Steve Besley's Education Eye: week ending 20 June 2025

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:

More heat than light for much of this week.

One area where at least some light has been shed is how the DfE will spend the money granted to it by the Chancellor in her Spending Review last week.

Details came in a letter from the Education Secretary to the Chair of the Education Committee published this week. “DfE’s Spending Review settlement now moves us onto a new chapter to deliver on our Plan for Change,” Bridget Phillipson wrote.

No mention of higher ed in that new chapter but plenty of other commitments on early years, SEND, schools and skills.

Much of it was familiar but it included the government’s enthusiasm for the early years. “We will continue to invest in the strongest evidence-based interventions to ensure a record proportion of five-year olds have a good level of development by 2028.”

Also the much anticipated plan for reform of the SEND system set for this autumn, the ongoing pledge to recruit 6,500 more teachers but not covering primary schools, and continuing commitments to improving school buildings. “We will also commit for the first time to an increase in annual maintenance investment per year in line with inflation, rising to around £2.3 billion in 2029- 30 to improve the condition of the school estate.”

On skills, there were references to foundation apprenticeships and to the funding for growing numbers of 16-19 year olds but beyond that the language got a bit opaque. “We are laser-focused on opening up opportunities for young people to build skills.”

A sense perhaps, though, of an education strategy taking shape.

Indeed education has featured in both the government’s 10-Yr Infrastructure Strategy and new Welfare Bill both published this week with school and college estate modernisation featuring in the former and employment support in the latter. And an updated Industrial Strategy and HE report are set to follow shortly.

What else has been happening across education this week?

In schools, the annual Thank a Teacher Day which occurred this week prompted a host of positive media comments.

Among them was the Education Secretary, “a shy girl with long plaits” as she described her school self, highlighting the impact of one teacher in her life, and adding her thanks.

“Visiting nurseries, schools and colleges across the country, I see the impact you as teachers are having on today’s generation of children. And I know that when those children grow up, even if they don’t get the chance to thank you themselves, they’ll still remember all you did for them.”

The Day saw double celebrations with Pearson publishing its this year’s silver award winners for its prestigious National Teaching Award, with gold award winners being awarded later this year.

Also this week, the pervading presence of AI has continued with the cross-party think tank Policy Connect publishing its latest report into AI, calling among other things for relevant skills to be embedded in the curriculum from an early age.

“We need to start at primary school,” it argued, “developing young people to be comfortable with change and to understand how to exploit AI to supercharge their learning.”

Claiming that “dystopian Terminator headlines get in the way” of thinking big, it went on to include among its recommendations for education, industry and government, the inclusion of AI Literacy as a mandatory part of the national curriculum as well as being part of teacher and leadership training.

More for the curriculum review to consider.

And NFER reminded people of its data dashboard which paints a valuable picture of how education is playing out in different parliamentary constituencies and local authorities across the country. A link to the dashboard is here.

In FE, a report from the Sutton Trust comparing apprenticeships here with those in countries such as Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland provoked a number of headlines. We didn’t come out well.

To take just one example. “Around 40% of apprentices fail to complete their course, partly because of poor quality training, and excessive reliance on online rather than face-to-face training.”

And it’s not just high drop-out rates. ‘Loose, complex and widely ignored off-the -job training requirements,’ poor employer incentives and the lack of a foundation step were all listed on the charge sheet.

The report called among other things for minimum training requirements, pre-foundation programmes and a review of funding for lower-level programmes.

Elsewhere the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Employment reported on some of the barriers employers report when trying to support youth employment.

Go local seems to be the answer. ”Invest in local authorities, training providers, colleges and Youth Hubs to enhance their capacity to act as brokers.”

And still on skills, it was good to see the former Skills Minister Rob Halfon emerge with his skills ladder this week as he highlighted the importance of apprenticeship opportunities for young people and called for ‘bold action’ on funding in a comment piece for the AoC.

In HE, the big news has been the guidance from the Office for Students (OfS) on how providers can best manage their responsibilities for when new legislation on freedom of speech comes in from the start of this August.

The guidance covers a range of scenarios and related legislation, offers some important definitions and puts forward, for example, a three-step model for assessing whether a type of speech may be within the law or not.

As many recognise, it can involve a difficult balancing act which can vary by scenario.

The aim now, as the chief executive of the OfS said, is for universities to use the guidance to help deliver their essential functions of ‘learning, teaching and research while protecting students from bullying and harassment.’

Not an easy brief with the director of free speech at OfS reminding students that “you should expect to face views you might find shocking or offensive, and you should be aware that's part of the process of education."

Wonkhe has a useful summary of it all here.

And just to round off on the OfS, it confirmed this week that it was picking up its work on assessing new registrations, titles and degree awarding powers from the end of August.

It’ll concentrate initially on those that were in the pipeline last December when such work was paused to allow for work to be targeted at the sector’s growing financial worries.

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

The top headlines of the week:

‘Ending fines for taking kids on term-time holidays to be debated by MPs’ (Monday)
‘Degree apprenticeships fail to live up to wider access promises’ (Tuesday)
‘Over half of English councils face insolvency under £5bn deficit, MPs warn’ (Wednesday)
‘Be ready to be shocked and offended at university, students told’ (Thursday)
‘Students in England now graduate with average debt of £53,000, data shows’ (Friday)

General:

Infrastructure Plan. The government published its 10-Year Infrastructure Plan promising £725bn over the next decade for infrastructure projects covering among other things house building, transport, energy, and digital connectivity along with the building and upgrading of hospitals, schools and colleges.
Welfare Bill. The government presented its welfare proposals in legislative form as the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Bill which will sit alongside an employment support package and a Right to Try (work) guarantee and aim to reform the social security system and encourage more people back to work but now with added protections.
Cyber Growth Action Plan. The government outlined a new Cyber Growth Action Plan that will examine the strengths of the UK cyber sector and draw up a roadmap for the sector later this summer as part of a longer-term National Cyber Strategy.
Council finances. The Public Accounts Committee reported that local councils were facing ‘a financial cliff edge’ as it published the outcome of its inquiry into local council finance, pointing to the rising costs of SEND provision and of increased NI contributions as major factors, and calling on the government to clarify transitional issues and future funding propositions.
Economic Forecast. The CBI downgraded UK growth projections for both this year and next, pointing to factors including higher employment costs, higher tariffs and continuing global uncertainty as it published its latest economic forecast.
Top pay. The High Pay Centre published its latest report showing that the pay gap ratio between ‘median’ bosses and ‘median’ employees had remained unchanged at just over 50%, with support emerging for the setting of a maximum wage.
Work and health. The Work Foundation called for better workplace support for those with health issues, particularly young workers many of whom are facing multiple challenges, as it published a new report showing one in four workers, often in the lowest paid jobs battling poor health, unable to access health care and likely to end up leaving employment as a result.
Childcare costs. London Economics reported on the costings needed to fill some of the gaps in childcare in a report for Save the Children, suggesting that despite the expansion of government support, the funding shortfall to providers amounted to over £388m and would be even higher if eligibility and pay were raised.
Publishing market. The Publishers Association reported slight drops in the academic and education markets for 2024 but an increase in UK Publishing’s overall market, with revenue up 1%, driven largely by digital formats but with fiction and audiobooks also performing strongly.
Digital Update. The EU Commission published its latest annual report into its Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030 pointing to improvements in the adoption of AI by companies and ‘steady progress’ in digitalising public services but with the roll out of fibre networks still ‘lagging’ and weaknesses remaining in digi skills levels.

More specifically ...

Schools:

Schools policy latest. The Education Secretary outlined her future plans for schools following last week’s spending announcements, listing SEND reform, increased numbers of teachers, modernisation of the school estate and expansion of the School Rebuilding Programme as key priorities.
AI skills. The cross-party think tank Policy Connect called for an AI Education Advisory Board to be set up to review the curriculum for AI skills on a regular basis and for AI Literacy to become a mandatory part of the curriculum as it published its latest report into the importance of digi skills for future generations.
Doing the maths. The charity Maths in Education and Industry (MEI) welcomed the latest provisional figures from Ofqual on exam entries this summer which showed a further rise in the numbers taking both A level and Further Maths.
Study leave. FFT Education Datalab examined data on study leave among Yr 11s, suggesting that it remains common among exam groups in many schools throughout the month of May with selective schools more likely to use it than non-selective schools.

FE/Skills:

Local skills deals. The government confirmed that it is consulting on arrangements that would require companies bidding for major infrastructure contracts to show how they would boost local economies, support local jobs and help develop skills such as apprenticeships in the local community as part of their contract.
Youth Guarantee. The APPG for Youth Employment reported on its recent work looking into how employers can best support the Youth Guarantee, hearing evidence of employer willingness but equally of system complexities, calling as a result for a greater focus on localised frameworks and delivery with strengthened brokerage services.
Comparing apprenticeship systems. The Sutton Trust called for tighter enforcement of training requirements, a named qualification for a successful apprenticeship pass and the retention of higher level apprenticeships for young people in key sectors, as it published a major report comparing the apprenticeship system in England with comparator countries and finding it wanting.
Skills ladder. Former Skills Minister Rob Halfon raised concerns about the cutting of funding for the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) and L7 programmes as well as the flexing of functional skills, calling for unused levy funding to be re-distributed to colleges in a blog for the AoC.
Pricing. City and Guilds explained that most end-point assessments will remain at their current price rate and that its proposed new annual fee won’t be introduced in September, as it set out its thinking on its pricing structure ahead of further details due next month.

HE:

Freedom of speech. The OfS published guidance for registered providers on managing free speech under new legislation coming in from 1 August 2025, using a range of examples to show what steps institutions can take to ensure lawful free speech and how to deal with provocative issues.
New registrations. The OfS announced that it was resuming its programme of assessments for new registrations, titles and degree awarding powers from 28 August, having had to temporarily suspend things last December to allow for efforts to be concentrated on financial concerns in the sector.
Prevent data. The OfS published data from its Prevent monitoring for last year showing an increase in both approved events/speakers over the year as well as those approved but with conditions.
Student loans. The Student Loans Company reported that loans for students finishing their degrees in England were up on average by 10% on last year with graduates typically paying back £1,100 pa as they published details of their latest loan figures.
AI-related misconduct. The Guardian reported a rise in the number of UK students ‘caught misusing ChatGPT and other AI tools in recent years,’ suggesting that the numbers caught might be just the tip of an iceberg and highlighting the importance of clear guidance and regulation where necessary.

Tweets and posts of note:

“I have a feeling that many future students currently being told to prepare ‘to be shocked and offended’ at university, are going to be very disappointed” –@DAaronovitch.
“I think it is quite tough for those that haven't taught to understand how tough a day of teaching actually is” –@Thinkingschool2.
“There is one big factor that clearly explains the performance gap between girls and boys at school: behaviour. Boys disproportionately account for the majority of suspensions, exclusions and most behaviour records. Guess what mucking around does to your academic achievement?” -@tombennett71.
“One of these days, teachers are going to do a thread on the things that students HAVEN'T been excluded for and it will be absolutely wild” -@tstarkey1212.
“If you’re new to teaching next year, spend the summer time they give you practicing teaching with a peer or an empty room and familiarizing yourself with the curriculum, rather than on decorating your room on your own dime. You’re a teacher, not an interior designer” -@MrZachG.
“The most effective thing I did for teaching and learning today was buy everyone in the team an ice lolly” -@MBDscience.
“A man walks into a library and asks the librarian, "Do you have any books on Pavlov's dogs and Schrödinger's cat?" The librarian replies, "It rings a bell, but I'm not sure if it's here or not" -@5Naureen.

A selection of quotes that merit attention:

“The investment we have received is extremely positive, but we know it comes at a time when resources are scarce, and so all of us will need to continue working hard to ensure every penny is spent as efficiently and effectively as possible” – the Education Secretary plans for life following the Spending Review.
“Local government finance is in a perilous state” – the opening lines from the Public Accounts report into the matter.
“Disappointingly lacking in detail” – the Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee criticises the government’s weak response to its report on homeless children.
“Students need to know that they can freely share lawful views and opinions, and be prepared to hear a range of views as part of their studies. This includes things that they may find uncomfortable or shocking” -the OfS sets out guidance for HE providers on applying new freedom of speech duties.
“Staff who attend the office regularly can expect bigger pay rises and faster promotions than peers who prefer to work from home (WFH), a fresh survey of top employers has found” – a new survey from Reed recruitment underlines the gradual shift back to the office.
“I see smartphones as the equivalent of giving children cigarettes" – Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott on banning smartphones in schools.
“Courses in England will now be able to run for as little eight months compared to at least two years in Ireland, and at least three years in Germany” – the Sutton Trust raises questions abut the quality of apprenticeship programmes in England.
"The ISC is carefully considering the court’s judgment and next steps” – the Independent Schools Council considers its next moves after losing its High Court challenge.
“To help with these conversation, I’ll be creating an updated guide for parents later this year setting out what children want them to know” – the children’s commissioner prepares to help parents discuss controls over pornography.

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

3.4%. The UK CPI inflation figure for May, similar to April, according to latest unverified figures from the ONS.
1.2%. The growth forecast for the UK economy for this year, down from a previously predicted 1.6% according to the CBI.
£24,095. Public spending per UK adult by next year, according to calculations by the Centre for Policy Studies.
6%. The number of UK workers indicating they may have to leave their job in the next 12 months due to their health, according to a survey from the Work Foundation.
55.6%. The number of Europeans with a basic level of digital skills, with advanced skill levels low and gender divides high according to the EU’s latest Digital Decade report.
£2.9bn -£3.9bn. The likely overspend on SEND by local councils in England by the end of 2027/8, according to the Public Accounts Committee.
6.7. The potential number of days of learning that could be lost in a year to pupils if temperatures rise a further 1.2% above current levels, according to a DfE climate report.
26C. The temperature level that should trigger action by schools such as closing classrooms or even schools to cope with the dangers of excess heat, according to guidance from the NEU.

Everything else you need to know ...

What to look out for in the next couple of weeks:

AELP National Conference (Monday 23 – Tuesday 24 June)
Education Committee take evidence from the Skills Minister for its FE Inquiry (Tuesday 24 June)
MPs’ Science and Tech questions (Wednesday 25 June)
Education Policy Institute/Capita webinar on teacher recruitment and retention (Wednesday 25 June)

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.