Steve Besley's Education Eye: week ending 29 November 2024

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:

A big white paper this week with plenty in it for education and skills.

Entitled ‘Get Britain Working,’ the paper focuses on employment support and is one of a trilogy of papers along with the Industrial Strategy and a Plan to Make Work Pay, that the government has been working on for some time in its efforts to support growth and ‘fix the foundations of our economy.’

The context is clear. 9.25m people in the UK economically inactive, one in eight young people not in education, employment or training, and skills shortages in key sectors. Hence the interest for education.

So what are the key points?

These revolve around the three reforms outlined by the Secretary of State in a Statement to MPs.

First a modernised jobs and careers service, joined up, digitalised – “people can have a jobcentre in their pocket” – and rooted in local communities. The new service will start “with a pathfinder early next year, backed with £55 million of initial funding,” work coaches and ‘a personalised service.’

Second a new youth guarantee ‘so that every young person is earning or learning.’

This came as expected with both carrot and stick although the latter wasn’t very clear.

Carrots included mental health support, careers guidance, a ‘more flexible Growth and Skills Levy,’ and work experience with some enticing placements dangled, such as those with the Premier League and Channel 4. Much will depend on local opportunities and local leadership but £45m is promised and will help to set up eight ‘youth trailblazer areas,’ from Liverpool to London.

As for the stick, this came more in the form of a warning. “You have a responsibility to take them (the opportunities) up.” Benefit sanctions may follow.

And third and to provide help for those struggling with ill health, more trailblazers, eight this time around the country, joining up work, health and skills support, working closely with the NHS and with mayoral authorities to provide back-to-back support through programmes such as Connect to Work.

A further Green Paper will look at whether benefits should be reformed. And employers will be given a lead role in creating healthy workplaces with a review on this under the former John Lewis boss, Sir Charlie Mayfield, set to report next autumn.

So lots of reports and reviews with much of the heavy action coming next year.

Keir Starmer described it as “a plan that tackles the biggest drivers of unemployment and inactivity and gives young people their future back through real, meaningful change instead of empty rhetoric and sticking plaster politics.”

The CBI said ‘the government deserves credit for seeking to get to grips with the challenges.’ The Institute for Employment Studies heralded ‘the bringing of support to where people are, and feel comfortable being, and tailoring that support so it becomes more personalised and supportive.’ The Skills Federation said ‘the focus on supporting more people into work is the right one’ while the TUC said “It is right to ensure that young people who are seeking work are helped to find a job or training.” A point endorsed by the Learning and Work Institute which has been campaigning for just such a Youth Guarantee for some time.

The lack of action and of detail have been the main criticisms particularly of a Paper that talks of ‘radical reform’ and claims to offer ‘the biggest reforms to employment support for a generation.’

In summary, most organisations saw it as a good start before adding a ‘but.’ And the buts were about ensuring support, funding, follow through and clear outcomes.

Elshere this week in Westminster, the Finance Bill, which includes the VAT proposal on private schools passed its Second Reading with a majority of 156. It now heads to a more detailed Committee Stage. The Independent Schools Council is preparing for legal action early next year.

MPs discussed the petition about holidays in term time with the Under-Secretary’s response acknowledging the issue but pointing to the disruption caused by school absences. “Children thrive on stability, and a steady churn of absences disrupts the learning of every child,” he explained.

MPs also discussed online safety for children and young people. “We must strike the right balance so that children can access the benefits of being online while we continue to put their safety first.”

The Lords held a Second Reading of the updated Mental Health Bill while their Industry and Regulators Committee heard from the Skills Minister and team about apprenticeships.

On to schools where Ofsted published inspection outcomes for state schools for 2023/24, showing 90% judged as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ at their most recent inspection and confirming what Ofsted described as “the positive trend seen since we resumed inspections following a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Careers and Enterprise Company published the results of an interesting survey among secondary school students about career readiness. This increases progressively from Year 7 although not for every student such as the more disadvantaged.

The NASUWT published the results of a new members survey highlighting the issue of pupil absences. Many cited parental disengagement as a worrying factor.

“The significant amount of time that teachers are spending on liaising with parents of absent pupils is not only increasing already excessive workloads, but also diverting teachers’ time from meeting the needs of those pupils who are in class.”

The Education Policy Institute reported on its Nuffield funded survey looking into the career movements of teachers who became heads over the last decade.

It found many operate in “tight-knit communities,” meaning more isolated schools often miss out on attracting ambitious recruits. It called for better support and where necessary, incentives to widen the market.

The NFER looked into recent graduate trends suggesting a possible growing pool of likely teachers emerging, including in shortage subjects such as STEM but a need to consider incentives for many other subjects such as Computing and ICT.

And the government encouraged schools to become early adopters of its free breakfast club scheme with the first clubs due from next April. “A landmark opportunity for schools to be in the vanguard of change,” according to the Education Secretary.

In FE, the FT reported employer concerns about the lack of progress around the government’s skills strategy.

With the full Industrial Strategy not due until next year, concerns about the remit of the new skills quango and little sign yet of the promised new Growth and Skills Levy, employers are said to be holding back until the landscape is clear. As the CBI explained, “Our survey data shows that business investment in training and skills is on hold as firms await details on the new growth and skills levy.”

FAB has been holding its Annual Conference where among other things it put forward a proposed new strategy built around four outcomes including providing a leading skills voice, supporting industry standards, ensuring quality delivery and displaying organisational excellence.

The Education Endowment Foundation announced two new projects to support GCSE English and maths resit students. It’s keen to build up its evidence base of what works in this area and invited colleges to apply for pilots that will run next year. The government is keeping a beady eye on this area.

And the ESFA set out the funding arrangements for such GCSE resits for 2025/26 with a minimum 100 teaching hours, across the year, for each subject with the ‘encouragement’ of a further 35 hours for maths and an overall compliance tolerance of 2.5%. ‘An improvement but doesn’t go far enough,’ the verdict on the revised arrangements from the AoC.

In HE, it’s been a time for future planning with both the Student Loans Co (SLC) and Advance HE publishing strategic plans.

The SLC’s Business Plan for 2024/25 was a case of carefully balancing efficiencies with quality outcomes as it prepares for a new Corporate Plan within a tight budget remit.

“Alongside our ‘business as usual’ of delivering the academic cycle with a ‘right channel, right time’ customer experience, providing a Great Place to Work for colleagues and delivering shareholder priorities as a Trusted Delivery Partner, we are working to create greater efficiency and sustainability so that SLC is in the best position possible to set and deliver a refreshed Corporate Strategy.”

For those interested in the latest picture on loans and grants, the Company rounded off the week with a full set of data on recent loans and grants made.

As for Advance HE, its Strategy 2030 Plan focused on supporting transformational change with an emphasis very much on supporting leadership and developing educational excellence for the HE of the future.

Elsewhere, Universities UK reported on how the new Universities for North East England body was helping drive local growth. “Our recent economic impact report calculated this impact to be worth £9.7 billion in the North East.”

The HE Policy Institute (HEPI) and ed tech company Instructure called for the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and the Growth and Skills Levy to be brought together into a coherent approach to lifelong learning rather than left as separate strands..

“By aligning these policies, we can create a more flexible and unified pathway for lifelong learning that responds to both individual career aspirations and the evolving needs of the UK workforce.”

And BERA (The British Educational Research Association) announced that ‘Elite Universities and the Making of Privilege: Exploring Race and Class in Global Educational Economies’ by Kalwant Bhopal and Martin Myers had been selected as its Educational Research Book of the Year.

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

The top headlines of the week:

‘Labour’s skills strategy under fire for lack of ‘clout’ and urgency’ (Monday)
‘Outstanding Ofsted judgements more than double in a year’ (Tuesday)
‘2 in 5 teachers say mobile phones can be a teaching tool’ (Wednesday)
‘A level results: Disadvantage gap remains’ (Thursday)
‘Support staff bear brunt of behaviour crisis in England’s schools, union says’ (Friday)

General:

Get Britain Working. The Work and Pensions Secretary launched the government’s white paper on ‘Getting Britain Working’ again, setting out a range of reforms and reviews “to target and tackle the root causes behind why people are not working, joining up help and support based on the needs of local people and local places.”
White Paper Briefing. The Learning and Work Institute published a briefing on the ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper and in particular what’s needed in terms of numbers and support for the government to reach its ambition of an 80% employment rate.
CBI Conference Blueprint. Rain Newton-Smith, CBI CEO, addressed the organisation’s Annual Conference where she set out three key areas for growth more immediately around the workforce and a reformed levy, and in the longer term, around the Industrial Strategy, as she launched a new Blueprint for Competitiveness.
BCC on growth. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) argued that the government’s Industrial Strategy which is due to be published next spring must pull together collective regional strengths and focus on growth priorities while driving investment, supporting the workforce and tackling net zero.
Child Poverty. The government set out the terms of reference and membership of its Child Poverty Analytical Expert Reference Group with a remit ‘to provide advice and scrutiny’ on the government’s developing Child Poverty Strategy.
Early years food poverty. The Education Policy Institute called for food poverty for the under-fives to be included in the government’s forthcoming Child Poverty Strategy as well as ‘working towards’ universal free meals in early years settings as it published a commissioned report into early years food poverty.
A Vision for Children. The Local Government Association (LGA) set out its ‘Vision for Children, Young People and Families’ providing detailed analysis and action required to deliver against what it saw as ‘5 things every child needs to survive’ including Love, Fun, Safety, Health, and A Chance to learn and grow.

More specifically ...

Schools:

Inspection outcomes. Ofsted reported on its 2023/24 inspection outcomes for state schools, showing a small increase to 90% in the number inspected judged as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ with 39% retaining their top grade.
Breakfast clubs. The government invited applications from schools hoping to become early adopters from next April of its free breakfast club scheme, ahead of a national rollout due in the future.
Career Insights. The Careers and Enterprise Company published the results of its major survey, conducted among secondary schools over the past year, into student perceptions about career readiness finding students starting to express more definite career ideas from Year 7, with key transition points such as Year 11 acting as prime motivators.
Under financial pressure. The government published a commissioned report into how schools have been coping with financial pressures, pointing to increased costs in staffing and energy as well as to SEND provision as major challenges and with primary schools reporting the greatest concerns but with schools generally prioritising protecting curriculum provision where possible.
Teacher supply. Jack Worth for the NFER examined recent trends in graduate numbers and how far these could affect teacher supply in a new blog, pointing to a likely growing talent pool in some shortage subjects including STEM but a need for incentives to attract graduates in others such as Computing and ICT.
Headteacher moves. The Education Policy Institute called for better support for isolated schools and incentives for school leaders to work in challenging schools as it published a report showing school leaders tending to move within ‘connected communities’ leaving isolated schools unable to attract talent.
School absences. The NASUWT pointed to a ‘significant increase’ in persistent absence as it published the results of its survey among UK teachers, highlighting the impact on workloads and raising concerns about parental disengagement.

FE/Skills:

16-19 funding. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) set out the funding conditions for GCSE English and maths for 2025/26 which will see respective 16-19 students provided with 100 hours of teaching in each subject across the year, recorded through data returns with an additional hour a week of maths where required and a 2.5% tolerance maintained.
GCSE resits. The Education Endowment Foundation announced two new post-16 projects, one supporting students resitting GCSE English or maths and one supporting FE teachers working with GCSE maths resitters, that will run next year and help build up evidence of what works best with resit students
Skills strategy. The FT reported that businesses were concerned about the slow progress and lack of ambition of the government’s skills strategy with a new Industrial Strategy not due until next year, little progress on development of a new Growth and Skills Levy and concerns about the status of Skills England.
Green Jobs. The consultancy PwC published its latest Green Jobs Barometer showing a further rise in green job adverts despite a contraction in the overall job market, with each green job in turn generating demand for other jobs and with London and Northern Ireland leading the way in terms of demand.

HE:

Student loans. The Student Loans Co provided a new roundup of loans provided to UK students over recent years, showing a 3.8% decrease to £19.9bn in total support provided last year with the average f/t tuition fee loan amounting to £8,220, and with a total of £4.77bn paid out for the current year to date.
Lifelong Learning. The HE Policy Institute (HEPI) and education technology company Instructure called for the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and the Growth and Skills Levy to be brought together as part of a unified, flexible pathway for lifelong learning rather than implemented as two separate approaches.
Business Plan. The Student Loans Co published its Business Plan for 2024/25 setting out a range of outcomes and measures for its three core ‘client’ groups of customers, shareholders and staff respectively, pledging among other things further support for disabled students and enhanced efficiencies, along with building for the future as the current Corporate Plan draws to a close.
2030 Strategy. Advance HE published its 2030 Strategy detailing much of its current work and setting out three priorities for the future, including maximising membership and impact, supporting leadership through change, and developing educational excellence for the future.
Graduate employment. Prospects Luminate published its latest annual report on graduate employment focusing on the Class of 2021/22 15 months on showing that by 2023 59% were in f/t employment, 6.7% were in further study and 5.6% unemployed, with health professionals followed by software developers the most common professional jobs and with London the top employment spot.
Post grad experience. Advance HE reported on its latest Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey, pointing to new high levels (84%) of satisfaction particularly among overseas postgrads despite the cost-of-living biting many.

Tweets and posts of note:

"Logging into different platforms each morning as a teacher takes time, add it all together over a year and it's quite a significant chunk of time! Better to have one or two platforms that can do everything" -@TTRadioOfficial.
“There should be consequences for parents that make vexatious complaints about teachers that are proven to be false. The complaint culture that has blown up in recent years - I reckon it’s fast becoming a key reason teachers quit, esp when they get no protection from leaders” -@RogersHistory.
“Email...the speed at which one is expected to respond to everything. I started in 2000, didn't have a laptop or use a computer regularly until 2006. I used to check my pigeon hole each morning for phone messages, letters, merit slips, behaviour slips etc.” -@DJDebussy62.
“100 years ago everyone owned a horse and only the rich had cars. Today everyone has cars and only the rich own horses. The stables have turned” -@BigBearF1.
“Whenever I’m not reading a book there are bookmarks everywhere. They fall here and there like cherry blossom. Whenever I’m reading a book the only thing to hand is a piece of burnt bread” -@hering_david.
“At dentists and had to pre-pay before getting check-up, because people were doing runners after seeing dentist. Never had that before. What does it say about the times we live in? I suppose they’d make a clean getaway” -@seanjcoughlan.

A selection of quotes that merit attention:

“Our plan to Get Britain Working sets us on a path to bring down economic inactivity levels and takes the first steps to delivering our long-term ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate” – the government sets out a plan to Get Britain Working again.
“Get Britain Working White Paper: full of good intentions but the youth guarantee needs to be cast-iron” – The Resolution Foundation responds to the latest White Paper.
“Healthy staff make healthy businesses, but delivery is key. It is important changes are made quickly and effectively, to help firms develop thriving workforces in the years to come” – the British Chambers of Commerce responds to the ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper.
“A step in the right direction” – the CIPD responds to the ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper.
““Public services now need to live within their means because I’m really clear, I’m not coming back with more borrowing or more taxes” – the Chancellor seeks to reassure big bosses at the CBI Annual Conference.
“We need a big heave on the enablers of growth” – the CEO of the CBI sets out some conditions for growth at her organisation’s Annual Conference.
“It is the greatest honour of my life to have been chosen by my fellow Oxonians to serve as Chancellor of our university” – William Hague on becoming the new Chancellor of Oxford University.
“Try to remember that, although your family will be happy to see you, they've just gone three months without you living at home. You've probably adapted to living away from them, too” – the Save the Student website advises those students returning home for Christmas on how to re-integrate.
“Today’s strong turnout shows the strength of feeling amongst out members at this clearly farcical situation” – the NEU reports on the first day of action from eligible sixth-form college members.
“I did have to down tools and just focus on my daughter, because we were told we wouldn’t get any support until she’s in crisis. I haven’t put into a pension for years now,” one mother tells The Independent about the difficulties of coping with a child’s special needs.

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

£296.1m. The budget for the Student Loans Co for 2024/25, according to the Company’s latest Business Plan.
9.2%. The rise in the number of green job adverts across the UK last year, according to PwC’s Green Jobs Barometer.
82%. The percentage of Gen Zs in a survey who said they used AI tools in their work, according to a survey by Harris and Google Workspace.
339,580. The number of apprenticeships starts over the last year August 2023-July 2024, up 0.7% on the previous year according to latest government figures.
152,610. The number of entries for GCSE English and maths exams this November, up 21% on the previous year according to latest figures from Ofqual.
723,220. The number of special consideration requests for GCSE, AS and A level exams this summer either for mark adjustments or for qualification awards, up 3.0% from the previous year according to Ofqual.
64%. The number of teachers surveyed who said unauthorised absence among pupils had significantly increased since 2020, according to a survey from the NASUWT.
25%. The number of teenagers surveyed who said that the violent content they had seen had been ‘pushed’ by social media platforms, according to a survey by the Youth Endowment Fund.
399,500. The number of children in need as of 31 March 2024, similar to last year but up 2.6% on 2020 according to the LGA.
931. The number of unregistered children’s homes providers last year identified by Ofsted, up by a third on the previous year.
72%. The number of respondents who say they haven’t put their Christmas decorations up yet, according to a poll from YouGov at the start of this week.

Everything else you need to know ...

What to look out for next week

Universities UK International Student Recruitment Conference (Monday 2 December)
Education Committee evidence session on L3 qualification reform (Tuesday 3 December)
Westminster Hall debate on statutory framework for home-to-school transport for SEND pupils (Tuesday 3 December)
HEPI hosted launch of LSBU English HE Social Mobility Index 2024 (Tuesday 3 December)
UCAS End of Cycle reporting (Thursday 5 December)
Release of secondary school 2024 performance data (Thursday 5 December)

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.