those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
and universities.
LATEST REPORT FROM EDSK
SEPTEMBER 2020
After spending years, perhaps decades, in the policy shadows, the Further Education (FE) sector in England is finally attracting the attention of policymakers including the ‘Augar Review’ of post-18 education and numerous government ministers. Their commitments are welcome and important – the question now is how they will be delivered in practice. This report outlines a package of reforms that aims to ensure the FE sector is respected, ambitious, responsive and stable.
JUNE 2020
This report analyses the three issues that have attracted the most attention in terms of their impact on the fairness, transparency and equity of the university admissions system: the use of predicted grades; the growth of ‘unconditional offers’ from universities; and the barriers facing disadvantaged applicants. It concludes that fundamental changes are needed to make sure that the admissions system works in the interests of students, not universities.
JANUARY 2020
In its first full year of operation, the apprenticeship levy raised £2.7 billion and this is expected to rise to £3.4 billion by 2023-24. However, there have been repeated warnings in recent months that the funding pot generated by the levy is about to run out. This report investigates what is happening with the apprenticeship levy and with the apprenticeship system in England more broadly.
SEPTEMBER 2019
England now has two sets of state schools that are run separately from one another – local authority (‘maintained’) schools and academies. Inevitably, this has produced a fragmented and incoherent education system, with little sign of improvement on either front. This report analyses the problems being caused by the divide between academies and maintained schools, and calls on the government to set the goal of creating a single state education system made up of different types of schools and school groupings.
JULY 2019
This report investigates the changes to GCSE entries and outcomes for secondary schools since the ‘English Baccalaureate’ (EBacc) measure was introduced in 2010. The analysis shows that, while subjects included within the EBacc have typically seen their GCSE entries rise, many subjects outside of the EBacc such as Music and Art have experienced significant declines in GCSE entries and are increasingly being taught after school or as optional activities. The report puts forward a set of recommendations for how to address this disparity between subjects.
MAY 2019
This report sets out a new system for funding post-18 education that can deliver better outcomes and significant savings for both students and taxpayers. It recommends that all 18-year-olds are given an ‘individual education budget’ into which the government places up to £20,000, and this money can be spent on either a university degree, college course or apprenticeship. The report also proposes that each learner is given a ‘lifetime loan limit’ of £75,000, which they can use at any time to invest in education and training throughout their career.
APRIL 2019
Ofsted occupies an important position in our education landscape, but inspecting over 20,000 state schools is still a considerable undertaking. This inaugural report from EDSK therefore seeks to answer four questions: first, can parents trust the grades given to schools by Ofsted; second, is Ofsted measuring the right things; third, what impact does Ofsted have on teachers and school leaders; and fourth, do Ofsted inspections lead to better schools?
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EDSK IN THE NEWS
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Sweden's upper secondary schools are again closing their doors to students from Monday until after Christmas.
The measure is intended to pull a "brake" on the spread of infection in Sweden, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven told a press conference today.
https://www.thelocal.se/20201203/swedens-schools-for-over-16s-shift-back-to-remote-learning
Extra measures to "boost fairness and support students" will be used for next summer's GCSE and A-level exams in England, ministers have announced.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55160374