GENERAL: Fiscal risks. The OBR highlighted some of the risks to the country’s public finances including the burgeoning scale of public borrowing and the growing costs associated with pensions and climate change, as it published its 2025 ‘Fiscal risks and sustainability’ report concluding that the UK’s public finances remained in “a relatively vulnerable position.”
Early Years. The government announced plans to enhance early years services and provision under a new Best Start in Life strategy that over time will see the creation of Family Hubs and digital service across the country along with extended childcare, enhanced early years provision and even a Best Start in Life Champion.
Children’s social care. The Education Committee published its report into children’s social care calling among other things for a National Care Offer with funding, intervention and a workforce strategy involving pay and training.
Child poverty. The children’s commissioner pointed to ‘Dickensian levels’ of poverty as she published new research intended for the government’s upcoming Child Poverty Strategy, highlighting examples of children suffering from cold, hunger and insecurity, calling for auto-enrolment for free school meals, free bus travel for school-age children, and a triple lock on child benefits. SCHOOLS: KS2 SATs. The government published provisional results for this year’s KS2 SATs, indicating an increase in the numbers of pupils meeting expected standards across all subjects compared to last year.
Governors View. The National Governance Association published its latest annual survey among school and trust governors, finding a pretty bleak set of views on current issues such as funding, SEND, staff workloads and safeguarding and calling among other things for further investment, urgent SEND reform and an understanding of the extended roles schools now undertake.
SEND. Leading practitioners and campaigners called in an open letter for the government not to scrap education, health and care plans (EHCPs) for SEND pupils, arguing that any such move would deny opportunities to vulnerable children and reflect poorly on society generally.
SEND training. Labour MP Nesil Caliskan presented his Bill calling for dedicated training to be established for those working with special needs in schools with a Second Reading of the Bill set for 12 September.
Teacher numbers. The Public Accounts Committee issued its report into teacher shortages arguing that the government was unlikely to hit its declared target of an extra 6,500 teachers, especially in colleges and appeared unsure how this would be measured, calling for the government to look at pay and flexible working conditions as ways forward.
Teacher recruitment and retention. Teacher Tapp and School Dash published their latest annual report into teacher R and R in England, pointing to demand slowing in some regions for primary teachers as pupil numbers fell, reduced activity this year around secondary teacher recruitment and some concerns remaining around retention.
Inspection briefings. Ofsted announced plans to run a full programme of briefings from September to help providers familiarise themselves with the new inspection regime.
Free schools. The NFER in partnership with Manchester Met University published research on the Free Schools model introduced originally in 2010, concluding that these had had ‘a positive outcome on pupil outcomes at secondary,’ lowering absence and raising attainment generally.
Children’s reading. The government joined forces with the National Literacy Trust to declare 2026 as a National Year of Reading, calling on parents, schools, families, libraries to work together and help develop a love of reading among children, with the government promising additional funds where necessary.
Children’s writing. The government published new non-statutory guidance for primary schools and others to support the teaching of writing through from reception to KS2, bringing together an extensive range of principles, practices and procedures that could help.
EdTech. The Education Endowment Foundation reported on recent research into potential benefits from EdTech use in schools, listing nine features, including integration, access and adaptability, evident in effective interventions.
Absence rates. FFT Education Datalab looked into the relationship between absence in Yr 6 and Yr 7 given this is one of the areas the government is keen to monitor, concluding from latest data that pupils with a high absence rate in Yr 6, especially the more disadvantaged, tend to replicate this in Yr 7. FE/SKILLS: Post-16 provision. The Education Policy Institute and SKOPE rounded off their work on post-16 provision across the UK, conjuring up a pretty messy picture of varying pathways, often difficult to navigate and leading to variable outcomes notably in Wales, calling as a result for urgent reviews of apprenticeship systems, data collection and FE pay.
Youth opportunities. The IPPR think tank called for an expanded youth guarantee, apprenticeship targets for young people and a national youth strategy as it highlighted, in a new report, the plight of young people, particularly those from poorer areas, finding it harder than ever to access jobs and opportunities.
Work and young people. The Institute for the Future of Work and the EY Foundation looked in the first of two planned reports at the challenges facing young people, especially those from low-income backgrounds, as they contend with changing modes of study, work and life, highlighting the importance of targeted support and motivation to avoid being left behind.
Digital sector jobs. The government published its latest estimated picture of employment in the digital sector last year, showing an overall fall in filled jobs following a period of growth, with the largest decreases evident in computer programming and consultancy, publishing and telecoms.
Business innovation. The AoC published a new report on how colleges are working with employers on business innovation, finding most acknowledging the importance of such work but still largely limited by funding and reach, calling among other things for multi-year funding cycles and enhanced innovation hubs.
Personalised learning. City and Guilds announced a new partnership with the digital cognitive and assessment body, Cognassist, with the aim of supporting more accessible and personalised learning pathways.
Annual report and accounts. The ECITB issued its report and accounts for 2024, running through the key highlights and progress made across its three strategic pillars of strengthening its foundations, growing a skilled workforce, and supporting industry in transition, but facing a likely deficit as it drafts its next 3-year strategy for 2025 on. HE:
The view from here. PA Consulting published its latest annual survey of vice-chancellors and how they see things, with the majority of the 40 respondents suggesting they’re facing ‘an unprecedented range of threats’ from falling student demand to rising costs, resulting in leaders having to adopt changed practices in areas like recruitment, institutional strengths and market opportunities.
2025 students. Unite Students and HEPI published their Index of how this year’s applicants feel across a range of issues, reporting a more positive picture than in recent years with optimism, wellbeing and financial confidence all on the up but loneliness remaining a concern for many.
Widening participation. The UPP Foundation set out a new mission for widening participation as it published the final report from its extensive Inquiry into access and participation, highlighting continuing inequalities in places and calling among other things for a 50% progression floor for 18/19 yr olds across all regions.
Student survey. The OfS published the outcomes from its latest National Student Survey (NSS,) incorporating a wide range of data ranging from provider type to student characteristics but pointing to an increasingly more upbeat picture.
Student experience. Wonkhe argued for a new model to enshrine the student experience as it published the latest report from its Post-18 Project, listing ten entitlements including flexible working, affordable housing and a liveable income, that could form a new, more balanced framework for students.
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