Steve Besley's Education Eye: week ending 25 July 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:

Summer holidays now under way for many, though not everyone has headed off happy.

Debate has continued for instance about the length of the school holiday with one commentator calling for a clear month’s break for everyone.

“It’s a practice favoured in continental Europe and supporters argue that the shared break causes less disruption, improves mental health, and can even increase long-term productivity.”

Lots of people have pointed out the pitfalls.

Elsewhere this week, end of term reports have continued to come in, not all positive.

“It’s an F for Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary,” wrote David James in The Spectator this week.

A teacher in both the independent and the state sector, he ran through a list of beefs. ‘Vindictive’ VAT reforms, ‘botched’ reforms of Ofsted, ‘appalling behaviour’ by pupils and a government with “no vision and no clear sense of what they want or how they will go about getting it.”

Other more supportive reports are available.

But issues remain as The Economist highlighted in its end of term assessment of the university system.

“As the academic year in Britain limps to a close, universities look more broke than a student after a summer of Interrailing,” it wrote.

In its view “higher education in Britain is too homogenous, inclined to wastefulness and obsessed with being “world class” rather than efficient. Resetting muddled incentives could improve things for students, and help universities get by with less.”

It remains one of the burning issues that the Education Secretary has pledged to report on in the autumn. Along with SEND, curriculum reform and plenty more of course.

Back to this week and what’s been happening across the education system.

In schools, the Education Secretary issued her latest remit letter to the School Teachers’ Review Body calling on it to consider pay award recommendations for over the next three years to help schools and others with their budgeting.

“I would like your formal recommendations for pay awards for school teachers and leaders in the academic year 2026/27 and 2027/28, as well as an indicative pay award for the 2028/29 academic year to be confirmed or reconsidered in a future remit.”

She called for the Body to come back with recommendations on pay by the end of February with a more detailed report on some of the other issues raised in the remit letter, such as salary safeguarding, by April 2026.

Unions responded cautiously. “We will be calling for pay to be set at a level sufficient to address teacher shortages and we will emphasise in particular that it is vital for pay awards to be fully funded by the government,” ASCL said making the point.

Elsewhere, the consultancy Public First highlighted the importance of the independent inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes for which it will be acting as secretariat.

As Partner Ed Dorrell put it, “This will unquestionably prove to be one of the most in depth and important pieces of work ever undertaken by the education practice at Public First.”

The inquiry board has an impressive line-up including two previous Education Secretaries and will report next year.

In other news, Ofsted published the dates and the booking arrangements for its ‘preparing for inspection’ webinars this September. Book Early was the message.

And both Ofsted and Ofqual published their annual reports and accounts for 2024/25.

Plenty of facts, figures, tables and charts for those keen to dig into the details.

On to FE where the ongoing issue of qualification choices for young people has been one of the talking points again this week.

The issue is the long-term availability of the three traditional routes of academic, applied and technical qualifications, the ‘three-pillar system,’ which has served 16+ yr olds for so long. The government has indicated that it intends to scrap many of the applied general qualifications in favour of corresponding T levels.

The ‘Protect Student Choice’ group which has been campaigning against this move for some time published survey evidence this week indicating that this could leave thousands of students, potentially 200,000 or more, in the lurch.

“We are deeply concerned that the government’s blanket ban on diplomas and extended diplomas will create a qualifications gap that tens of thousands of students will potentially fall through, leaving many young people without a suitable pathway in the future.”

They called on the government and the curriculum and assessment review to ensure that the three routes remain.

Still on young people, the Institute for Policy Research and partners this week examined the impact of the raising of the raising of the participation age, some ten years ago, initially to age 17 and thence to age 18. RPA as it was known at the time.

A mixed picture emerged. “While the initial increase in participation age to 17 did see a small increase in participation in Year 12, driven by more young people remaining in school, without a drop in FE attendance, the full implementation to 18 saw a fall in overall participation, and a shift of young people from FE to school.”

In fairness there was some pick-up in resit successes and in early employment but much it seemed depended, as the report highlighted in its recommendations, on the strength of local guidance, advice and careers support.

And FE Week highlighted the importance of some of the local skills changes included in the recent guidance provided for the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

The Bill has just started its passage through parliament with its Second Reading set for 2 September but includes provision for devolved (adult skills) funding, learner entitlement to eligible courses and potentially the creation of local skills commissioners for the promised new Strategic Authorities.

It could be interesting to see how far such a model emerges or whether a youth guarantee does the trick.

In HE, the Office for Students (OfS) published its Business Plan for the year ahead promising among other things “a refreshed approach to quality and strengthened protection for students’ consumer rights.”

Also careful monitoring of individual institution’s financial performance and ‘new initial conditions of registration for institutions looking to join the OfS Register.’

It includes new proposals for tightening up on subcontracting which were put out for consultation earlier in the week.

These would mean that providers looking to recruit 100+ such students in a given year would have to ensure that all relevant risks were identified and addressed as part of a new ongoing condition of registration. They would also have to provide a bit more information than previously about the rationale behind any franchised arrangements as well as about the amount of fees retained.

“We want institutions to be more transparent about the nature of these relationships and the financial benefits that flow to each partner,” the chief exec explained.

Elsewhere this week, the Russell Group and Universities UK published their respective responses to the OfS’s recent call for evidence on regional access partnerships.

The Russell Group listed a number of key principles needed for such partnerships, including stable funding structures, access to shared data and measurable targets.

Universities UK responded in similar vein. “ Sustained and long-term investment in this activity will be essential to address inequality in regional participation in higher education and cold spots.”

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) set out its evidence on the issues facing many students today ahead of the government’s now likely autumn white paper on HE.

“Rising living costs, inadequate financial support, and structural inequalities are all placing significant strain on students,” the Group wrote.

A lot of the recommendations were about funding including maintenance support and a stepped repayment system as outlined earlier this year by London Economics.

And finally, “switch on multi-factor authentication (MFA), insist on a strong password policy and restrict admin access by implementing zero trust.”

One of the many do’s, plus a few don’ts, listed by JISC this week as institutions head into the busy clearing and enrolment period for students.

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

The top headlines of the week:

‘Legislation paves way for mayors to appoint skills commissioners’ (Monday)
‘UK university jobs cut put at 20,000 after full impact hidden’ (Tuesday)
‘Scrapping BTEC qualifications will lead to ‘qualifications gap’ in key sectors, report finds’ (Wednesday)
‘Tech minister Kyle vows action on children’s ‘compulsive’ use of social media’ (Thursday)
‘Pandemic still casts a long shadow for millions of children’ (Friday)

General:

AI MoU. The Dept for Science, Innovation and Technology agreed to work closely with Open AI, sharing information, opportunities and intent on areas like education technology, defence and security as part of an agreed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU.)
Local government finance. The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee reported on its Inquiry into local council financing finding councils being asked to do more than ever but without adequate resourcing, calling for an overhaul of the council tax system and for greater financial devolution for councils generally.
Pensions. The government announced that it was re-establishing the Pensions Commission to look into the long-term future of the pensions system and in particular how best to encourage more working-age adults, particularly those on low incomes and the self-employed, to save more for their futures with a final report promised for two years’ time.
Youth Strategy. The Youth Futures Foundation published its strategic plan for the next three years calling for policy makers, funders and employers to come together and support more marginalised young people by 2028 and for the NEET rate in England to fall to the best in the OECD by 2050.
Childhood. The Centre for Young Lives published a new report on childhood vulnerability highlighting the long-term impact of the pandemic on children resulting in increases in school absence, childhood poverty, mental health and SEND and with promises of support ‘never fully met.’

More specifically ...

Schools:

Pay and conditions. The Education Secretary called on the School Teachers’ Review Body to help schools with budgeting by looking at a potential 3-year settlement, along with issues like salary safeguarding and workloads, as it issued its latest remit letter.
Physics teachers. The NFER reported for the Institute of Physics on the recruitment and retention of physics teachers, finding a slightly improving picture with recruitment up this year, notably from abroad, albeit still below target but with a number of smaller schools operating without any specialist physics teacher.
White working class educational outcomes. The consultancy Public First announced that it would be undertaking the role of secretariat to the independent Inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes, which now has a full set of board members and which will report next year.
Annual report and accounts. Ofsted published its annual report and accounts for 2024-25, running through its performance, changes, risks and budget for what it described as ‘an evolving year,’ revealing some concerns about staff turnover and delivering to target at a time of considerable change.
More annual report and accounts. Ofqual also published its annual report and accounts for 2024-25, running through its achievements over the past year including notably ensuring the release of over 7m results last summer and the launch of a new 3-year strategy on a budget of £31.3m.
Exams 2024. Ofqual reported on inter-subject comparability in last summer’s GCSE and A levels compared to recent years, concluding that despite evidence of some slight leniency in GCSE grading last summer compared to 2019, the overall picture closely matched that of 2019.
Oracy. Leading figures wrote to the Prime Minister calling on him to make good his commitment to making Oracy the 4^th R in the national curriculum.
Digital Exclusion. The Digital Poverty Alliance and RM Technology warned that children in low-income families are missing out on learning and other opportunities because of limited access to devices and back-up at home, calling for hardware providers to help with access to IT equipment where possible.

FE/Skills:

BTECs and more. The Protect Student Choice Group raised concerns that many young people could be left without appropriate qualifications and future progression routes if the government went ahead with its current plans to scrap many Applied General Qualifications (AGQs) such as BTECs, calling for current options for young people to be retained.
Post-16 participation. The Institute for Policy Research, Edge and FFT Education Datalab examined the impact of the raising of the participation age (RPA) some ten years ago, reporting a pretty mixed set of outcomes with limited increases in participation and some improvement in English/maths resits and subsequent employment but evidence also of drop outs and careers guidance gaps.
Skills data. The government published data from its latest Employer Skills Survey showing a drop in skills gaps and shortages last year compared to two years previously, leading to a drop in training investment and volume.
Manufacturing skills. The Transport Committee issued a Call for Evidence on how best to support the transport manufacturing sector with the skills needed for the future particularly in areas like aerospace and automotive which have been singled out as key components of the government’s Industrial Strategy.
Devolving skills. FE Week reported on the recent guidance supporting the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill which has its Second Reading in the Commons in early September and which is intended to grant the new Strategic Authorities powers over areas like skills through an Adult Skills Fund and local skills commissioners.

HE:

Subcontracting. The OfS launched consultation on a new condition of registration covering subcontracting that would require providers with 100 or more such students in a given year to publish information about the arrangements including funding, and ensure that risks were identified ahead and addressed.
Business Plan. The OfS published its Business Plan for 2025/6 highlighting quality, the wider student experience and sector resilience as key priorities and pledging to include ‘a new integrated approach on quality,’ evaluation of degree apprenticeships and financial health monitoring.
Student concerns. The APPG for Students published the results of its Commission looking into the issues and priorities for students today, highlighting student poverty, housing costs and mental health among the top concerns and listing the reintroduction of maintenance grants and a stepped repayment system among its top recommendations.
System under pressure. The Economist reflected on the challenges facing not just British universities but also the UK government as UKHE struggles to confront increasing financial pressures, arguing that a reset is urgently needed.
Cyber security. JISC set out a range of ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ for institutions around cyber security and related interference, ahead of the busy clearing and enrolment period of the next few weeks and more.

Tweets and posts of note:

“I was really pleased this morning when I woke up knowing I wouldn’t be called ‘Miss’ for the next 5.5 weeks. Then I went into town with my mum, and a man said ‘Miss, can you spare a minute to talk about British Gas? Told him my house has no gas” -@Shabnamagram.
“How long before the nonsense circulates that the school summer break, despite being one of the shortest in the world, is too long in England? We need to stop conflating education with child care; they're different things” -@Strickomaster.
“Does anyone else REALLY struggle at the start of the hols? I find it so hard to go from the crazy relentlessness of the last week to just trying to stop and relax. Always feel restless and anxious I should be doing something for the first few days. Want to chill but can’t” –@NewHeadteacher.
“Gaming these days is nothing like the games adults remember from their own youth. They’re frequently cesspits, and adults need to closely monitor any access they’re unwittingly giving kids- and I mean, checking out each game before permitting, being co-present, monitoring frequently, strict time limits etc” -@tombennett71.
“One thing about the lionesses is they have no respect for my bedtime” -@ktos_.

A selection of quotes that merit attention:

“We will nailing down harder on age verification” – the Tech Secretary on the latest government moves to protect children online.
“No accident that the first target of autocrats everywhere is education; tyrants do not want people to have and acquire knowledge” – part of the pitch from Chris Smith, the new Chancellor at Cambridge University.
“The best way to understand any British university’s strategic plan is that they want to rise about ten places in the league tables,” – Sir Chris Husbands on the impact of HE’s market model.
“We’ve been warning of the significant risks associated with sub contractual partnerships for some time” – the OfS launches new consultation on subcontracting.
“While everyone is telling me to reduce my hours for 3rd year study, all I can think about is the fact my rent has gone up this year and I'm just getting further and further into debt” – students tell the APPG for Students’ Commission about the financial pressures they are facing.
“We believe that a full suite of AGQs of all sizes has an essential role to play as the middle (equally important) pillar in the system” – the Protect Student Choice campaign points to the continuing need for BTEC and other applied qualifications.
“We remain committed to bringing 2026-27 pay announcements forwards further” – the Education Secretary commits to a tight timeline of next February for teachers’ pay recommendations.
“The two great themes of the year have been ‘listening’ and ‘evolving’ – the chief inspector introduces Ofsted’s latest annual report.
“Together, we will take a fresh, evidence-led look at the persistent challenges facing white working-class pupils and work towards practical solutions that can make a lasting difference” – Sir Hamid Patel, co-chair of the inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes.
“Across the sector, the impact of these financial pressures is already emerging; 13,000 pupils left UK independent schools in the year to January – more than four times the government’s estimate – and over 70 schools have closed or are facing closure" – the chief executive of the Independent Schools Council on the pressures facing the sector.
“This is a critical moment for education, and NASUWT will lead the way in fighting for our members’ rights” – Matt Wrack, the newly confirmed Gen Sec of NASUWT.
“Keeping two young children safe and entertained is costing us more than £2,000” – one parent on the cost of the summer holidays.

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

£150m. The funding promised by the Nuffield Foundation over the next five years to support research into ‘the UK’s most urgent social and economic challenges,’ according to the Foundation.
£53bn. The amount invested by employers in training last year, down on previous levels and amounting to about £1,700 per employee according to latest government figures.
6.8%. The pupil absence for the school year to early July, according to latest government figures.
92%. The number of state-funded school inspections completed to plan last year, according to Ofsted.
600. The number of secondary schools, typically smaller schools, operating without any specialist physics teacher, according to an NFER survey.
15%. The number of families sharing one device at home among parents and siblings leaving disadvantaged children falling further left behind, according to research from the Digital Poverty Alliance and RM Technology.
£2,300 a year. The cost to a family in terms of uniform, PE kit, lunch stuff and other extras in keeping a child in secondary school (£1,000 in primary) according to the Child Poverty Action Group.

Everything else you need to know ...

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

Summer recess (Tuesday 22 July – Monday 1 September)

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.