GENERAL: Tech Prosperity Deal. The government announced, as part of the President’s State Visit, an MoU and major £30bn+ deal for US and UK tech companies to work together on AI, research, quantum technologies and nuclear power with a range of data centres, AI start-ups and tech developments lined up for across the UK.
Workers’ rights. The Employment Rights Bill, a key but contentious part of the government’s Plan for Change with proposals including ending zero hours contracts and granting workers greater rights from day one, returned to the House of Commons with MPs pledging to overturn Lords amendments that would have watered measures down.
Employer pressures. The CBI pointed to concerns around labour costs, employment rights and skills training as it published its latest Employment Trends Survey with Pertemps.
Labour market. The ONS published the latest figures on the UK labour market showing a fall in jobs and a slowing of wage growth and levels of economic inactivity as most commentators pointed to a labour market now ‘cooling.’
Two-child limit. The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) published new testimony on the impact of the two-child limit as it indicated that the number of children in working families hit by the limit would hit one million next month. SCHOOLS: SEND report. The Education Committee published the results of its lengthy report into SEND reform arguing that the current model is unsustainable and calling among other things for minimum standards of support for SEND provision with more specialist schools, a review of funding and more training for teachers.
Reforming SEND. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on SEND published its report on SEND, suggesting the system was ‘in need of urgent reform’ and calling for a complete redesign of the framework to prioritise early intervention, the workforce and funding.
Pandemic Impact. The UK Covid-19 Inquiry published survey evidence from young people about the impact of the pandemic on them and their families which often varied by family but which included on the downside heightened anxieties, family tensions and cases of bereavement and on the upside some cases of friendships, stronger family bonds, and of worthwhile learning.
Trust survey. The Confederation of School Trusts (CST) reported that inclusive education, financial stability and AI and school attendance remain among the top priorities for Trusts as it published the results of its latest Trust survey.
Exams 2025 and 2026. The Chief Regulator of Ofqual wrote to school governors and trustees to thank them for their support for this summer’s exams while reinforcing the stability of this year’s set of results and reminding them of additional analysis still available before calling on their support in confronting issues such as cyber threats ahead of next summer’s exams.
Funding. The Stop School Cuts campaign claimed that 75% of primary schools and 92% of secondary schools are set to face funding cuts next year with class sizes, staff numbers and resources generally all likely to be badly hit.
The view from here. Parentkind reported on its recent annual national survey of parents covering most aspects of school and family life with SEND, children’s wellbeing, behaviour and children’s safety among the main priorities.
Alternative Big Listen. Prof Colin Richards and Frank Norris, ex HMIs who have been running an alternative consultation on Ofsted’s inspection reforms highlighted in a blog on their site issues that had come up in their survey, pointing to two in particular, including the need for an independent complaints procedure and an alternative safeguarding model.
Language teaching. The dept published an interim report on language teaching in schools looking in particular at Language Hubs and Language Assistants and indicating some positives but finding much dependent on the enthusiasm of staff and how far schools prioritise languages generally.
SEND reforms. Teacher Tapp reported on its recent survey among teachers about possible options for SEND reform with increasing the number of state special school places and TAs, along with access to support and funding for EHCPs emerging as the most popular. FE/SKILLS: Skills positioning. The PM confirmed in a Statement to MPs that following the recent ministerial changes, apprenticeships, adult FE, skills training and Skills England would move across to the DWP, leaving HE, FE and skills for under 19s remaining with the DfE, with the skills minister working across both depts.
SEND report. The Education Committee called for ringfenced funding for post 16 SEND and for students unlikely to pass GCSE English/maths resits to be able to take functional skills instead, as it published its report into SEND reform.
Occupational standards. The Learning and Work Institute called for a more streamlined and responsive system for developing occupational standards in a report commissioned by Pearson, arguing that the current approach fails to provide workers readily enough with the skills needed for a modern economy.
EPAs. City and Guilds heralded a new milestone of delivering over 100,000 end-point assessments (EPAs,) welcoming the fact by highlighting the importance of apprenticeships in terms of skills and progression for both individuals and employers.
New Strategy. The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) set out a new 5-year strategy with a focus on quality training, workforce development and skills transformation, all designed to help tackle skills shortages, support a projected additional 40,000 workers and deliver a range of key infrastructure projects.
Defence apprentices. The i-newspaper reported that the government was considering a scheme that would see young offenders recruited on to 4-year apprenticeship schemes to help fill gaps in skills like welding, currently urgently needed by a ramped-up defence industry.
T level funding. The dept published its latest guidelines on T level funding for the current year covering the recent funding uplifts, under-delivery tolerance and changes among subjects offered. HE:
Quality Regulation. The Office for Students (OfS) launched consultation on some changes to its current system of quality regulation that would see existing assessment activity brought into the REF to create a more integrated system and modifications made to minimum requirements for student outcomes.
Business Plan. The Student Loans Co published its Business Plan for the coming year with priorities based around customers, colleagues and shareholders underscored by key performance targets in each case including a 92%+ customer satisfaction rating on quality outcomes.
Student Money. The Save the Student advice site published its latest annual National Student Money Survey indicating continuing cost of living pressures for many as parental contributions drop and the maintenance loan falls short of living costs by around £500.
Top ranking. The Guardian published its 2026 University Rankings based on factors such as student satisfaction, value added and career progression, with Oxford, St Andrews and Cambridge again filling the top three places.
Turning things round. The vice-chancellor of Leicester University explained in a blog on the HEPI site how the University had turned things round and moved from ‘pariah to exemplar’ by among other things not being afraid to do the right thing, being bold, and showing relevance to the government’s five missions.
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