Steve Besley's Education Eye: week ending 06 June 2025

What's happened this week?

Important stories across the board:

Flaming June already and a busy few weeks ahead with the summer exam season heading into its latter stages, university terms drawing to a close amid continuing funding concerns and some important policy announcements looming.

The first of these kick off next week with the release of the government’s spending review, infrastructure plans and updated industrial strategy.

Most eyes will be on the government’s spending plans where education has been one of the depts eyeballing the Chancellor over final budget details.

Local councils, doctors and the police have been among the groups pitching their claims recently. Last week college leaders added their voice and this week it’s been the turn of school leaders. As the NAHT put it, “School leaders are literally walking on fire for their pupils and staff.”

Negotiations generally have been described as ‘tortuous’ with the government facing a number of difficult decisions as the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IfS) set out this week.

They listed four, from how much to spend on key priority areas like the NHS and defence, to where, and importantly how, cuts might have to be made and where capital investment should be targeted.

The overall budget envelope for the next three years has already been set and there’s little fat in the system. “Repeatedly squeezing departmental budgets and pretending that everything can stay the same is not a sustainable approach,” the IfS said.

And talking about squeezing, the OECD this week lowered projections for UK growth this year and next, dashing last week’s more optimistic forecast from the IMF.  

The Times Higher reported last week that universities were bracing themselves for ‘a tough spending review after a brutal few months.’ They may not be the only ones.

Away from the buildup to next week’s announcements, what’s been happening across education this week?

For schools, a big headline has been the extension of free school meals next year to families on Universal Credit.

The Prime Minister called the decision “a truly historic moment,” the Sutton Trust said “it not only helps tackle the effects of child poverty but will also likely help improve education outcomes for disadvantaged young people.” ASCL called it ”great news,” the NEU said it was “overdue.”

The two-child cap remains, however, the elephant in the room when it comes to child poverty as the IfS explained. “If the government’s main interest is to reduce child poverty, there are other measures such as lifting the two child-limit that would have a lower cost per child lifted out of poverty.”

In other news this week, the government published a battery of stats on schools, the workforce and pupils.

On the workforce which covers state schools in England last year, the NFER detected ‘some green shoots’ around teacher recruitment and retention while the NEU reckoned that ‘figures confirm that teaching remains insufficiently attractive  to bring in the numbers of teachers needed.’

FTE teacher numbers are slightly down on last year but TA numbers have increased significantly. The pupil to teacher ratio remains similar to last year, 20.8 in primary and nursery, 16.7 in secondary and 6.5 in special and PRU schools.

On schools, the number of pupils has dropped slightly on last year and stands at the start of this year at just over 9m. Over half of all pupils in England now attend an academy. The number of pupils in special schools and (AP) alternative provision schools is up but the number in independent schools is down, by 1.9%.

Elsewhere Ofsted reported on the steps it was taking to recognise the importance of mental health and wellbeing in its inspection activity.

It includes working with Mental Health First Aid England. “This means that every new inspector joining Ofsted understands from day one the importance of mental health and working collaboratively, and knows how to identify signs of distress in leaders.”

And as questions continue about future shape of the curriculum and the review into it, Maths Horizons, the group set up to look at the future of maths and feed into the curriculum review, published its “blueprint to reform maths curriculum and assessment.”

Among its seven recommendations were calls for a rebalanced maths curriculum and reforms to both SATs and GCSEs to ensure ‘fundamental knowledge and problem solving.’

Future work will take in the use of technology and the impact of exams. “We will explore ways in which the design and regulation of exams could place more weight on assessing problem solving and could potentially introduce pilots for screen-based exams.”

And still on the curriculum, FT columnist Stephen Bush tackled the issue of AI and where it sits in terms of the familiar skills v knowledge balance in the school curriculum. He went for a knowledge base first to be able to apply the skills.

Many would agree. A link to the piece is here.

In FE, as the door finally shut on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, the Education Secretary set out the ‘to do’ list for the now formally established Skills England in its first year.

Largely as expected, the list includes providing ‘a single and authoritative voice on current and future skill needs,’ simplifying the skills system, and working with a range of partners on skills issues.

The Institute for the Future of Work welcomed what it called the government’s ‘proactive, data-driven approach to shaping the UK’s future workforce.’

Many of the skills issues are long-standing and we now await a business plan from Skills England to see how it intends to consider tackling them.

In other news, the government set out the increased funding rates for 16 – 19 provision for next year, “warmly welcomed” by the sixth form colleges association among others.

And the AoC reported back on the first three years of its funded research programme, Research Further, which has seen practitioners tackle a number of key issues including ‘engaging the disengaged’ and ‘regional inequality.’ 

In HE, two reports this week have sought to sketch out a more positive operating model for UKHE in the future.

Universities UK’s Transformation and Efficiency Taskforce challenged the current competitive model which it argued hadn’t served universities well, and called instead for ‘a new era of collaboration.’

“We need to make sure the balance between competition and collaboration is right if we are to secure a sustainable future,” it argued.

It set out a number of ways in which this could, and in some cases already was, happening from shared services, to digital transformation to evolving governance and called on the government to work with them to support ‘transformational’ change.  

Importantly, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had given a helpful nod last week for how universities might usefully work together within current market rules.

In the other report, an expert paper on the HEPI site set out a number of proposals to help HE institutions break out from a feeling of being boxed in.

“The question leaders in the sector need to ask themselves is how are they going to deal with this box: are they going to learn to live within it, try to break out of the box, or seek to build new boxes to operate within? The answers they come up with are likely to shape the sector for decades to come.”

Elsewhere both the OfS and the Russell Group have been talking up regional access partnerships this week.

The OfS launched a call for evidence on the matter – it’s waiting till after the spending review on how viable plans might be – while the Russell Group announced a series of measures including regional partnerships and support for care leavers as part of its package to improve access and opportunity for more disadvantaged students.

The QAA launched further consultation on the regulation and licensing arrangements for an International Access to HE Diploma to “provide students internationally with the opportunity to enter higher education irrespective of whether the student aimed to enter UK higher education” or that in another country.

And the UPP Foundation announced funding and support for further rolling out of the innovative Energy Advice Centres where students help ‘give free bespoke advice about energy bills and usage to the local public.’

Community involvement at its best.

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

The top headlines of the week:

• ‘Students warned of subject cold spots as universities cut courses’ (Monday)
• ‘Push for 1000s more school cadets in new era for defence’ (Tuesday)
• ‘Nearly half of heads expect to cut teachers next year, unions find’ (Wednesday)
• ‘Free school meal expansion in England will benefit fewer than claimed, IfS says’ (Thursday)
• ‘Co-chairs revealed for white working class kids inquiry’ (Friday)

General:

• Defence Review. The PM launched the government’s Strategic Defence Review promising a move to ‘warfighting readiness,’ with implications for education that include support for 30,000 highly skilled jobs, a 30% increase in cadets by 2030 and the introduction of a voluntary Gap Year scheme.
• Spending Review. The IfS set out some of the (many) challenges facing the Chancellor as she draws up next week’s Spending Review, pointing to four in particular covering NHS and defence spending, cuts and capital spending, and concluding that some depts may face ‘real-term cuts after this year.’
• Global Economic Outlook. The OECD published its latest assessment of global economies, downgrading growth projections for the UK for this year and next in the light of trade and tariff uncertainties and pointing to a ‘cooling’ labour market, depressed consumer confidence and pressure on public finances.
• UK Economic Outlook. The British Chambers of Commerce published its latest Quarterly Economic Forecast (QEF) for the UK  suggesting a slight uptick in growth this year although downgraded for next year and things remaining ‘sluggish’ generally but with business investment up.
• Council funding. The County Councils Network reported on its survey of members ahead of next week’s Spending Review, pointing to a £2bn+ funding gap and suggesting that six in ten councils ‘were not confident of setting a balanced budget next year.’
• Child poverty. The End Child Poverty Group published research from Loughborough University showing that 2/3 of MPs represent constituencies where ‘at least one in four children are in poverty’ with data from 2023/24 showing the North of England, W. Midlands and Wales the worst affected.
• Youth provision. The Centre for Young Lives called for ‘a new youth provision offer for England’ of refurbished youth centres, support and all-year activities, arguing that at a cost of £1.46bn over the next three years, this would bring strong financial, economic and social benefits.
• Digital poverty. The Digital Poverty Alliance set out its latest National Delivery and Advocacy Plan listing six ‘national missions’ intended to address digital poverty, covering among other things affordable connectivity, sustainable funding, and digital skills for life.
• AI Jobs. The consultancy PwC published its latest survey report on the AI jobs market pointing to a varying picture with a big increase in the share of job postings requiring AI skills particularly in ICT, Financial and Professional Services but slower growth in job postings in AI exposed occupations and continuing ‘churn’ over skill needs, with degree requirements falling.

HE:

• A collaborative future. Universities UK published the report from its Taskforce looking into how universities might work more collaboratively in future to generate efficiencies, setting out a range of options from mergers and federations to shared services and provision, and proposing a future programme of work that could oversee such future change.
• Boxed in. The HE Policy Institute (HEPI) published a new paper by two experts arguing that HE institutions are currently ‘boxed in’ on all sides by among other things rising costs, increased regulation and uncertain future demand, putting forward instead a range of proposals around strategy, funding and reform that could help them operate differently.
• Regional Access Partnerships. The OfS launched a call for evidence on creating new regional access partnerships that, depending on future funding, will build on the work of Uni Connect and by 2028/29 develop a national outreach programme.
• University access. The Russell Group set out a range of access commitments including support packages for care leavers, standardised approaches to contextual admissions and stronger regional partnerships, all designed to help support university access and opportunity particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented areas.
• Access to HE Diploma. The QAA opened out further consultation on a proposed International Access to HE Diploma (IAHED,) which could provided access to HE globally for international students, looking here at the regulations and requirements on Access Validating Agencies (AVAs) who would be licensed to operate the Diploma.
• Energy Advice Centres. UPP pledged funding support for the expansion of student-led Energy Advice Centres, first pioneered at London South Bank University and rolling out elsewhere offering advice on energy bills and usage to the wider public.

Tweets and posts of note:

• “Does every school have one member of staff that announces the exact number of working days and hours till the summer breaks every time they enter the staff room?” -@Headteacherchat.
• “Celia Walden: Teachers have more important things to do than show your child how to apply sunscreen | The Telegraph” -@schoolsontap.
• “School is not meant to reflect back a child’s existing world. It is meant to offer new worlds. It is meant to take the child by the hand and lead them to places they never knew existed, places beyond their postcode, places they have every right to belong” -@Counsell_C.
• “For those pupils looking to waste their money trying to find out from social media what to revise please stop wasting your cash. Revise everything taught/on the spec as guessing what will be on the exam is just that, guessing” -@Strickomaster.
• “Excessive workload means 44% of teachers work extra day every week, says union | Independent” -@FEontap.
• “If a member of school staff has to speak to you during the working day about your child’s behaviour you can be assured that whatever it is, it is NOT funny” -@kateowbridge.
• “Guys! It’s getting really close to my new documentary 'Jamie's Dyslexia Revolution' being on @channel4 this Monday at 9pm. It’s been such an emotional show to make for me, a real journey of discovery” -@jamieoliver.
• “Of the songs that Spotify reckons will “take over the summer”, half are under three minutes. Our analysis of almost 1,200 number-one hits suggests brevity is not season-specific” -@TheEconomist.

A selection of quotes that merit attention:

• “Even if we see improvements in public sector productivity – which should be a focus across government – a combination of reductions in public sector employment, public sector pay and the range of public services the government provides would likely be required” – the IfS reflects on some of the challenges facing the government as it prepares for next week’s Spending Review.
• “We are hearing strongly from our members that redundancies and staff reductions are the only way to balance the books” – the NAHT reports on its members’ survey this week.
• “The state of the public finances is a significant downside risk to the outlook if the fiscal rules are to be met” – the OECD adds to the economic gloom in a report this week.
• “Increased fees from the Office for Students smacks of a regulator living in a parallel universe to that of the sector it is regulating” – University Alliance appears unimpressed by the OfS’s fee increase.
• “Our report reflects on the ways in which the competitive pillars on which the higher education environment has been built since 2012 have created new challenges” – Universities UK reports on building a more collaborative sector for the future.
• “This is a good settlement given the fiscal climate and when compared to other parts of the education sector and wider public services” – the sixth form colleges association welcomes the increased funding for 16-19 provision.
• “We have a clear policy on pausing an inspection if leaders show signs of distress” – Ofsted sets out new objectives around recognising the importance of mental health associated with inspections.
• “Our vision is to raise standards at every level, so that almost all students leave education having achieved at least a standard pass in GCSE Maths” – the Maths Horizons Group reports on its vision for maths.
• “This is a significant step towards taking hunger out of the classroom” – the Sutton Trust welcomes the extension of free school meals.
• “You willingly give up your time and take on significant responsibilities, on a wholly voluntary basis, for the benefit of the children” – the government marks Volunteers Week by thanking school and trust governors and trustees.

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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.