Phillipson vows to tackle ‘thorny' challenge facing white working-class pupils
Speaking before A-level results day on Thursday, Ms Phillipson said her focus will be turning around the 'stark' attainment gap and outcomes between white working-class children and their peers.
The Government will set out its plans for the challenge in a schools white paper in the autumn, she said.
Fewer than a fifth (18.6%) of white British pupils eligible for free school meals achieved at least a grade 5 – which is considered a 'strong pass' – in their English and maths GCSEs in 2023/24, compared to 45.9% of all state school pupils in England, according to Department for Education (DfE) data.
We're looking at all of the options in terms of how we can support students to both get to university but also to thrive while they're at university Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson
The Education Secretary told the PA news agency: 'They're not well positioned to carry on with studies, to get an apprenticeship, to go on to university.
'That is why the schools white paper we will be publishing in the autumn will set out an ambitious vision for how we can tackle this generational challenge of what many young people experience.
'(It) is a national disgrace that so many young people are written off and don't get what they need to achieve and thrive.'
She added: 'Far too many young people, particularly white working-class British students, don't get the exam results that they need at GCSE or A-level to allow them to continue onto university.'
Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive their A-level results on Thursday and they will decide whether to study in higher education, do an apprenticeship or go straight into work.
University sector leaders have suggested that cost-of-living pressures are affecting young people's choices around university – with more opting to stay living at home while doing their degree.
Jo Saxton, chief executive of Ucas, would like the Government to provide more bursaries and maintenance support for young people amid a rise in students who are choosing to stay living at home.
She said students were opting not to move away from home for their studies amid cost-of-living pressures, and some were choosing a university near home so they could keep an existing part-time job.
Dr Saxton told PA there has also been a rise in UK 19-year-old first-time applicants as more young people are wanting to work and 'raise some funds' for a year before they go to university due to pressures.
Ucas figures released last month revealed that the number of UK 19-year-olds who have applied to higher education by the June 30 deadline has increased by 1.4% compared to last year.
There's clearly an affordability concern for applicants Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK
Addressing the cost-of-living pressures facing students, the Education Secretary said the Government recognises that there is 'still more to do' to tackle some of the disparities that young people experience.
She told PA: 'I do want all students to be able to get the full benefits of their time at university, to be able to take up internships, study trips (and) other work experience opportunities.
'I don't want students from less well-off backgrounds to be deterred from doing that because of having to take on more hours of paid work.'
When asked if the Government is considering bringing back maintenance grants in England to support poorer students facing cost pressures, Ms Phillipson said: 'We're looking at all of the options in terms of how we can support students to both get to university but also to thrive while they're at university.'
She added that universities have responsibilities 'to make sure students from less well-off backgrounds are given the support that they need' to get to university and to complete their studies.
'There's still a big challenge there in terms of some of the unacceptably high dropout rates that we see for some students,' the Education Secretary said.
Last year, the Government announced that undergraduate tuition fees in England, which have been frozen at £9,250 since 2017, will rise to £9,535 for the 2025-26 academic year.
It also announced that maintenance loans will increase in line with inflation in the 2025-26 academic year to help students with their living costs.
But university leaders have called for maintenance support to be adjusted in line with inflation in future years rather than as a one-off as part of the Government's reforms which will be set out in the autumn.
When asked about these calls, Ms Phillipson said: 'Both in terms of student finance and the financial sustainability of universities, I understand the arguments that universities make around certainty of funding and that's something we're considering as part of the post-16 white paper.'
Speaking to PA before the start of the new academic year, the Education Secretary said: 'My big priority for this year will be how we focus on the really stark picture that we see around attainment and outcomes for children from white working-class backgrounds in places like Sunderland.'
She added: 'The focus will be how we tackle some of those really thorny and generational challenges – like the gaps that we see around white working-class children and their attainment.
'That's why both the post-16 white paper and the schools white paper will have a focus on how we turn that around, and how we make sure that all children in our country can achieve and thrive.'
An independent inquiry into the educational outcomes of white working-class children was commissioned by Sir Hamid Patel, chief executive of the multi-academy trust Star Academies, in June.
Speaking before A-level results day, Ucas chief Dr Saxton told PA that an increase in UK 19-year-old first-time applicants was a 'new emerging trend'.
She said: 'I don't think it's the gap year in the sort of traditional Sloaney sense.
'(The) number one concern that we hear from students concerned about the cost of living and they want to work for a bit and raise some funds before they go to study.'
Dr Saxton added: 'Would I like to see the Government provide more bursaries and maintenance support? Yes, of course I would.'
The Ucas boss said 'commuter students' – those who decide not to move away for university – are using clearing to decline their place to study closer to home 'either because of caring responsibilities, or related to cost of living, or because it means they can keep a part-time job they already have'.
On the rise of UK 19-year-old applicants, Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK (UUK), said: 'There's clearly an affordability concern for applicants.'
She told PA: 'I'd be saying to Government this is another reason to get your skates on and address the maintenance and support issue.
'Because it might be students who are taking a bit of time out to earn a bit of money to help them as they enter university.
'But if it's because they are worried about the availability of finance through the maintenance loan – and it's the threshold not going up, as well as the total value of the maintenance loan not going up, that's been a problem – then I think Government should be paying a bit of attention to it.'
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The Herald Scotland
38 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
King and Queen to honour veterans on 80th anniversary of VJ Day
Charles, patron of the RBL, Camilla, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will attend the event which honours British, Commonwealth and Allied veterans who served in the Far East theatres of war including Myanmar and the Pacific and Indian Ocean territories. Ahead of the service, the King, in an pre-recorded audio address to the nation, will vow that the sacrifice of heroes who fought and died in the campaigns 'shall never be forgotten'. He will reflect on the horrors experienced by prisoners of war and innocent civilians of occupied lands in the region 'whose suffering reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life'. Charles will describe how the collaboration of countries demonstrated 'in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear but the arms you link'. The King recording his audio message at Clarence House earlier this month (Aaron Chown/PA) Around 1,500 guests at the national commemoration will hear first-hand testimony from veterans who experienced conflict in the Far East before the war ended when atomic bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender and VJ Day on August 15 1945. The service will begin with a national two-minute silence and include flypasts by the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster – with military bagpipers playing at dawn in the Far East section of the Arboretum. The Prime Minister held a special reception at Downing Street for veterans on Thursday, at which he described the Government as one of 'service'. He added: 'I sat on this terrace this very morning with President Zelensky, who is fighting for the same values as we were fighting for. 'And so when we say never forget, we must pass on the stories of those who have gone before us.' On 15 August, we will mark VJ Day 80 with a National Commemorative Event at the @Nat_Mem_Arb. Please join us for the national two-minute silence, and help us pay tribute to all those who fought and died during WW2 in the Far East. Find out more ⬇️ — Royal British Legion (@PoppyLegion) July 15, 2025 During Thursday's garden party, veteran Stanley Elliss, aged 103, and his daughter, could be seen showing the Prime Minister pictures he had taken during the war. Sir Keir said: 'Eighty years since our victory in the Second World War, we pay our respects to the many who fought, were captured, and made the ultimate sacrifice in the Far East. 'Our country owes a great debt to those who fought for a better future, so we could have the freedoms and the life we enjoy today. We must honour that sacrifice with every new generation.' Many of the veterans at the Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, have never told their story before registering with the RBL to be part of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory Over Japan. Veterans attending the event on Friday served in the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, with roles ranging from those deployed on submarines, minesweepers and destroyers, to a Spitfire pilot and a combat cameraman. The oldest veterans are Yavar Abbas and Owen Filer, aged 105, and other attendees include two of the last surviving Chindits – Charlie Richards, 104, and Sid Machin, 101 – who served in the elite Special Forces unit known for their deep jungle warfare tactics as part of Operation Thursday. Mr Richards, from Northamptonshire – who served in the 7th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment, spent months behind enemy lines ambushing Japanese supplies and communications, all while pulling along reluctant mules and heavy equipment. Second World War veteran Yavar Abbas, 105, served in the Army with the 11th Sikh Regiment (Royal British Legion/Private Collection/PA) The 104-year-old said: 'I am so proud to attend the RBL's national event, and I think it will be a really poignant moment for those of us left. 'I want to represent all those who saw action in the Far East and remember those who never made it home, including my best friend and comrade, Son Johnson, who was killed in action in Burma. It will be such a special day for me and my family.' Joseph Hammond, 100, whose testimony will be shared during the service, will be watching the live broadcast from his home in Ghana 3,000 miles away. Mr Hammond fought in Burma in the 82nd Division in brutal conditions near the Irrawaddy River and suffered a serious eye injury and remained in hospital until the war ended. In 2020, he walked 14 miles over seven days to raise £500,000 for frontline workers and veterans during the Covid pandemic. Mr Hammond said: 'Why should such a thing happen? Man killing his fellow man. Humanity, destroying humanity. Never allow your country to go that way. It's no good. I know how it feels, so I have to advise everybody to keep away from war. Let us continue to enjoy our peace.' Charlie Richards, 104, is attending the RBL's VJ 80 service of remembrance on Friday (Royal British Legion/Private Collection/PA) The service will be broadcast live on BBC One from 11.30am and will be hosted by actress and author Celia Imrie. Ms Imrie said: 'It is an honour to be hosting this momentous occasion with The Royal British Legion, to pay tribute to these courageous and inspiring veterans who are able to join us at the National Memorial Arboretum on VJ Day, and to remember those who never made it home.' Mark Atkinson, Director General of the Royal British Legion, said: 'It is an enormous privilege for the RBL to be leading the nation on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day with our service of remembrance at National Memorial Arboretum broadcast live on BBC One. 'Victory over Japan would not have been possible without the diverse contribution of Allied Forces from Britain, the Commonwealth and beyond, and this is one of our last chances to thank veterans who fought in the Far East and Pacific for their service and sacrifice. 'Their contribution brought an end to the Second World War and this is a moment for the country to come together and commemorate this momentous anniversary and pay tribute to their courage and bravery.' Around five million men and women served in the British Armed Forces during the Second World War, with millions more mobilised from countries including pre-partition India, Australia, Canada, and across the Commonwealth including African and Caribbean nations. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: 'We must never forget this vital part of our national story. By coming together to hear the stories of our brave VJ Day veterans first-hand, we can ensure that the legacy of our British Armed Forces and those from across the Commonwealth is passed on to future generations.' From 9pm on Friday evening, hundreds of buildings across the country will be lit up to mark VJ 80, including Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, Tower42, The Shard, Blackpool Tower, Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Durham Cathedral, Cardiff Castle, the Cenotaph, the Kranji War Memorial in Singapore and the White Cliffs of Dover.
Daily Mail
39 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Minority Report-style map of Britain that aims to stop criminals before they strike by identifying local areas most at risk is being developed by experts
Experts are creating an AI-driven crime map of England and Wales that aims to stop criminals before they strike. The Government today announced a £4million investment in the futuristic project, which will use official data to identify local areas that are likely to see criminal activity, such as knife offences and anti-social behaviour. Police will then target these locations with extra resources, including patrols and visits to the homes of convicted criminals, in the hope of intervening before any offences take place. Peter Kyle, Science and Technology Secretary, said the project would draw on data from police, councils and social services, including criminal records, previous offence reports and the behavioural patterns of known offenders. The Concentrations of Crime Data Challenge will see experts from universities and businesses tasked with creating the model with the aim of making it operational across England and Wales by 2030. 'We want to identify areas that have a higher probability of experiencing crime,' Mr Kyle told the Daily Mail during a visit to the Met's central communications command centre. 'That means police can ensure officers are in the area and are able to prevent these crimes happening in the first place or respond before they escalate. 'The Met and other forces have an enormous amount of data on historic and emerging crime. By using that - and incorporating data from other authorities such as local councils - the model can become more accurate as time passes.' AI can identify patterns and links in evidence and sift through data more quickly than humans. Civil liberties campaigners have previously raised ethical concerns about the use of algorithms to try to predict crimes in advance. But Mr Kyle said the government's crime map would only use official data and not information from private sources, such as social media. He insisted any interventions police make based on the map's findings would be subject to 'human oversight' and insisted the system was merely an extension of traditional policing methods. 'Police forces throughout history have always looked at individuals who are committing crime and patterns of behaviour that indicate they will commit crime again - this is not new,' he said. 'But in an era where we are able to use digital technology and data to assist in that process we can't ignore the power of that technology to keep us all safe. 'This will be one tool alongside many others that crime fighters use. Human oversight and respect for the experience of senior officers will always remain at the forefront. 'We will not be using digital technology to blindly identify individuals on a vague probability. That is not what we are talking about.' The initial £4m investment aims to deliver a series of initial prototypes by April 2026. My Kyle spoke to the Daily Mail on a visit to the Met's Central Command Communications Centre in Lambeth, where he also viewed other tech innovations including 'first responder' drones. The gadgets, which will be deployed in London in October, can be sent to the scene of emergency incidents in minutes to give officers an overview of the situation and gather evidence. The Mail also saw a demonstration of a smaller device that can be used to search buildings for hazards, such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs), before they are raided by armed police. Mr Kyle also viewed a van fitted with facial recognition cameras, which are already used in London and are now being rolled out across seven police forces – Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley and Hampshire. According to officials, the technology has already been used to make 580 arrests in London over the last year, including 52 registered sex offenders. Campaign group Big Brother Watch claimed the move 'represents a significant expansion of the surveillance state.' But the government maintains the technology will only be used to catch 'high–harm' offenders with rules to ensure 'safeguards and oversight'. 'What we are doing is ensuring that those people who are known perpetrators of crime are found, identified and brought to justice so they can't commit more crimes,' said Mr Kyle. 'People should be reassured that we keep people's digital information safe and secure and always act appropriately. Anyone who is not identified by these cameras has their data immediately and permanently deleted. 'There are criminals out there using data and digital technology to commit crimes. It would be absurd to suggest we don't use this technology to keep people safe.' This week, the Home Office said every community across England and Wales had now been assigned a 'named, contactable' officer to handle reports of crimes such as anti-social behaviour. Their details will be made available for residents on their local force's website, it is understood. The pledge was made as part of the Government's previously announced Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, under which forces have committed to respond to neighbourhood queries within 72 hours.
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
King and Queen to honour veterans on 80th anniversary of VJ Day
Royal British Legion (RBL) guests of honour at a service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum on Friday include 33 veterans aged from 96 to 105 who served in the Far East and Pacific. Charles, patron of the RBL, Camilla, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will attend the event which honours British, Commonwealth and Allied veterans who served in the Far East theatres of war including Myanmar and the Pacific and Indian Ocean territories. Ahead of the service, the King, in an pre-recorded audio address to the nation, will vow that the sacrifice of heroes who fought and died in the campaigns 'shall never be forgotten'. He will reflect on the horrors experienced by prisoners of war and innocent civilians of occupied lands in the region 'whose suffering reminds us that war's true cost extends beyond battlefields, touching every aspect of life'. Charles will describe how the collaboration of countries demonstrated 'in times of war and in times of peace, the greatest weapons of all are not the arms you bear but the arms you link'. The King recording his audio message at Clarence House earlier this month (Aaron Chown/PA) Around 1,500 guests at the national commemoration will hear first-hand testimony from veterans who experienced conflict in the Far East before the war ended when atomic bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender and VJ Day on August 15 1945. The service will begin with a national two-minute silence and include flypasts by the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster – with military bagpipers playing at dawn in the Far East section of the Arboretum. The Prime Minister held a special reception at Downing Street for veterans on Thursday, at which he described the Government as one of 'service'. He added: 'I sat on this terrace this very morning with President Zelensky, who is fighting for the same values as we were fighting for. 'And so when we say never forget, we must pass on the stories of those who have gone before us.' On 15 August, we will mark VJ Day 80 with a National Commemorative Event at the @Nat_Mem_Arb. Please join us for the national two-minute silence, and help us pay tribute to all those who fought and died during WW2 in the Far East. Find out more ⬇️ — Royal British Legion (@PoppyLegion) July 15, 2025 During Thursday's garden party, veteran Stanley Elliss, aged 103, and his daughter, could be seen showing the Prime Minister pictures he had taken during the war. Sir Keir said: 'Eighty years since our victory in the Second World War, we pay our respects to the many who fought, were captured, and made the ultimate sacrifice in the Far East. 'Our country owes a great debt to those who fought for a better future, so we could have the freedoms and the life we enjoy today. We must honour that sacrifice with every new generation.' Many of the veterans at the Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, have never told their story before registering with the RBL to be part of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory Over Japan. Veterans attending the event on Friday served in the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, with roles ranging from those deployed on submarines, minesweepers and destroyers, to a Spitfire pilot and a combat cameraman. The oldest veterans are Yavar Abbas and Owen Filer, aged 105, and other attendees include two of the last surviving Chindits – Charlie Richards, 104, and Sid Machin, 101 – who served in the elite Special Forces unit known for their deep jungle warfare tactics as part of Operation Thursday. Mr Richards, from Northamptonshire – who served in the 7th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment, spent months behind enemy lines ambushing Japanese supplies and communications, all while pulling along reluctant mules and heavy equipment. Second World War veteran Yavar Abbas, 105, served in the Army with the 11th Sikh Regiment (Royal British Legion/Private Collection/PA) The 104-year-old said: 'I am so proud to attend the RBL's national event, and I think it will be a really poignant moment for those of us left. 'I want to represent all those who saw action in the Far East and remember those who never made it home, including my best friend and comrade, Son Johnson, who was killed in action in Burma. It will be such a special day for me and my family.' Joseph Hammond, 100, whose testimony will be shared during the service, will be watching the live broadcast from his home in Ghana 3,000 miles away. Mr Hammond fought in Burma in the 82nd Division in brutal conditions near the Irrawaddy River and suffered a serious eye injury and remained in hospital until the war ended. In 2020, he walked 14 miles over seven days to raise £500,000 for frontline workers and veterans during the Covid pandemic. Mr Hammond said: 'Why should such a thing happen? Man killing his fellow man. Humanity, destroying humanity. Never allow your country to go that way. It's no good. I know how it feels, so I have to advise everybody to keep away from war. Let us continue to enjoy our peace.' Charlie Richards, 104, is attending the RBL's VJ 80 service of remembrance on Friday (Royal British Legion/Private Collection/PA) The service will be broadcast live on BBC One from 11.30am and will be hosted by actress and author Celia Imrie. Ms Imrie said: 'It is an honour to be hosting this momentous occasion with The Royal British Legion, to pay tribute to these courageous and inspiring veterans who are able to join us at the National Memorial Arboretum on VJ Day, and to remember those who never made it home.' Mark Atkinson, Director General of the Royal British Legion, said: 'It is an enormous privilege for the RBL to be leading the nation on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day with our service of remembrance at National Memorial Arboretum broadcast live on BBC One. 'Victory over Japan would not have been possible without the diverse contribution of Allied Forces from Britain, the Commonwealth and beyond, and this is one of our last chances to thank veterans who fought in the Far East and Pacific for their service and sacrifice. 'Their contribution brought an end to the Second World War and this is a moment for the country to come together and commemorate this momentous anniversary and pay tribute to their courage and bravery.' Around five million men and women served in the British Armed Forces during the Second World War, with millions more mobilised from countries including pre-partition India, Australia, Canada, and across the Commonwealth including African and Caribbean nations. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: 'We must never forget this vital part of our national story. By coming together to hear the stories of our brave VJ Day veterans first-hand, we can ensure that the legacy of our British Armed Forces and those from across the Commonwealth is passed on to future generations.' From 9pm on Friday evening, hundreds of buildings across the country will be lit up to mark VJ 80, including Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, Tower42, The Shard, Blackpool Tower, Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Durham Cathedral, Cardiff Castle, the Cenotaph, the Kranji War Memorial in Singapore and the White Cliffs of Dover.
