There is now no alternative but for the sector to grasp the scale of the challenge it faces
The higher education sector has seen sustained critique from both ends of the political spectrum.
There is no growth without universities
Andy Burnham PM cannot save the economy unless he tackles university reform.
University World News - Global edition: week ending 21 June 2026
The global window on higher education.
Have schools been put into an attendance trap?
New guidance on communicating with parents about absence leaves schools with the ‘all but impossible’ task of improving attendance without being able to hold families to account, warn leaders.
DfE legal costs rise by more than 50% under Labour
Increase in legal costs is likely due to the government introducing contentious policies that have ‘well-funded’ opponents – such as VAT on private school fees, say experts.
Talk to us before rolling out AI tools, tutors tell DfE
Tutors are calling for the government to engage with them before rolling out an AI tutoring programme, amid concerns that the tools will lack human oversight and pose risks to safeguarding.
More schools fear blackmail over pupil images posted online
Legal experts have reported a “significant spike” in concerns from schools about the risk that pupil photos on their websites could be used to create AI deepfake content.
Nationalisation calls as SATs marking delays continue
SATs markers were this week scrambling to get through tens of thousands of questions after an already-extended deadline passed, prompting calls for the assessment series to be nationalised.
Movers and shakers: Ofsted, Astrea, HFL Education
This week's movers and shakers include a keen pickleball player and two marathon runners.
Council seeks legal advice over SEND bailout calculation
A council has sought legal advice and written to ministers after flagging concerns that it will miss out on extra cash to plug a looming SEND deficit.
DfE official hopes to improve ‘nightmare’ MIS procurement
Tech companies which fail to make the cut for the government’s management information system (MIS) framework will not have “agreed to treat schools fairly”, a Whitehall official has said.
Fears trusts could get handcuffed to government energy-buying scheme
Beleaguered academy trust bosses could face “yet more bureaucracy” and the prospect of being handcuffed to long-term contracts through Labour’s flagship energy scheme, union chiefs fear.
Movers & Shakers: Edition 538
Weekly guide to who's new and who's leaving.
Proportionate online assessment is now a governance issue
The legitimacy of digital assessment is becoming a defining issue for organisations operating in regulated and skills-driven environments.
White working-class pupils ‘lagging behind’ despite London effect
White working-class young people face some of the biggest barriers to educational success in England, with pupils in parts of the capital failing to benefit from the its wider “London effect”, according to analysis.
Job cuts fuel staff discontent at Lincoln and Northumbria
UCU declares ‘no confidence’ in Lincoln management while redundancy plans prompt fresh dispute in north-east.
Fears over ‘polishing’ of REF statements spark audit calls
Narrative format of environment statements may encourage institutions to ‘stretch the truth’ with misrepresentations ‘hard to prove’, experts fear.
Visibility isn’t enough for Asian women in academia
Being visible in higher education doesn’t always mean you are being heard.
AQA apologises for mistake in ‘all versions’ of GCSE science paper
In correspondence seen by Tes, England’s largest exam board tells exams officers it has reported the issue to Ofqual and will ensure no students are disadvantaged.
College staff face zero pay rise warning
College staff risk a real-terms pay cut next year unless ministers provide significant funding, college leaders and unions have warned in a joint letter.