GENERAL: PM’s AI speech. Sir Keir Starmer challenged the country to be ‘an AI maker rather than an AI taker,’ as he set out the government’s response to the commissioned Action Plan for AI, pledging to use AI to help transform the lives of people through reformed public services with increased business investment, dedicated AI Growth Zones, and the creation of a brand-new supercomputer.
AI Opportunities Action Plan. The government published its response to its commissioned Action Plan on AI led by tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford last year, formally accepting all 50 recommendations and setting out a range of measures around skills, infrastructure, regulation and energy to help deliver on the Plan.
Technology and work. The Institute for the Future of Work highlighted the growing impact of technology on work and work places in a new report pointing to a growing sense of inevitability felt by many with some acknowledgement of potential benefits but equally a number of concerns and a feeling of powerlessness.
Cyber-attacks. The government set out plans to counter cyber-attacks including notably ransomware activity by proposing mandatory reporting on ransomware incidents along with ‘a targeted ban on ransomware payments.’
Cybersecurity. The World Economic Forum (WEF) reported on global security in its 2025 Outlook report, using evidence gathered last autumn from across 57 countries to highlight ‘a more complex cyberspace’ with supply chain vulnerabilities emerging as the top risk and with a growing gulf in cyber resilience evident between richer and poorer nations.
Global Risks. The WEF also published its Global Risks 2025 Report ahead of this week’s gathering of global leaders at Davos, with ‘state-based armed conflict’ emerging as the top immediate risk for this year, mis and disinformation the top short-term risk and environmental concerns the top longer-term risk.
Business Outlook. The Institute of Directors (IoD) published its Business Outlook for the year ahead pointing to a long list of challenges identified by business members for 2025 including Trump’s re-election, geopolitical tensions, global economic challenges, climate change, AI advancements and organisational culture. SCHOOLS: AI teacher tools. The government confirmed that a £1m fund would be provided as part of its AI Opportunities Plan to help developers create AI tools that teachers could use with marking, feedback and lesson planning.
SEND concerns. The Public Accounts Committee published its report into the current SEND system concluding that it was unaffordable, failing to meet the needs of those who depended on it and ultimately in crisis, calling for research into the rise in numbers, a clear vision for an inclusive approach and a costed plan for measuring progress.
SEND visits. Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) confirmed arrangements for a series of thematic visits for this spring and summer to look at provision for SEND children who are not in school, with a report due later this year on examples of good practice.
Inspection reforms. The NAHT published survey results showing concerns from members about Ofsted reforms, suggesting a lack of confidence in Ofsted’s approach let alone the timescale for reform.
Breakfast clubs. The government published guidance for early adopter schools offering pilot versions of free breakfast clubs ahead of a planned national rollout of such schemes across primary schools in England expected later.
Pupil absence. FFT Education Datalab looked in more detail at the data on pupil absence for last term finding little change compared to the previous year at secondary level but a slight increase in persistent absence at the lower end of primary.
School attendance. The House of Commons Library Service published a briefing on school attendance in England, which has seen concerns raised about persistent absence and the impact on attainment and young people’s lives generally, running through the latest data and trends and concluding with the government’s latest response. FE/SKILLS: Apprenticeships. The Association of Apprentices published the results from its inaugural ‘Big Apprentice Survey’ conducted last November, finding most respondents positive about their experience and the opportunities involved but pointing to time management and end-point assessment as big challenges with funding and mentor support seen as priority recommendations.
Digital credentials. City and Guilds reported that it had now issued over a million digital credentials, hitting as a result an important milestone in digital skills recognition.
GCSE resits. The AoC reflected further in a new blog on options for reforming resits in GCSE English and maths which are taken by many post-16 learners but which are often burdensome and counterproductive, with reworked functional skills and core + option models among the various alternatives put forward.
Strike action. The NEU announced three further days of strike action for January and February to highlight the pay gap between academized and non-academized sixth form college teachers following the latest pay award. HE: Freedom of Speech. The government confirmed that it was bringing back the HE Freedom of Speech Act which it had paused for review on taking up office last year but which it was now re-establishing with ‘strengthened duties on providers to take steps to secure freedom of speech and establish a code of practice.’
Cash flows. The Times Higher reported on its survey of university cash flows showing a notable drop and tightening of budgets from responses received so far with ‘almost a third of the sector reporting underlying deficits after adjustment.’
Regional access. The National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) pointed in a new report to ‘a worrying stagnation in HE participation by free school meal pupils,’ albeit with significant regional differences, calling among other things for more investment and support for Uni Connect and other local measures.
Taster courses. The BBC reported that the University of Chichester was looking to run short 5–10-week cheap courses on topics such as Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe and Brexit Before, During and After for groups of older and younger learners to give them a taste of university life.
Oxbridge rejects. Commentator Bethany Elliott wrote about Oxbridge rejects ahead of the latest round of letters from the two institutions in an article in The New Statesman, looking at how some had fared, the impact of such rejection and the need to keep things in perspective.
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