Nearly 30,000 more students benefit from free music tuition
The number of students learning an instrument has increased by almost 30,000 since the abolition of fees for music lessons in schools.
Truant schoolchildren cost parents thousands of pounds in lost income
Children not going to school are costing parents thousands of pounds in lost income, a study has revealed.
DfE urged to correct ‘misleading’ energy claims
Schools will be pushed into unsuitable contracts after DfE encourages them to sign up to its Maximising Value for Pupils programme, say energy experts.
‘New chapter’ for Teach First as training scheme renamed
A government-funded flagship teacher training programme is to be renamed after 24 years amid a “shift in strategic direction”.
University of Cambridge bullying accuser denies ‘vendetta’
Employment tribunal case brought by astronomy professor over ‘culture of misogyny’ within prestigious department concludes.
Minimum entry standards ‘blunt tool’ to tackle franchise abuse
Introducing language requirements for whole sector undermines government’s widening access mission, universities say.
A Ministry for Manchesterism: Rewiring Whitehall for locally-driven prosperity and change
With Andy Burnham on the road to Downing Street, John Blake proposes a new Department for Skills, Research, and Prosperity to deliver his agenda by empowering communities to build the further and higher education and training they need to thrive.
Is sector data still good enough?
Public data, statutory collections, regulatory releases, student surveys - is the data the sector has the data the sector really needs?
Pensions in higher education: costs, constraints, and choices
Pensions expert Urrffa Rafiq sets out the key decisions that need to be made by providers looking to offer more sustainable pensions.
University World News - Global edition: week ending 28 June 2026
The global window on higher education.
College pay agreement is a major achievement
Pay disputes are not the best use of anyone's time, and this year, colleges and staff have much bigger fish to fry.
Almost half of Scots families say childcare provision is failing them
A survey by the umbrella body for parents' groups, Connect, details the barriers faced by carers in finding adequate care in working hours.
The curse of expertise: Why ‘common sense’ isn’t common
Why do experienced people mistake expertise for common sense? What looks obvious to an expert may be invisible to a novice. In schools, it’s just common sense can dismiss the very knowledge someone has not yet had the opportunity to build.
Will the education white paper proposals hamper student access? (And what is going on with maintenance loans?)
The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper was published in October 2025. (For colleagues who are not policy wonks, White Papers from the Government set out plans for future legislation.)
Professional, technical, and operational (PTO) staff - developing the definitions
New and better descriptions of jobs in higher education mean we can retire the “non-academic” label.
Knowledge is never neutral: Hegelian reflections on contemporary education
Education faces a philosophical stalemate. On one side is an ‘objective obsession’ with standardised metrics.
Germany and the UK can advance an ambitious European science agenda
10 years on from the Brexit vote, leading universities in Germany and the UK today called on EU leaders to preserve the openness of Horizon Europe and ensure UK researchers can continue to strengthen Europe’s research excellence and competitiveness.
Workforce warning signs
Despite encouraging signs that teacher recruitment and retention are recovering, significant pressures remain across the school workforce, particularly for support staff.
Trust inspection and system reform: Are we asking the right questions?
As another academic year draws to a close, attention is increasingly turning towards one of the most significant developments in the future accountability landscape: the introduction of trust inspection.