Steve Besley's Education Eye: week ending 10 November 2023

Welcome to Education Eye, a regular update detailing the policies and stories happening in UK education, compiled by Steve Besley.

What's happened this week?

Important stories across the board:

Government Bills for the coming year, continuing concerns about pupils missing from school and parents struggling with homework.

Three of the notable talking points this week.

To take the government bills listed for the coming year first, these were solemnly read out by the King in the formal King’s Speech earlier in the week. Reactions have been mixed.

‘Rather like last orders at the bar’, was how one commentator summed it up. Or in the words of the Tony Blair Institute: “While the government highlighted many of the right areas, it didn’t go quite far enough. Other important issues were left out entirely”.

In fairness, the legislative programme laid out in the Speech contained a number of notable legacy issues – including on housing and leaseholds, crime and anti-social behaviour, and smoking/vaping. 21 Bills in all, but as The Guardian explained, ‘nothing on the things that matter most to voters, the NHS, education, social care, the cost-of-living‘.

As indicated, there was little for education to get excited about. Standard references to apprentices (more); so-called poor-quality degree courses (less); and a promise ‘to strengthen education for the long term’ through the proposed A level reforms, but that was it.

Labour, let alone the the Chair of the Education Committee, the children’s commissioner and many others expressed disappointment at the lack of mention of a ‘not in school’ register for absent pupils, widely seen as one of the key issues of the day for schools. “This is not the agenda of a government that is putting children and young people first”, according to the ASCL’s Geoff Barton.

All eyes it seems are now on the Autumn Statement for a more positive bounce. Good luck with that Jeremy, given the verdict from the Resolution Foundation this week. “The Chancellor is in difficult terrain: although the economy has proved more resilient than expected this year, growth is now slowing and recession risks are high”.

In other news this week, the Childcare Coalition warned of ‘a staffing crisis’ as the government prepares to roll out its extended entitlement offer from next April. ‘The expansion will be nothing more than a pipedream’ if the government doesn’t get to grips with staffing matters, according to the Chair of the Early Years Alliance.

On a more hopeful note, it’s been Lifelong Learning Week, with positive news on adult participation in learning: ‘National survey records adult participation at an historic high’, headlined the Learning and Work Institute who conduct the annual survey.

Elsewhere the Education Committee held its final session on Ofsted’s work with schools as The Guardian offered its perspective on the matter in an editorial this week. “It must find a way of helping schools improve – and feeling more like a critical friend instead of a persecutor to school leaders”, it concluded.

In other school news this week, the latest research from the COVID youth cohort study followed up 17/18-year-olds and found continuing concerns about mental health levels and access to support. ‘We’re simply not doing enough to tackle it’, one of the authors acknowledged. Just over a third of the young people surveyed reported that Covid was still negatively affecting their wellbeing.

Elsewhere for schools, the NFER pointed to the importance of teacher training bursaries in attracting and retaining teachers. “Our evidence shows bursary spending offers good value for money”. And authors and publishers welcomed the High Court decision to allow a Judicial Review of government plans for the Oak National Academy.

But, as mentioned earlier, the issue of missing pupils rumbled on this week. “Persistent absence is still high, with rates highest among the most disadvantaged pupils”, according to FFT Education Datalab this week. The children’s commissioner and the Sutton Trust’s Sir Peter Lampl have been among those expressing concerns.

Sir Peter pointed the finger at working from home. “We need to have an honest conversation about how the ease of moving your working day from the office to your kitchen table has, inevitably, affected the obligation parents feel about getting their kids to go to school”. The Education Secretary has promised legislative action on an out of school register, despite it missing from the King’s Speech, but no date as yet.

In FE this week, as indicated, the Learning and Work Institute painted a more hopeful picture of adult participation in learning, ‘back to levels last seen in the early 2000s’, in its latest annual report. The House of Commons Library Service released a useful primer on the L3 qualification reforms, and Pearson published an interesting assessment of future skills and opportunities around the country in a Skills Map of England. 'What we found is that, while there is certainly change ahead, automation does not necessarily mean fewer jobs – it means a different job'.

In HE, Wonkhe has been hosting a two-day HE Festival, with lots of fascinating discussion and debate about the current and future state of higher education.

Funding of course remains a hot topic, and whether another major review is needed. Mark Corver’s detailed blog on the HEPI website on an alternative undergraduate funding system is an interesting read in that regard.

Finally, it’s been National School Meals Week with a big debate about whether the humble baked potato is the most popular meal of all. But don’t forget the baked beans.

Links to most of these stories below starting with the headlines.

The top headlines of the week:

‘WFH parents blamed for letting children ‘skip’ school’ (Monday).
‘No appetite to boost university funding leaves sector wooing overseas students’ (Tuesday).
‘Student absence worsening at secondary level, analysis shows’ (Wednesday).
‘Unions want £1.7bn more school funding in autumn statement’ (Thursday).
‘UK’s flagship vocational qualification failing to attract students, colleges say’ (Friday).

General:

King’s Speech. The government set out its legislative programme for the coming year in the formal King’s Speech, putting forward just over 20 pieces of legislation covering among other things renewable energy, housing tenures and leaseholds, smoking, and crime and anti-social behaviour, but with only passing references to education and skills.
King’s Speech briefing. The government outlined the progress it was making n key areas in a briefing paper accompanying the King’s Speech, grouping activity under the three themes of ‘growing the economy,’ ‘strengthening society,’ and ‘keeping people safe’.
Autumn Statement context. The Resolution Foundation set out its thoughts on the economy ahead of the Autumn Statement arguing that while it might look like the Chancellor had more ‘wriggle room’ that originally feared, the reality was that the economy is slowing, inflation and wage growth is higher than expected and spending for unprotected depts like Levelling Up and Transport is likely ‘to take a 15% hit in real terms over the next five years.
Anti-strike laws. The TUC announced a special Congress to be held in December to confront the government’s anti-strike laws which include regulations for minimum service levels for some industries and which are under discussion for extension to hospitals, schools and universities.
Jobs report. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation and KPMG published their latest survey report on UK jobs showing a further slight drop in permanent hires and an increase in temporary positioning as economic uncertainty continued to blight the recruitment market.
Early Years. The Early Years Education and Childcare Coalition called for ‘urgent action to rescue the sector from its current staffing crisis’ if it is to meet government expectations on expanded childcare, pointing to 50,000 new professionals needed for each of the next two years amid concerns about pay, workloads and retention.
Online disinformation. UNESCO set out a plan of action based on recent consultation and built around seven key principles including clear regulation and platform accountability, to tackle what it called ‘the intensification of disinformation and hate speech online’.

More specifically ...

Schools:

Ofsted. The Guardian passed its verdict on Ofsted in an Editorial suggesting that an undue focus on accountability had come at the expense of a qualified workforce and a lack of post-pandemic support, calling for a better understanding of the issues including from parents and teachers as part of any remedy.
Funding. Four education unions called on the Chancellor ‘to prioritise’ education in the forthcoming Autumn Statement with a £1.7bn increase in funding for 2024/5 so as to protect them from further cuts and recruit and retain teachers.
School attendance. The children’s commissioner expressed continuing concern about pupils missing school and notwithstanding the lack of any announcement in the King’s Speech called on the government to consider future steps including a formal absence register and statutory guidance on attendance generally.
Pupil absences. FFT Education Datalab examined pupil absences from school in England for the first half of this term concluding that the overall rate for primary pupils was slightly better when compared to last year but worse for secondary pupils, particularly among the most disadvantaged, albeit with regional differences.
ITT Bursaries. The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) gave government funded teacher training bursaries a thumbs up in a new Gatsby funded report into teacher recruitment and retention, calling for them to be boosted particularly for shortage subjects.
Oak Review. Co-claimants including BESA and the Publishers Association welcomed the decision by the High Court to grant a Judicial Review into government plans for the Oak National Academy.
Mental health. The COSMO (Covid Social Mobilities and Opportunities) youth cohort study published new survey data for 17/18-year-olds showing many continuing to struggle with mental health issues and facing great disparities in access to services and support depending on where they live.
Mental health resources. The Anna Freud mental health charity announced the launch of a new online hub of resources, funded by the government and designed by experts, for use by school and college mental health leads..
Assessment data. The NFER and Arbor announced a new venture to bring together pupil assessment data from NFER tests and Arbor MIS through a new online tool that will enable school leaders to benchmark pupil performance and help improve outcomes.

FE/Skills:

Skills training. The government pledged £200m to support skills training in key sectors such as construction, digital and green energy, targeted at meeting local needs identified through local skills improvement plans. (LSIPs.)
Skills map. Pearson launched a useful Skills Map of England, looking at the different regions across the country to see where jobs and opportunities were expanding or reducing and how these related to future jobs and skills, arguing for a more nuanced approach to skills policy as automation seemingly changed rather than destroyed jobs.
L3 reforms. The House of Commons Library Service published a helpful explainer of the L3 qualification reforms and the proposed new Advanced British Standard (ABS,) running through the background to the reforms, how the new system is intended to work, what’s happening to particular qualifications, and the various reactions to the reforms.
Adult learning. The Learning and Work Institute published its latest annual Adult Participation in Learning survey showing adult participation at ‘a historic’ high, driven largely by a surge in online learning following the pandemic but with notable gaps in participation in certain regions such as the N.E. and among lower socio-economic groups.
College matters. The Association of Colleges (AoC) published briefing notes to inform MPs in debates following the King’s Speech, highlighting the five core issues concerning the sector including funding, the workforce, qualification reform, apprenticeships, and college reclassification, along with potential remedies.
Arts and education. The Learning and Work Institute called in an open letter as part of Lifelong Learning Week for more adults to have the opportunity to learn about and take part in the arts, with many leading players from across the arts world lending their voices of support.
Training Trends. City and Guilds reported that many businesses recognised the importance of learning and development but often struggled to align training with business priorities as they published their latest survey report on training trends among leading UK-based companies.
Green apprenticeships. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) heralded Green Careers Week by highting the number of apprenticeships now in place supporting green skills with more to come as part of the drive to net zero.

HE:

Universities and AI. The think tank Demos in partnership with the University of London examined how universities could best prepare students with the skills needed to operate in a world of rapid change driven by AI, particularly when it’s not yet fully understood, making the case for the incorporation of what it called GRASP (general relational, analytical, social and personal) skills.
Tuition fees. Data expert Dr Mark Corver reflected in an extended blog on the HEPI on the funding system for undergraduates in UKHE suggesting it was currently ‘in crisis’ and putting forward instead a system of advance payment, based on likely future salary, as a form of pre-payment investment by the student.
Inclusive assessment. University Alliance reported on its latest research, gathered from a group of participating universities, on how inclusive assessment practices developed during the pandemic could be adopted for subsequent use, highlighting the pros and cons of the core inclusive attributes identified.
Engineering Masters. The Dyson Institute announced that from next September it would offer MEng courses rather than degree apprenticeships to all its new students, with plans to introduce further Masters courses and PhDs pending approval.

Tweets and posts of note:

“My wife tells me our Y3 son's online learning portal shows all his homework is 'outstanding'. Me: that's impressive because we don't even make him do it. Wife: No, outstanding as in it hasn't been done. Me: Oh”. | @AdrianBethune
“Teaching is the only career I’ve ever had where more and more gets piled on and you can’t ask what you should prioritise instead to get it done”. | @La_Biologuita
“Just seen a CV for a candidate who has number GCSE grades and I am so not ready for that. It's the "new" GCSE, those kids can't possibly have degrees already”. | @MBDscience
“Roses are red, Violets are blue, There is no half-term worse than the dreaded Autumn 2”. | @brassoteach
“Anyone remember that thing in teaching where you had to use learning objectives or you went straight to hell? Is that still going?”. | @tstarkey1212
“I find it bonkers that a Head of department that is part-time, fulfils the role of HOD but gets paid part-time for it. Utterly bonkers”. | @missdcox
“The demand for British education – and British teachers – is rapidly growing in India, which is having a big impact on international schools' strategy, but could also have a knock-on effect on workforce in the UK”. | @tes
“We are told we live in the era of tech-enabled, customer-responsive business; so how come the outcome of every call these days is to find yourself sitting on hold listening to music?". | @MichaelBarber9

Memorable quotes

A selection of quotes that merit attention:

“My Government will, in all respects, seek to make long-term decisions in the interests of future generations” – the King rounds off government legislative plans in this year’s King’s Speech.
“More of us may feel little choice but to work a year or two longer than planned" – the IfS’s Paul Johnson on retirement issues.
“It’s increasingly clear that spending plans pencilled in for after the next election cannot be delivered” – the Resolution Foundation assesses the economy ahead of the Autumn Statement.
“There was a single minister straddling both departments initially – which was very difficult to pull off and I’m not sure that is the solution – but I think bringing universities back into a single department is the solution” – former OfS CEO Nicola Dandridge on bringing universities under one government department.
“If the inspectorate is to continue, it must find a way of helping schools improve” – The Guardian offers its verdict on Ofsted.
“The prospects for a 'well-rewarded' career in teaching are 'greater now than they have ever been” – the view from Nick Gibb.
“We must look at ways to get more workers back into offices - where, in my opinion, they belong - and, by extension, encourage them to re-appraise their commitment to getting their children into school” – Sir Peter Lampl on the links between WFH and pupil absences.
“Let’s base our education systems on what we know works, not on what we think might work in 20 years’ time” – Daisy Christodoulou reflects on the implications for education of AI.
“I’ll admit it. There’s nothing worse (or better) than the school WhatsApp group” – journalist Victoria Richards on a new peril or pleasure for parents.
“Profanity does not belong in the hugger-muggery of message groups” – wordsmith Susie Dent on what can be learned for message groups from the Covid Inquiry.

Important numbers

Not-to-be-missed numbers of the week:

21. The number of Bills listed in the King’s Speech, according to the official document accompanying the Speech.
49%. The rate of adult participation in learning in the UK this year, up ‘eight percentage points on last year’ according to the Learning and Work Institute.
7%. The number of jobs in England likely to be affected by automation and augmentation by 2027 with a potential net increase of 2.4m new jobs resulting, according to predictions in Pearson’s Skills Map of England report.
33%. The number of 17/18 year olds in school or college in England reporting that the pandemic was still having a negative impact on their education, according to the latest COSMO study report.
5.4m. The number of GCSE certificates awarded for the 2022/23 academic year in England, up 3.4% on the previous year according to Ofqual.
7.9%. The number of school sessions missed by secondary pupils so far this term compared to 5.6% for the pre-pandemic autumn term, according to data from FFT Education Datalab.
15%. The increase in the early years workforce needed for each of the next two years to meet the government’s extended entitlement, according to the Early Years Coalition.
79.25%. The number of two-year olds at or above the expected level in all five areas of development such as motor skills and communication in 2022/23, down from 81.1% previously according to latest DfE data.

Everything else you need to know ...

What to look out for next week:

Education Committee witness session teacher recruitment and retention (Tuesday 14 November).
AoC Annual Conference (Tuesday 14 November – Wednesday 15 November).
Policy Exchange event on ‘A Full Tertiary Funding System’ (Thursday 16 November).

Steve Besley

Disclaimer: Education Eye is intended to help colleagues keep up to date with national developments in the education sector. Information is correct at the time of writing and is offered in good faith. No liability is accepted by Steve Besley or EdCentral for decisions made on the basis of any information provided.