
Phillipson visits zero private schools in 11 months
Yet despite dire warnings about the impact of putting VAT on independent school fees, Phillipson seems indifferent to their fate. For a Freedom of Information request by Steerpike has confirmed that she is yet to visit a single one in nearly a year in office. According to the Department for Education:
Minister Morgan and Minister McKinnell have visited a private school in their ministerial capacities since 5 July 2024. Minister Morgan visited the Cavendish School. Minister McKinnell visited the Royal Ballet School. The Secretary of State for Education has not visited a private school in her ministerial capacity since 5 July 2024. Ministers also regularly engage with independent school bodies.
So that's two visits by seven ministers in almost 12 months. The next reshuffle can't come soon enough…
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Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Parents using 'buy now pay later' schemes and going without food to afford school uniforms
Parentkind's survey of 2,000 parents of children aged 14 to 15 who attend a state school found almost a third (31%) said they are likely to get into debt to buy school uniform Cash-strapped parents are using 'buy now, pay later' schemes and going without food to afford branded school uniforms, according to new research. Parentkind's survey of 2,000 parents of children aged 14 to 15 who attend a state school found almost a third (31%) said they are likely to get into debt to buy school uniforms. The charity also said 29% will go without heating or eating at some point to pay for uniforms. And 34% said they use 'buy now, pay later' schemes such as Klarna to spread the cost out. The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is today urging schools to give families immediate freedom to shop where suits their budget. It comes ahead of new rules from September 2026 requiring schools to reduce the number of branded uniform items parents are forced to buy to three. There is currently no limit on branded items schools can ask parents to buy. The Department for Education (DfE) said some schools are requesting more than five and in some cases 10 branded items. Ms Phillipson said: "School uniform matters, but it shouldn't break the bank. No family should have to choose between putting food on the table and buying a new blazer. Parents have told us they want fewer costly branded items – and that's exactly what we're delivering. Schools can help ease the pressure on families right now by reducing the number of branded items they require." Parentkind's Chief Executive, Jason Elson, said: 'Parents have faced the crushing cost of sending their children to school for far too long. For many families the bills soar into the thousands every year, covering uniforms, books, stationery, trips, laptops and travel. These reforms are the first real step towards ending that injustice." He added: 'Limiting branded school uniform items will make a difference straight away. Our research shows 85% of parents believe this will cut costs, 71% prefer to buy plain items and add the logo later, and 83% say unbranded uniform is just as good quality. This is about keeping money in parents' pockets without sacrificing school pride. 'We also welcome universal breakfast clubs, expanded free school meals and funded childcare. These reforms will help level the playing field, ensuring no child's education is limited by the size of their family's bank balance.' The Government's Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill includes a proposal to cap the number of branded uniform items schools in England can require to three.


BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
North East youth ambassador calls for better careers education
A young people's spokesperson is calling for careers education in schools to be urgently improved and embedded in the national Sweeney, who is 19, champions the views of young people in the north-east of England as one of the Children's Commissioner's ambassadors. She believes pupils also need more meaningful work experience, "working on a real project for a local business, or contributing to a community initiative where they can see the impact of their work".The Department for Education says "ensuring young people receive good quality careers advice and work experience" are key priorities for the government. Ms Sweeney, from Hartlepool, moved to a technical college at the age of 14 and was later accepted as an apprentice at a local construction has been a youth ambassador since 2023. "I was lucky enough to get a great careers education but I know that not all young people are that lucky," she Sweeney wants to break down barriers between young people and employment, and campaigns for more to be done to improve the career prospects of school leavers. She would like to see careers advice embedded into the culture and ethos of every school from a younger age. Historically, schools have only been advised to provide up to two weeks work experience for Key Stage 4 pupils - those aged 14-16. From September, schools and colleges will be encouraged to start earlier, from the age of Gastsby Benchmarks have been updated and now advise that students should have at least one placement by the age of 16, and another by the age of Sweeney said offering work experience from 11 was "great progress" but she still hoped the government could "make careers and skills part of the national curriculum"."It could mean teachers linking lesson content to real-world situations, employers visiting schools regularly, and trained careers advisers being available whenever students need guidance," she said. While the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) - a national body for careers education in England - welcomes September's changes, its chief executive, John Yarham, agrees that work placements needed to be CEC has been working with schools, academies and employers - such as the Newcastle United Foundation - to create a new system, where young people have different types of experiences throughout their education and within their work placements. "It doesn't have to be photocopying and making the tea, it's about different experiences that employers can provide, that meet their needs as well," he said. The latest statistics suggest about one in eight young people aged between 16 and 24 were not in education, employment or training (known as NEETs) in the first three months of this this is not because of a shortage of jobs. The Office for National Statistics estimated there were 718,000 vacancies in the UK between May and say it is a shortage of skills - or an unwillingness to learn - which is causing recruitment issues in many sectors, including construction, health and manufacturing.A recent report from the Edge Foundation said the scale of skills shortages across the UK continued to Hudson, the managing director of Hudson Lifting, which recently opened a base in Gateshead, said: "I think kids are under a lot of pressure."When I went to school it wasn't all about the qualifications, it was more about attitude."He said schools should be teaching skills, as well as aiming for good grades. "What we really look for is attitude and effort, more than anything else," he said. Paul Blake, the managing director of another company, Chippendale Plant, which provides construction equipment across the north of England, said recruitment was a challenge."Nobody sees this as an exciting business to be part of," he said, adding that school leavers were instead drawn towards the technology industry, even though the plant industry had a lot of technical involvement. "It's just about letting school leavers know about the opportunities available," he said. Schools are not within the remit of North East Labour mayor Kim McGuinness but she is pushing for powers to be devolved from central government so she can make said she had brought employers into more than 400 schools and colleges to give pupils advice as "we know that this is what prepares them for their future career"."It really helps them to succeed," she of the biggest challenges was when children decided to leave school at 16, she added. Even for those with a university degree, there is no guarantee of a job. Graduates make up 10.6% of the latest NEET figures. In response, Teesside University has developed a strategy to prepare students for vice-chancellor Prof Mark Simpson said "soft skills" were vital. "Things like building confidence, making sure that students have got the right mindset," he was also one of the first universities to develop a plan for artificial intelligence (AI), "embracing new skills that students will need", he added. A study by the Key Group in October suggested only 2% of secondary school pupils in its survey had completed two weeks of work experience, with 49% only finishing its manifesto, Labour said it would "guarantee two weeks' worth of work experience for every young person, and improve careers advice in schools and colleges".However, the plans being introduced from September to offer experience to pupils earlier in their school career make this a recommendation, rather than a Department for Education said what it was calling its Youth Guarantee would mean every 18-21-year-old in England would have "help to access an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities or help to find a job"."Local career hubs are working with thousands of employers to improve careers advice, with a focus on early outreach and curriculum integration," a spokesperson government also said that, in the North East, its ambition was to work with the CEC and local employers to "inspire a diverse and skills future talent pipeline" and support more young people into opportunities within the region. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.


Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
White pupils are the least likely group to get into a top university - with just one in 10 expected to land a spot
White pupils are the least likely group to get into a top university for the third year running, analysis suggests. Official data from the Department for Education (DfE) shows only 11.7 per cent of white pupils are attending the highest-ranking third of universities by age 19. This compares with 12.1 per cent of black pupils, 15.5 per cent of those who are mixed race and 18.6 per cent of Asians. The underperformance of white students is partly driven by British pupils from low-income families – one of the lowest-achieving sub-categories. Only 3 per cent of these pupils made it into 'high-tariff' universities – defined as the top for entry requirements. It comes after Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson pledged last week to make raising standards for white working-class pupils a priority. She said it was a 'national disgrace' that so many were 'written off' at school and failed to achieve their potential in exams. Alan Smithers, professor of education at Buckingham University, said: 'It is striking how well young people from the ethnic minorities do in education in this country. The underperformance of white students is partly driven by British pupils from low-income families – one of the lowest-achieving sub-categories. Only 3 per cent of these pupils made it into 'high-tariff' universities – defined as the top for entry requirements (file image) 'Some of those who were born abroad come from countries where if you don't earn, you don't eat. 'They understand the crucial role that education plays in living the good life, whereas young people in this country have grown used to being supported by the state.' The rate of entering university was also lower for British-born pupils than for those who had a migrant background. Entry for native English-speakers was 42.8 per cent, while for those whose first language is not English it was 60.9 per cent. Professor Smithers said the data suggested universities were welcoming to ethnic minorities, following claims from some campaigners that they are institutionally racist. He added: 'The myth of university racism comes from the US and has been taken up by sociology departments in this country, which can become training grounds for activists who spend their years on campus seeking out every small sign that can be interpreted as racism.' The rate of entering university was also lower for British-born pupils than for those who had a migrant background. Entry for native English-speakers was 42.8 per cent, while for those whose first language is not English it was 60.9 per cent A DfE spokesman said: 'This Government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university – regardless of their background. 'We know baked-in inequalities remain in our education system, which is why universities must do more to expand opportunity and improve outcomes for disadvantaged students.' The analysis of 2023/24 data – the latest available – covers pupils who attended English state schools, not those in private schools or Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.