We need a 14-24 participation strategy to tackle NEET crisis With no post-16 attendance tracking or coherent transition support, early warning signs are missed and disengagement becomes a NEET crisis
AI training is of limited use if staff can’t safely use the tech The government’s short courses may spread awareness, but without deep, work-based learning workers risk being fluent in tools but unprepared for responsibility
Chance to step back revealed a hard lesson in student soft skills Time to reflect is often the first thing educators lose, but my fellowship research upended assumptions about my T Level learners
Apprenticeship reform may save money now but cost growth later Ministers’ proposals risk undermining leadership development, training infrastructure and employer engagement. A tiered co-investment model offers a smarter way forward
Adult education is also about strengthening our democracy Adult education has been reduced to an economic tool, but its real power lies in rebuilding connection, confidence and civic life at a time when democracy feels increasingly fragile
Apprenticeship reform risks solving the wrong problems Ministers want faster routes into work for young people, but defunding leadership apprenticeships and tinkering with clearing systems won’t create vacancies
SEND reform will reshape colleges, but workload shock is coming New individual support plans could finally embed inclusion in mainstream education, but they also shift legal responsibility and risk overwhelming colleges unless government gets the detail right
SEND reforms spell diet EHCPs and red herring funding Replacing EHCPs with a three-tier system could end the Gladiators-style Gauntlet parents face, unless ministers fix the diagnosis bottleneck that lets affluent families skip the queue
SEND reform must mean better support, not fewer rights The government’s new SEND reforms offer a rare chance to fix a system that forces families to fight for support. But success will depend on funding capacity properly and protecting learners from unintended consequences