Education’s always changing, and it can be hard to keep track. Policy Watch is the easy way to make sure you stay up to date with the latest developments.
Policy Watch is our regular policy update service, covering national and international developments in the world of education. We try to keep things simple, sharing the latest news and information with you through weekly updates, monthly summaries, papers and events.
You can access the Policy Watch by signing up for email updates below.
This bumper edition covers the last two weeks as we head into the summer break. During that time we saw a flurry of announcements, publications and statements – not least the Government’s wish to crack down on “rip-off” degrees and Ofqual’s thematic review of T Levels, which highlighted a number of areas of improvement.
read more
With the summer break almost upon us, it has been a very busy week with announcements, research, and negotiations galore. Perhaps the biggest news was the Government’s acceptance of the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB), giving teachers in England a pay award of 6.5%. Education unions will now put the offer to their members, with the recommendation that they accept the award and call off strike action. How this and the other public sector pay deals will be funded will remain an issue as departments have to pay a significant proportion from existing budgets. Earlier in the week, members of the NASUWT had voted for strike action. And NEFR and Gatsby put out research relating to pay and incentives.
read more
This week saw Sir Keir Starmer provide further details on what the Labour Party would do in education should they win the next election. In outlining his fifth and final national mission, Starmer announced a review of the curriculum, a pause to the defunding of BTECs and other AGQs, and plans to tackle teacher recruitment and retention.
read more
On Thursday, the government’s Skills for Growth conference took place, featuring discussions on how the UK can create a workforce fit for the future and address the urgent recruitment needs of businesses.
read more
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been high on the agenda this week, with the Department for Education launching a call for evidence regarding generative AI in education. This builds on DfE’s position paper on AI earlier in the year. Also announced, this time by Technology Secretary Chloe Smith, was a series of investments to develop trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) research. Universities across the UK will receive £54 million investment in their work to develop cutting edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
read more
