI rise all adding to the pressures they face.

Pay action. The NEU announced it was holding a preliminary online ballot of members in England on the latest unfunded 2.8% pay offer from government, ahead of an indicative ballot set for 1 March.

Part-time timetables. FFT Education Datalab looked into school attendance registers for last term, suggesting that there were 40,000+ pupils on part-time timetables, some as a particular measure to meet a pupil’s needs, and in others as part of a designated flexi-arrangement, but largely for those with special needs.
FE/SKILLS:
College and skills funding. The Institute for Fiscal Studies highlighted the effects of long-term funding shortages for the sector in its latest report on education spending, with the recent increase for 16–18-year-olds still leaving funding for such students well below previous levels, and increased spending on adult skills and apprenticeships only ‘reversing a fraction of past cuts’.
Skills inequalities. The Learning and Work Institute highlighted the extent of learning and skills inequalities in the UK in the latest report in its ‘Ambition Skills’ series, reckoning that the gap is likely to widen over the next decade with, for example, 71% of Londoners having a higher-level qualification, compared to 29% in Hull and East Yorks. 
November GCSEs. The Joint Council published the results for the November GCSE exams, typically resits, showing an improvement in the number of students gaining a grade 4 in maths, but a fall in English.

ESOL vision. The AoC and Bell Foundation called in a new report for a new national framework, devolved responsibility, and designated funding for ESOL provision, arguing that with the right language support, English speakers of other languages (ESOL) could significantly enhance economic growth and prosperity, both nationally and in the regions.
HE:
Funding. The Institute for Fiscal Studies argued that the recent index-linked increase in tuition fees had provided ‘only a slight reprieve for university finances’, as it published its annual report on education spending, pointing to further challenges around student maintenance; international student fee income; the increase in employer NIC; and student numbers generally, as all likely to add pressures on institutional finances.
Fee polling. The HE Policy Institute (HEPI) reported on a commissioned snap-poll of students following the recent inflation-linked increase in the tuition fee finding little support for the increase, albeit with variable support for the increase in maintenance support.
Value for money. YouGov published the results of its latest poll among graduates, showing many acknowledging that higher education was useful for their future careers, although more for STEM subjects than others, but with many feeling that it came at a financial cost and didn’t always reflect value for money.

New year, new hopes. The Times Higher suggested that ‘2025 could be a make-or-break year for university policy’ as it reported on the views of leading HE players on what the year ahead might bring, with many pointing to continuing uncertainty in the sector, but with hopes around research, skills, international growth and the spending review.

Higher level apprenticeships. Policy commentator Tom Richmond called in a new briefing for the Social Market Foundation, for management training and for those qualified at L6 and above to be excluded from accessing apprenticeship levy funding, and for such funding to be re-directed towards young people and entry-level training.

Student numbers. The House of Commons Library Service reported on trends in student numbers in HE over recent years, pointing to buoyant figures for f/t undergraduates in recent years, helped by rising numbers of 18-year-olds, but with a less rosy picture for other groups including p/t, mature and postgrads, and a mixed picture for international groups.