That means hundreds of thousands of teenagers are, once again, taking their next vital step towards work or further studies without one, or both, of these core subjects.
And that is where nation’s colleges have a vital role to play.
While the media’s attention remains on higher-achieving students, much of our work involves welcoming learners who have few or no qualifications and, often, a range of other challenges.
Many have had their confidence shaken by a system that’s told them they’ve ‘failed’ for not hitting that grade 4 target – a target Professor Becky Francis, addressing the Association of Colleges annual conference, described as “a relatively random indicator”.
Different starting points
One of our first and most important tasks is to let them know that we certainly don’t regard them as failures and we do things differently here. We can help them set realistic goals and draw up action plans so they can reach them.
In doing this, we must avoid the kind of discussions that can put a student’s defences up. ‘You haven’t got your maths so you can’t get into Level 3 bricklaying’ is defeatist, triggering and unhelpful.
Focusing instead on what can be done and how we can help them get there, we begin to appreciate that the definition of success changes for each individual.
Achievement is about personal progress, and many of our young people have to overcome obstacles ranging from family trauma to financial disadvantage to academic hurdles. Any step closer to ‘the norm’ in terms of outcomes, no matter how small, is cause for celebration and fostering self-belief.
Clearly, a central part of further education’s role is to equip our students with the skills – vocational, essential and personal – they need to succeed.
This is something Keighley College has been doing for its industrial heartland community for 200 years. No “relatively random” target should distract from any part of that effort.
No diploma for kindness
Understanding the mindset of our students and helping, where necessary, to challenge or change it is just as important as their qualifications.
Unfortunately, due to the stringent demands of the timetable, this is a task we have to try to squeeze in where we can, when what it deserves is substantial, dedicated effort.
Statistically, the cohort of learners we serve tend to have an increased need for a more personalised approach. Sadly, the funding model only supports flexibility through additional arrangements at the time of sitting exams, no as a normal way of working throughout the year.
More flexible funding would help, but creating a truly inclusive environment also requires a huge effort to address mindset and the anxiety tied to “failing” in these subjects.
Imagine, instead, a college that had the courage (and freedom) to say to students at the start of each academic year: ‘Until October half term, your induction will focus on mindset and calming mechanisms – not just what you’re learning, but why and how’.
By half term, we would have created such an inclusive culture that learning might accelerate out of that in a completely different way, and one that might actually lead to improved achievement rates.
But there’s no funding or accreditation for mindfulness or self-regulation, so they are effectively treated as luxuries.
We are trying to get our learners, especially those who may have suffered some setbacks, to find themselves again and tune in to the best version of themselves. But the system we operate in is far too transactional to allow us enough space to do that.
Like so many colleges, we will continue to do all we can within our constraints to create that supportive platform for all our students.
As the saying goes, perfection should not be the enemy of good. It would be handy if policy wasn’t its enemy either.
A shock move by the higher education regulator to close its register and put applications for degree awarding powers on ice has forced “disappointed” colleges and training providers to delay courses.
The move could also be illegal, according to a senior education lawyer, with one HE representative body taking advice about a judicial review.
The Office for Students (OfS) announced on Monday it had closed its register to new higher education providers for the first time so its staff could prioritise “severe pressures” facing universities.
It also paused granting any more institutions degree awarding powers. These changes will be in effect until August 2025.
The move has left colleges and training providers unable to introduce new higher education provision in key sectors like health, engineering and hospitality.
There are 18 providers whose applications to join the OfS register are in the early stages and have now been paused. And there are 20 providers hoping for degree awarding powers.
Degree awarding power applications for a further 17 providers that are already in progress will continue.
Stifling economic growth
Waltham Forest College is one of the colleges affected by the closure of the register.
Its “carefully planned” HE courses in partnership with local NHS Trusts are now in limbo, despite the skills they’d deliver being flagged as priorities in the London Growth Plan.
Principal Janet Gardner told FE Week the register closure follows “a lot of investment” in developing the new provision.
“Specialist staff have been employed, equipment purchased, new quality structures with committees, space has been refurbished. This was a long process to ensure we were ready before we registered,” she said.
“So for us, this is disappointing. We would like the OfS to reconsider their decision. Any delay has a knock-on effect on what we’re able to offer current and future students.”
Apprenticeship provider HIT Training had rallied employers to commit “350 places” for their planned level 6 degree programme for the hospitality sector.
Mike Worley
Managing director Mike Worley told FE Week the course would have “attracted talent to a sector that is crying out for bright and hardworking people but currently unable to compete with sectors offering degree apprenticeships”.
He added: “Using OfS resources to support failing HE providers at the detriment of bringing innovative, financially stable providers into the market will stifle the skills and growth the Labour government is seeking to achieve.”
Derwentside College principal and chief executive Chris Todd said closing the register delays his plans to introduce and expand higher-level diploma courses in engineering, which has “strong demand”.
Despite the outcry, the government appears to have backed the OfS.
A DfE spokesperson said: “The dire economic situation we inherited emphasises the importance of putting universities on a firmer financial footing, so they can deliver more opportunity for students and growth for our economy.
“The Office for Students is rightly refocusing their efforts on monitoring financial sustainability to help create a secure future for our world-leading universities.”
‘Legally questionable’
This unprecedented step follows new analysis of higher education providers’ financial and student recruitment projections indicating that up to 72 per cent could be in deficit in 2025-26.
The OfS said small, medium and specialist providers are more likely to be struggling the most financially and it is these types of providers that would typically be seeking registration and/or degree-awarding powers from the regulator.
Providers with existing time-limited degree awarding powers that lapse during the pause will have them extended, an OfS spokesperson told FE Week.
A body representing independent higher education providers accused the OfS of directly jeopardising the financial sustainability of existing providers and “prioritising one set of students’ interests over another”.
Alex Proudfoot, chief executive of Independent Higher Education, said: “What is perhaps most worrying of all is that the OfS board seems to believe they can simply disapply their core statutory duties as determined by parliament, whenever it suits them. This is troubling as a precedent.”
FE Week understands the body is consulting lawyers on possible options, including a judicial review.
Writing in FE Week, senior education lawyer Smita Jamdar said “the legality is questionable.”
She added: “The Higher Education and Research Act states the OfS ‘must’ register an institution if certain conditions are met, one of which is that the application is made in the manner specified by the OfS.”
The OfS has issued a notice to state that, for now, its “specified manner” means “not in the period between November 26, 2024 and August 1, 2025”.
Jamdar added: “The OfS has used its power to specify a manner of application to impose a moratorium on submissions for 10 months, which may be extended. If its approach is correct, it could pause its duty to register indefinitely, which would completely undermine the mandatory nature of the duty.”
Every other Christmas, as I re-watch the Harry Potter movies, I dust off my unpopular opinion of how the series should have ended differently. (Spoilers ahead.)
I am a fanboy of screenwriting-guru Robert McKee. “The finest writing not only reveals true character,” he says in Story, “but arcs or changes that inner nature.”
This is why I think Harry Potter should have stayed dead, leaving Neville Longbottom to take down Voldemort in the finale. Harry doesn’t really change. He’s ‘The Boy Who Lived’ from page one. His sacrifice to raise others up would have been much more meaningful.
Neville, on the other hand, is a character with a fantastic story arc. First seen being reprimanded by his gran for losing his toad “again”, by the showdown in the seventh book, he has grown into the hero who is first to charge Voldemort, with no protection from plot-armour prophecies.
The tedious expectation that Potter will always be the hero who saves the day has a lot in common with the way schools are looked to as the solution for, well, everything.
It is particularly apparent in the debate around English and maths, where the entire, brief “solutions” paragraph in the Association of College’s policy paper English and Maths: Towards 100% Success’ argues that it “has to start pre-16”.
That paper was published the day before the general election, so it is little wonder that the new government has since consistently focused on schools while sidelining FE on issues of teacher pay, VAT, and the level 3 pause and review.
Meanwhile, like Neville, colleges have undergone a dramatic and inspiring character arc, rising as unexpected heroes of English and maths. There has been a 94-per cent improvement in the achievement of these subjects through post-16 in the decade since the resit policy was introduced.
Colleges have undergone an inspiring character arc
By 2019, the last year before Covid caused accountability measures to be paused, the top 20 FE colleges were averaging strong progress scores in English and maths. Those same colleges, when the resits policy was introduced just a few years before, were averaging negative headline measures.
To put it bluntly, when they started out they were making students worse at English and maths. They were toadless.
How they changed that was by supporting their staff and believing in their students. A Dumbledore’s Army of resit teachers got their heads down into research about gillyweed, had the courage to stand up to the friends who needed convincing, and pulled something extraordinary out of a hat, turning the toughest but most important policy in education into a success.
You might think I’m stretching the applicability of Potter too far. Possibly, but it’s Christmas so indulge me.
Voldemort wanted to purge Hogwarts of ‘mudbloods’ and the weak and the vulnerable. We need to be absolutely clear that those at risk if we ease up on resits are the economically disadvantaged, and Gypsy, and Roma, and Black, and SEND students.
They have the lowest prior attainment at 16 only through lack of opportunity. It is their right to catch up that is protected by the policy.
“We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy,” Dumbledore might have counselled them.
I will hold onto my hope for the underdogs to be given the moment that Neville was denied; FE, and the students continuing with English and maths in 16-19, triumphantly taking us from the current 78 per cent achievement rate to the heights of 90 per cent or beyond.
The curriculum and assessment review provides an opening for DfE’s redemptive character arc too, perhaps mirroring Dumbledore’s own regretful reflection on his sorting hat: “Sometimes we sort too soon.”
The announcement that the Office for Students’ (OfS) is pausing some aspects of its regulatory functions to focus on financial sustainability among registered providers raises immediate and longer-term problems.
It immediately affects those wishing to register with the OfS or applying for degree-awarding powers (DAPs) or university title (including some that are in progress). It also has implications for the future of regulation of higher education more widely.
The legality of this decision is questionable in the first place. The higher education and research act states that the OfS “must” register an institution if certain conditions are met, one of which is that the application is made in the manner specified by the OfS.
The OfS has used its power to specify a manner of application to impose a moratorium on submissions for 10 months, which may be extended. If their approach is correct, it could pause its duty to register indefinitely, which would completely undermine the mandatory nature of the duty.
But it cannot have been the intention of parliament that the regulator could “specify the manner” of application in this way, particularly in relation to those who have already applied.
The powers to authorise DAPs and university title are discretionary rather than mandatory duties, but other cases of a blanket refusal to exercise a discretionary power (even temporarily) have been found unlawful.
Colleges who are applying for DAPs or seeking to have their DAPs extended or varied could challenge the pause.
Preparing for such applications is time-consuming and costly. Business plans are based on securing or varying these at particular points in time. A delay will inevitably result in wasted expense and, in some cases, push affected providers towards financial difficulties.
This primarily affects those who are directly impacted, but the registered sector as a whole would benefit from confidence in the lawfulness of the regulator’s actions.
There are wider implications too.
First, it does not exactly inspire confidence in registered providers as a group that the regulator has declared itself unable to carry out its statutory duties and functions because it is overwhelmed by its work in managing financial risks.
It appears that this important recommendation cannot now be pursued until at least August 2025, leaving students affected by fraud and financial instability unprotected. And if the OfS can switch off its registration duties at will, it may not be a viable option at all.
Third, the OfS currently has several, possibly dozens, of open investigations into concerns about quality and standards and other matters, some of them affecting colleges. Some of these have been open for over two years.
It is difficult to see how it can direct appropriate resources to these given how all-encompassing its work on financial sustainability appears to be, although it has said other strands of work are unaffected.
Meanwhile, the OfS continues to amass additional responsibilities: lifelong learning, harassment and sexual misconduct and, if or when it is implemented, extensive duties under the higher education freedom of speech act 2023.
Given this new development, there is little to inspire confidence in its ability to do all of these things well.
There needs to be an urgent and strategic review of whether this regulatory system can withstand all the pressure it is asked to bear.
The final question is what exactly the OfS is doing to address the financial challenges facing the sector.
Its focus seems to be on reacting to individual providers in financial distress. Given that it predicts nearly three-quarters will be in difficulty, it should review how it could be more proactive in helping the sector as a whole.
Generally, reducing the regulatory burden would help, but there are three specific areas where the OfS could be most impactful:
Guide and support governing bodies in overseeing effective responses to financial challenges.
Provide clear and realistic guidance on how it will assess quality and standards and consumer protection conditions when providers are rapidly responding to financial difficulties.
Review and radically improve or replace its student protection regime. We’ve known since 2019 that many plans were not of good quality, and its own processes for approving revisions are slow and cumbersome.
When a taxi driver abandoned blind student Thomas* in a town centre, police were forced to rescue him and take him to college.
Thomas, who was 19 at the time, has a learning disability so is unable to use a cane to navigate streets on his own.
College principals say such negligence isn’t uncommon – other incidents include cab drivers leaving disabled students in cars as they go shopping.
And it’s part of a wider issue of poor council transport provision which means some students have college places but can’t get to lessons.
Josie Grainger-Francova, principal of RSBC Dorton College where Thomas attends, said Bromley London Borough Council finally accepted the taxi incident was a safety breach when she confronted them.
She said: “It was an external safeguarding issue because it was not the first time he’d been left on his own.
“We are responsible for what happens to that student when we deliver them to the taxi. It is then the taxi firm’s responsibility to keep that young person safe and I feel that’s not always happening.”
A Natspec survey of 66 specialist colleges found four in 10 believed council-arranged transport was unsafe.
Meanwhile, 59 per cent said fewer learners had transport this year because provision was so poor, and 65 per cent said transport issues had resulted in delayed starts to students’ education – with the East of England and North West worst affected.
FE Week heard of a college in Birmingham where 70 of its vulnerable students suffered a delayed start to their education in September due to issues arranging transport.
The Natspec poll also uncovered safety concerns including “inappropriate groupings” and “overly crowded conditions” in shared buses.
Delays and dropouts
RSBC Dorton College, a small specialist institution in Orpington, Kent, for visually impaired learners, has 26 students who live across 11 local authority areas. They attend two days a week to develop independence skills, then three days at partnership FE colleges closer to their homes.
Grainger-Francova said one of her students initially lost their place at a partnership college because the council hadn’t confirmed transport with the family, causing the college to get involved.
“I went to the CEO of the local authority, and the next day, transport was in place and we got the student back into the partner college,” she said.
“In the last few years, we’ve had students who haven’t come to us for weeks, if not months, because their transport was not in place, despite having their placement funded.”
In Birmingham, Queen Alexandra College serves 408 learners from 17 local authorities, most of which are in the West Midlands.
Deputy principal Jan Gormley told FE Week that 17 per cent of them suffered a delayed start this academic year, with some families still in limbo now. Two students have dropped out due to transport issues.
Birmingham City Council, which fell into bankruptcy last year, asked families in spring to contribute more for SEND transport, raising fees on parents by one-third to £1,028, while reducing routine taxi provision.
The council also pays 45p per mile to families as part of its personal transport budget, excluding the first three miles of each journey. Its 2024/25 transport policy states “payments may be withheld if the student is not attending school/college regularly and feedback may be sought from the establishment”.
Families forking out
FE Week spoke to parents about delays to their applications for travel assistance.
Charlotte* said her 17-year-old autistic daughter started at Portland College in Mansfield, Notts, one week late and only got taxi provision two weeks ago – almost three months after the start of the academic year.
She applied for transport assistance online in June but Charlotte said Derbyshire County Council took three months to change the name of her daughter’s college in her education, health and care (EHC) plan after her initial college choice rejected her.
She added: “I’m losing hundreds of pounds because it took them so long. I’ve had to use my own annual leave.
“[I pay] £151 a month in council tax for a two-bedroom house, I would expect a better level of service. The provision is diabolical.”
Derbyshire County Council said: “We acknowledge we had some issues providing transport for some students at the start of this academic year, for which we have apologised to the families involved.
“Almost all students have now been allocated transport, but for a few cases we are still endeavouring to source appropriate transport for them. We are in touch with these families and keeping them updated and would like to again offer our apologies.”
The council approved 76 per cent of the 572 transport assistance applications this year.
While Derbyshire has not changed its policy, it has forecasted a £1.6 million overspend in FE high-needs spending.
‘Disregard for students?’
Though councils are not legally obligated to provide transport to over-16s, Department for Education statutory guidance issued in April noted local authorities should “pay particular attention” to SEND learners as they are “significantly less likely” to participate in education, employment or training.
Mark Dale, principal of Portland College which supports over 200 SEND learners across five local authority areas, said young people were already falling through the cracks – one has dropped out since September and seven suffered delayed starts.
He said: “There is a danger they will be effectively blocked from taking up an education placement.”
But he did not believe councils are intentionally causing delays, and said it was a “rational response to the situation they find themselves in”.
Gormley disagreed, and said: “[Local authorities] understand enough to commission the provision so perhaps it’s a disregard for students’ wellbeing and their safety and their equal access to the provision that they’ve commissioned.”
Nottingham City Council and Birmingham City Council were approached for comment.
Clare Howard, chief executive of Natspec, said the answer was beefed up statutory regulation.
She added: “We recognise that local authorities are in a very difficult financial position, and anything that is not a statutory service is vulnerable to cuts. That is why we would like to see transport for 16-25 year olds with an EHCP given parity with [transport] provided for children of compulsory school age, and brought into the same statutory framework.
“We’d also like to see decisions about transport support being made – at least in principle – at the same time as a provider is named in an EHCP.
“There is little point in identifying the provider best able to meet a young person’s needs if the means by which to access that provision is denied them.”
The quality of apprenticeships is “improving”, Ofsted’s new chief inspector has said in his first annual report.
Sir Martyn Oliver published a “slimmed down” version of the watchdog’s usual stocktake of education performance this morning.
He opted to ditch analysis of aggregated grading judgments and instead shared a series of “observations” in light of the government’s plan to remove overall effectiveness grades – which has already happened for schools and is set to happen for FE in September 2025.
Ofsted is expected to launch a consultation on a reformed inspection framework and the introduction of new report card-style reports in January.
Today’s insights from Oliver for FE and skills are light on detail but cover apprenticeships, teacher training, SEND, and prisons.
Apprenticeships ‘improving’
Last year’s annual report from the watchdog said apprenticeships were the “poorest performing provision type” for FE.
Oliver claims there has been improvement over the past 12 months. His report said: “The number of apprentices has declined over time, but the quality of apprenticeships is improving. High-quality and well-planned apprenticeships, which match the needs of the local economy and provide a viable pathway into work, will hopefully translate into growth in the sector.”
As of August 31, there were 1,314 providers delivering apprenticeships. Ofsted has data on 94 per cent of them, either from a full inspection (1,126) or a new provider monitoring visit (115). That means there are 73 apprenticeship providers without any Ofsted judgment.
Of the 1,241 providers that have a judgment on their apprenticeship provision, 81 per cent were judged good or outstanding for apprenticeships at their most recent full inspection or were judged to be making at least reasonable progress at their new provider monitoring visit.
This is 5 percentage points higher than this point in 2023.
When we look at full inspections only, 73 per cent of apprenticeship grades were ‘good’ (66 per cent) or ‘outstanding’ (7 per cent) in 2023/24.
This is a significant increase from 2022/23 when 61 per cent of apprenticeship grades awarded were ‘good’ or better, and 2021/22 when it was 51 per cent.
A total of 152 new provider monitoring visits took place in 2023/24, the lowest number in five years. Last year, 89 per cent of new providers visited were found to be making ‘reasonable progress’ in all themes.
This mirrors results for new providers in 2022/23. Ten per cent visited last year were ‘insufficient’ in at least one theme and just 1 per cent (2 providers) were ‘insufficient’ in all themes.
Teacher training also looks better
Last year, Ofsted reported that initial teacher education (ITE) provision for further education trainees “remains the poorest performing age phase” of teacher training.
But Oliver said today that Ofsted has “seen substantial improvements in the quality of ITE for FE and skills since 2020, which bodes well for the future of the sector”.
He added: “For example, trainees in the best mathematics courses prepare to teach maths to learners at entry level up to degree apprenticeships. They learn how to teach the principles of maths appropriately in a variety of courses, from beauty therapy to software design.”
Inclusion focus vital for SEND learners
Oliver said putting a “focus” on inclusion is becoming “ever more important as the number of children with SEND continues to increase”.
His report added: “As young people with SEND move into FE and skills provision, they continue to need support to access good opportunities that will help them into employment. Where this works well, learners can take advantage of good partnership working with local employers to develop their independence, employability and communication skills. A good experience at college, for example, can really help develop the confidence and self-esteem of young people with high needs.
“Overall, though, we know that young people with SEND are less likely than their peers to be in education, employment or training. It’s particularly important that these young people receive effective and impartial careers guidance at an appropriate time to highlight the different avenues open to them.”
‘A very good time to improve prison education’
Ofsted’s stats show that as of August 31, 2024, there were 116 prisons and youth offender institutions (YOI) with an inspection grade. Just 18 per cent were judged ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. This is a decrease of 9 percentage points compared with 2023 and a fall of 18 percentage points compared with 2022.
The overall proportion of prisons and YOIs judged ‘inadequate’ at their most recent inspection was 42 per cent.
Oliver pointed out that Ofsted recently published a joint report with His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons”, which highlighted “10 years of decline in the education received by children in YOIs, and added: “Adult prisoners fare no better; prison education remains weak, almost without exception.”
The chief inspector’s report said: “There is intense pressure on places in prisons and YOIs, with policymakers facing unpalatable choices around how that pressure can be relieved in the short term. We know that reoffending rates are high. We know that education has a transformative effect.
“Now would be a very good time to improve prison and YOI education to help reduce reoffending, ease the pressure on prisons and help more convicted children and adults turn their lives around.”
An influential committee of MPs has urged ministers not to defund courses that rival T Levels, like BTECs, days before the government is expected to publish the outcome of its long-awaited level 3 review.
The new House of Commons education committee has told the Department for Education “students should not be faced with the binary choice of A-levels or T Levels” following a last-minute evidence session yesterday.
In a letter to education secretary Bridget Phillipson and skills minister Jacqui Smith today, committee chair Helen Hayes (pictured) said: “It is clear that if post-16 education only offered A-levels or T Levels there would not be a sufficient and appropriate range of options for students with different abilities and prior attainment.
“Alternative forms of level 3 qualifications, including applied general qualifications and tech level qualifications, must remain a long-term option, to enable students who either do not wish to, or are not able to, study A-levels or T Levels to continue their education at level 3.”
Sector leaders hope the review will reverse the policy of the previous government to defund qualifications, like BTECs and applied general qualifications (AGQs), that rival T Levels in 2025.
Writing for FE Week in September, skills minister Jacqui Smith said she “recognised that we need to retain other qualifications alongside T Levels and A-levels”.
Smith added: “Where the review identifies the balance of learner and employer needs within a sector requires level 3 qualifications other than T Levels or A-levels, we will maintain the relevant qualifications. This may well be in areas that overlap with T Levels, which is a change from the approach taken by the last government.”
While the review was broadly welcomed, the government’s decision not to commit to a multi-year pause of defunding drew criticism for leaving colleges in the lurch over what courses will be available for incoming students in 2025.
The committee’s letter follows an evidence session in the House of Commons yesterday where college leaders and education think tank representatives were quizzed on level 3 qualifications reform.
Hayes said: “We heard compelling evidence of the importance of the availability of these qualifications in providing much needed flexibility and accessibility for all students, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“We hope ministers will listen to the evidence and retain popular, high-quality AGQs and BTEC qualifications which provide vital routes to success for many young people alongside A-levels and T Levels.”
Yesterday’s evidence session included James Kewin, deputy chief executive at the Sixth Form Colleges Association, Cath Sezen, director of education policy at the Association of Colleges, Ruth Perry, senior policy manager at Natspec and Simon Cook, principal of MidKent College who was representing the Association of School and College Leaders.
At Bett, we understand that educators face extraordinary challenges, not just in managing the daily pressures of the classroom but also in reimagining what education should look like in a rapidly evolving world. As we celebrate 40 years of game-changing innovation, we’re more committed than ever to supporting teachers as they drive better education, globally.
The Evolution of Bett
Bett began in 1985 as the British Educational Training and Technology Show, a small exhibition showcasing the earliest examples of technology designed for the classroom. Back then, the promise of technology in education was still an ambitious dream. A handful of clunky computers and interactive whiteboards hinted at possibilities that were yet to be fully realised.
Fast forward to today, and Bett is the largest global gathering of educators and innovators, a thriving community rooted in four decades of collaboration, curiosity and shared purpose. With its flagship event in London and additional gatherings in São Paulo, Brazil, and Malaysia, Bett has connected with educators worldwide, positively impacting millions of learners along the way.
Over the years, Bett has become much more than a technology showcase. It’s now a platform for exploring how innovation, and those driving it, can genuinely improve teaching and learning. As we mark our 40th anniversary, we celebrate not only the evolution of EdTech but also the educators who have been at the heart of this change. Bett is, and will always be, about people: the teachers shaping futures, the leaders setting bold visions, and the innovators crafting solutions to our most pressing challenges.
Bett UK 2025: Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow
Education today feels like it’s on the brink of a revolution, but teachers are under more pressure than ever. Class sizes are growing, budgets are stretched and expectations are higher than ever. Teachers are asked to wear many hats: mentor, innovator, data analyst, tech expert and emotional support system, all while delivering measurable results.
The education system needs to adapt. From AI and data literacy to critical thinking and assessment, the skills prioritised in the classroom will change the way we teach. Embracing personalised learning approaches, supported by AI, can help educators cater to diverse learning styles and paces, ensuring every student reaches their full potential and is equipped for the workforce of the future.
While technology, especially AI, promises to ease some of teachers’ burdens, the reality is often more complex. Many educators feel overwhelmed by the pace of change, unsure how to choose the right tools or integrate them effectively. Bett UK 2025 is designed to address these challenges directly, offering practical tools, meaningful discussions and the inspiration teachers need to move forward confidently. It is only with the correct support that educators will be able to shape the leaders of tomorrow.
But where to begin?
At Bett, everything we do starts with you—the educator. We understand the challenges you face daily, from integrating technology meaningfully to keeping pace with evolving student needs. Bett UK, 22 – 24 January 2025, creates a space where educators can explore the latest innovations, exchange ideas and leave feeling empowered to make a difference in their schools and classrooms. Whether it’s discovering cutting-edge EdTech solutions, participating in hands-on workshops or engaging in meaningful discussions, Bett is your platform to explore the future of education and make it work for your context.
Let’s dive into what’s on offer at the world’s biggest week in education…
A world-class line up of speakers and free CPD accredited content
Every year, Bett is proud to host a line-up of trailblazing speakers who inspire and challenge us to think differently about Further Education. Bett UK 2025 is no exception. Our programme features over 100 hours of free CPD accredited content from an exceptional mix of educators, innovators and thought leaders who will share their expertise and spark new ideas across seven theatres, including Ahead by Bett, our dedicated Higher Education space.
Here’s a sneak preview of some of our headlining speakers:
Laura McInerney, Co-Founder of Teacher Tapp and a familiar voice on BBC Radio 4 and Sky News, will host Bett’s main theatre, the Arena.
Stephen Fry joins Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE for an insightful conversation on The Human Mind and AI, exploring how AI is reshaping industries and the skills required for the future.
AI experts like Dan Fitzpatrick and Rose Luckin will return with practical strategies and visionary insights on harnessing AI in education.
Higher and Further Education takes centre stage with Alex Stanley (NUS) and Astrid deRidder (Save My Exams) discussing student retention, accessibility and wellbeing.
Technology in education has enormous potential, but it’s not always easy to unlock. Too often, educators are handed tools without the time or training to use them effectively. Tech User Labs are designed for hands-on exploration of the latest EdTech tools. These workshops are all about learning by doing. Instead of sitting through a demonstration or listening to a presentation, you’ll get to roll up your sleeves and try out the tools yourself.
And the best part? The sessions are led by educators and experts who understand the realities of teaching. They’ll guide you through how these tools can fit into your practice and help you address real-world challenges, saving time, improving outcomes, and creating more engaging lessons. You need to register for Bett by 7 January 2025 to pre-register for these workshops as spaces are limited.
Join powerful peer conversations during TableTalks
Every educator knows the power of a good conversation. It’s often around a table in the staff room, or in the middle of a professional development session, that you find solutions that truly resonate. That’s the inspiration behind TableTalks, a new initiative now in its second year, designed to put your voice at the centre of the discussion.
These small, focused groups bring together educators, thought leaders, and solution providers to tackle the big issues shaping education today. From managing workload and student wellbeing to integrating AI in the classroom, TableTalks are a space to share challenges, brainstorm ideas, and find solutions that work for your context.
What makes TableTalks unique is their collaborative, open format. Everyone at the table has a voice, and the goal is simple: leave with practical insights you can put into action. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, a department head or a school leader, this is your chance to learn from others, share your experiences and contribute to the wider conversation about the future of education.
NEW for 2025: The Fishbowl
One of the most talked-about new additions to the programme is The Fishbowl, an interactive and dynamic feature where educators take centre stage. Imagine stepping into a space where your voice isn’t just heard, it’s amplified. Educators from around the world will get the chance to jump on stage, share ideas, pose questions, or dive into discussions about the topics they care about most. Whether you’re passionate about AI in education, finding innovative ways to engage students, or advocating for better mental health support in schools, The Fishbowl is your opportunity to contribute to the conversation. Think of it as an open mic for education, a place where every voice matters, and fresh ideas are born
Meet the right people, at the right time with Connect
Education thrives on partnerships between education institutions and innovative solution providers. It’s a complex ecosystem, with lots of moving parts, that can often be difficult to navigate. That’s where Connect @ Bett comes in. Our Connect platform is a powerful networking tool that connects like-minded educators with the companies that have the right solutions, helping you build meaningful partnerships. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, or the perfect product for your classroom, Connect ensures you’ll leave Bett with valuable connections that extend beyond the show floor.
Discover the latest and greatest solutions on the market across six exhibition halls
But that’s not all Bett has to offer. This year, we’re hosting over 500 exhibitors, ready and eager to help you discover the latest and greatest in education technology. From cutting-edge AI tools and interactive classroom solutions to streamlined management software and everything in between needed to run an institution, there’s something for every school and every budget. Whether you’re a seasoned tech enthusiast or someone just starting to explore the possibilities, Bett’s exhibition floor is your playground. You’ll have the chance to get hands-on with products, ask questions directly to developers and compare solutions side by side, all in one convenient space.
Need help with procurement? No problem. Our exhibitors and experts are here to help you navigate the challenges of finding and implementing the right technology for your school’s needs. We know every school is different and the Bett community is committed to helping you uncover solutions that truly work for your students and staff through Connect, and tools like the Bett x EdTech Impact Buyer’s Guide.
Your pupils are invited too! Join Bett’s Big Assembly with Tech She Can
As 2025 marks Bett’s 40th birthday, we’re pulling out all the stops to make this celebration truly unforgettable! Schools are at the heart of Bett’s story and we want you, and your students, to be a part of this incredible journey. We’re thrilled to invite you to join Bett’s Big Assembly, in partnership with Tech She Can, on Thursday 23 January. This interactive assembly is designed to spark curiosity and creativity in young minds, exploring the evolution of gaming technology and the exciting career opportunities it offers. With engaging presenters, hands-on activities, and special guests, it’s the perfect way to show students how the skills they’re learning today can lead to amazing futures in tech.
Toasting to 40 years of Bett
As we look back on 40 years of Bett, it’s incredible to see how far education and technology has come. From the early days of the famous overhead projectors to today’s AI-driven personalised learning solutions, Bett has been a constant companion in this evolution, showcasing the best of what’s possible and fostering a sense of community among educators worldwide.
So, join us in January as we toast to 40 years of innovation, collaboration and inspiration. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned Bett attendee, we promise there’s something new and exciting waiting for you this year. Let’s make this anniversary a celebration to remember. We can’t wait to welcome you to Bett 2025—see you there!
Bett UK runs from 22–24 January 2025 at ExCeL, London, and is completely free for education professionals. Register by 11 December 2024 to access all Bett’s programmes and by 7 January 2025 to sign-up for exclusive workshops and sessions designed around Higher and Further Education.
Despite the best efforts of successive UK governments, organisations and businesses to improve social mobility, the impact of many of their policies and interventions remains frustratingly limited. The reasons for this are complex, but one thing is clear: we need to rethink how we approach social mobility.
Traditional approaches typically focus on the university pathway, attempting to support young people from less well-off backgrounds to get a degree and move into professional roles.
The approach has had some success, and while that’s great for those involved. However, we must also recognise that with less than 50 per cent of 18- to 20-year-olds studying for degree-level qualifications in 2022, and nearly one in five adults having no qualifications at all, this approach is not always relevant for many young people today.
The focus on these ‘lucky few’ runs the risk of wasting or under-developing the potential of large swathes of the population who do not follow traditional pathways to success or who live in places where opportunity is limited.
Our biggest social mobility challenge is not to obsess about the social mix within elite groups, but to create a wider range of good-quality opportunities for a wider range of people in a wider range of places.
This is a problem of supply as well as demand, in terms the volume of good jobs and of their distribution across the country.
The social mobility commission’s latest report, Innovation Generation, considers how we can take a different approach to social mobility, which refocuses the debate on the real obstacles to opportunity. The most prominent among these are regional disparities, the problem of the “left behind”, and the growing inequality of opportunity across generations.
The solutions to these challenges are more innovation, higher growth, and stronger and more evenly spread economic development.
A new narrative of opportunity
The social mobility commission’s 2024 State of the Nation report revealed large geographical disparities in social mobility outcomes.
Almost all areas with favourable outcomes are either in London or in the adjoining home counties of Surrey, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Those areas with less favourable outcomes, on the other hand, were more likely to be more remote from London and other metropolitan areas, including Cornwall and the north east.
It stands to reason, then, that effective place-based strategies, where local leaders can help to drive change by fostering enterprise, investment and innovation, should form part of our approach.
We can see the emergence of these approaches with the current cross-party consensus on accelerated devolution, but these need to go further in linking economic, educational and social change to be effective.
The role of universities within local growth and innovation partnerships will almost certainly be critical. But alongside this the education and training system must provide genuine choices for young people and adults as they develop and build their careers.
These pathways must place real skills, knowledge, know-how and enterprise at their centre. They must actively challenge the “credentialism” which makes qualifications a barrier rather than a gateway. And they must ensure that the benefits of innovation and growth are shared broadly, improving educational and economic outcomes for the most disadvantaged.
Understanding disadvantage
Another theme of our work is that the current debate about social mobility is confused about the “truly disadvantaged” and that we have a dismal track record of effective practice when it comes to improving their outcomes.
This is partly because of the way the problem is defined, with definitions and data often used carelessly, where education is presented as a magic bullet.
Education does have a uniquely transformational power, but we cannot overlook the economy or the hugely important role of communities, neighbourhoods and families. We also cannot overlook the striking geographical patterns which show many areas with similar characteristics (often post-industrial, seaside or rural) consistently come last in terms of educational achievement.
We are keen to understand the interplay of economic, educational, neighbourhood and family issues, which sit behind these statistics. And we are keen that ‘social mobility’ should not be solely focused on those from poor backgrounds with the potential for elite outcomes.
We are particularly concerned about the problem of 16- to 24-year-old NEETS, and have to ask why so much time and resource is invested in widening participation to university while the same effort to change life chances is not presented to those with the least opportunity.
What next?
There is evidently a great deal of work to be done to improve opportunities for all across the country. We have not set out to provide the answers to every aspect of the problem. The evidence tells us that there are no easy solutions.
However, Innovation Generation sets out to establish a different framework for thinking about social mobility, so that policy relentlessly focuses on changing the things that really matter.
