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Policy Tracker – Keeping track of what happened in the world of education in October 2019

Policy Tracker

A month dominated by unravelling political events leading to an impending general election. In education, funding has continued to be a talking point with the government issuing its response to the Education Committee Inquiry on school and college funding and the Office for Students launching a Value for Money strategy. Elsewhere, provisional exam results for this summer were released, a new T level Action Plan published and Free Schools, UTCs, Home Education, special needs and apprenticeships all the subject of major new reports. 

Key headlines from the month

  • Primary schools. The Inspiring the Future project expands its speakers into schools campaign
  • Relationships Education. DfE issues guidance for primary schools on consulting with parents
  • Children’s wellbeing. Government publishes first major annual report
  • Special educational needs. Education Committee publishes critical report
  • School buildings. Government invites latest bids under the Condition Improvement Fund
  • School exclusions. Economic and Social Research Council launches major 4-year study
  • Home schooling. Ofsted highlights the issues in a new research report
  • Free Schools. Education Policy Institute publishes new report
  • UTCs. National Audit Office issues ‘challenging’ new report
  • Trainee teachers. DfE announces early career deals for 2020/21
  • 2019 summer exam results. DfE releases provisional data
  • Technical Awards at KS4. Ofqual consults on strengthening regulations
  • T levels. DfE publishes latest Action Plan
  • T level Transition Programme. DfE sets out expected approach for 2020/21
  • Creative industries. CBI highlights their importance in a new report
  • Funding. Government responds to Education Committee report on school and college funding
  • Students. NUS launches 10-point Action Plan 
  • HE providers. Office for Students publishes report on first year of registration 
  • Value for Money. Office for Students publishes new Strategy
  • Racial harassment. Equality and Human Rights Commission calls for changes in HE culture

Reports/Publications of the month (in order of publication)

  • Upper Sixths and Higher Education 2019 survey. The independent school bodies HMC and GSA report on how their students view going to university pointing to a mix of excitement and anxiety
  • Subcontracting arrangements. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) calls on post-16 providers to confirm they are working to agreed rules, ahead of a review of further changes
  • High Needs Funding. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) updates its guidance for high needs funding for 2020/21
  • Crunched by numbers? How effective data can reduce teacher workload. GL Assessment reports on how much time teachers spend marking, assessing and managing data
  • The future shape of the education system in England. The Confederation of School Trusts sets out a long-term plan to bring schools within a uniform Trust system under a single regulator
  • Unrealised Potential. The Association of Employment and Learning Providers along with the British Council highlight the role and work of independent training providers both in the UK and abroad
  • T level Action Plan. The government publishes the latest version of its T level action plan with updated detail on the delivery schedule, funding, grading and results procedures and more
  • T level Transition Programme. The government sets out how Transition Programmes should operate from 202021 for students not yet ready to access a full T level programme
  • Green Budget 2019. The Institute for Fiscal Studies with Citi and the Nuffield Foundation assess the economy and options facing the Chancellor ahead of any likely Budget
  • Taking Regulatory Action. Ofqual launches a new consultation on updating its regulatory action policy with proposals to clarify action taken and introduce such measures as rebukes and penalties
  • Future Proofing Apprenticeship Funding for the 2020s. The Campaign for Learning and NCFE publish a collection of essays from leading experts on how best to strengthen apprenticeship funding
  • Changing the Culture. Universities UK reports on progress in its ‘Changing the Culture’ programme noting improvements in tackling sexual harassment but less so in tackling hate crime
  • College Readiness Pack. The Association of Colleges (AoC) publishes a helpful pack of guidance for college leaders in the event of a no-deal Brexit covering everything from finances to food supplies
  • Parental Engagement on Relationships Education. The DfE issues guidance for primary schools on consulting with parents about Relationships Education
  • At what cost? The HE Policy Institute and YouthSight publish the latest set of views from students on Augar, funding and the cost of living with concerns about the latter emerging as a key issue
  • Clarifying some changes to the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG.) The DfE consults on some changes to the DSG regulations intended to clarify its position as a ring-fenced specific grant
  • Children’s Wellbeing. The government issues the first of its annual reports into children and young people’s wellbeing showing most happy with their lives but young females as the most anxious
  • Teacher Workload Survey 2019. The DfE reports on its latest commissioned survey into teacher workloads suggesting some improvement but it still remaining an issue for many
  • Exploring the impact of guest speakers in schools. The Education and Employers charity along with Speakers for Schools report on the positive impact of the guest speaker programme for schools
  • The curriculum programme pilot. The DfE publishes some commissioned early research on its curriculum programme pilot noting some positive vibes about reducing teacher workloads
  • Unexplained pupil exits. The Education Policy Institute examines the growing number of unexplained pupil exits finding certain school and pupil groups more vulnerable than others
  • Meeting the needs of 16-19 yr olds who were not in school for part of KS4. The AoC reports on alternative provision potential for young people highlighting the need for better systems and funding
  • Exploring moving to home education in secondary schools. Ofsted examines the issues and incidences behind home schooling in a new research report, calling for clearer processes all round
  • Free Schools in England. The Education Policy Institute publishes a further assessment of Free Schools in England noting that some are performing well but that much depends on intake
  • The impact of Erasmus+ in UK FE colleges. The Association of Colleges reports on the importance of the Erasmus student exchange programme and the need to replace it if it’s lost post-Brexit
  • Provisional A level results 2018/19. The government releases provisional data on this summer’s A level and related results showing a slight drop in top grades awarded
  • Provisional Key Stage 4 performance 2019. The government releases provisional data on this summer’s KS4 results showing EBacc entries up and no change for English and maths outcomes
  • Delayed admission for summer born pupils. The DfE publishes its latest commissioned research into delayed entry for summer born pupils finding local authorities continuing to exercise flexibility
  • Value for money strategy. The Office for Students (OfS) publishes its Value for Money strategy listing four core factors: teaching quality, consumer protection, transparency, outcomes
  • About Time. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) publishes the results of its survey into school middle leaders showing many squeezed for time and under pressure to deliver
  • Regulating Performance Table Qualifications. Ofqual launches consultation on strengthening the regulations around Technical Awards used in Key Stage 4 qualifications
  • Gaming the system. The Children’s Commissioner reports on the extent of online gaming and gambling by children in the UK calling for tighter limits and controls generally
  • The return to a degree. The HE Statistics Authority (HESA) and Warwick University examine the financial return to degrees to two different age groups indicating a drop over time
  • EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill. The government publishes its hefty EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill indicating little change to the recognition of professional qualifications for EU nationals
  • Referencing the Qualifications Frameworks. Ofqual reports on changing qualification frameworks in England and Northern Ireland and how they relate to European Qualification Framework descriptors
  • Special educational needs and disabilities. The Education Committee reports on its Inquiry into special educational needs finding a system letting many people down and in urgent need of repair
  • National population projections. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes its projections for the next 25 years or so indicating a 3m increase over the next decade
  • UK Skills Mismatch in 2030. The Industrial Strategy Council examines the UK’s potential skills mismatch by 2030 raising concerns about how far this can be met with a notable gap in digi skills
  • Presenting institutional financial information to students. Universities UK produces a guide to help universities explain to students and others where the fee money goes
  • Centre stage. The CBI publishes a new report on UK creative industries highlighting their importance to both the economy and society as a whole and calling for continued government support
  • Emotional intelligence – the essential skillset for AI. The consultancy Capgemini reports on the importance of emotional intelligence particularly in a post-automation world
  • Tackling racial harassment in higher education. The Equality and Human Rights Commission reports on racial harassment in British universities calling for changes to culture and effective redress
  • Employer satisfaction. The DfE publishes the results from its latest employer satisfaction survey showing most employers happy with the trainer and training received over the year
  • Government response to Education Committee funding report. The government responds to the Education Committee’s earlier report outlining some of the steps it was taking
  • School Exclusions and Knife Crime. The All Party Parliamentary Group reports on its survey on knife crime calling for better training and support and clear lines of accountability
  • An Upskill Battle. The CBI highlights the importance of lifelong learning, calling for an expansion of the National Retraining Scheme to help drive this
  • Bridging the Gap. The Learning and Work Institute sets out a range of options from top-up funding to budget changes for dealing with the likely funding gap in apprenticeships
  • Understanding school revenue expenditure. The Education Policy Institute issues a further paper in its school spending series looking at expenditure in different types of school
  • Adjusted Progress 8. The University of Bristol, in a report commissioned by the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, highlights the importance of including contextual factors in Progress 8
  • Proposals for the next government. The Russell Group sets out its proposals for Party manifestos calling for maintained levels of per student funding and continuing close relationships with EU partners
  • Investigation into university technical colleges (UTCs.) The National Audit Office reports on UTCs highlighting concerns about some performance and future financial viability
  • Office for Students registration process and outcomes 2019-20. The Office for Students reports on the 1st year of its provider registration process and the number of regulatory challenges undertaken

Speeches of the month

Quotes of the month

  • “We will be levelling up school funding” – the Prime Minister lays down some Party lines for the forthcoming election
  • “This is a programme that will set our country on a new, upwards trajectory” – the government sets out its plans for the future in the latest Queen’s Speech
  • “We’ll scrap university tuition fees, give our schools the funding they need, end the academies and free schools programme and bring all schools into a democratically accountable system” – Jeremy Corbyn sets out a sweeping education stall in his alternative Queen’s Speech 
  • “Anyone who says there’s nothing you could’ve done better is a big old fibber or self-deluded”- former Education Secretary Damian Hinds looks back on his time as Secretary of State
  • “T levels are a complete game changer” – The Education Secretary launches the latest T level Action Plan 
  • “It’s time to shift the narrative from talking about accountability to responsibility” – ASCL general secretary Geoff Barton argues that the ‘new’ inspection framework may prove a step in the right direction
  • “The distance between young people’s lived experience, their families’ struggles and Ministers’ desks is just too far” – the Education Committee publishes a damning report on the system for special educational needs 
  • “In some cases children can lose control of their spending on loot boxes and attempt to chase losses by spending more” – the Children’s Commissioner reports on the dangers of online games for children

Word or phrase of the month

  • ‘Policy whiplash.’ Used to describe policy behaviour

Steve Besley
Head of Policy
policywatch@pearson.com

Policy Eye is a nearly weekly additional service from Policy Watch, offering a regular round-up of UK education headlines and stories from the previous seven days.

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