Editorial

A review by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) found "no concerns" that UK universities are lowering entry requirements for international students applying to foundation courses. To ensure fair admissions and high-quality courses, the report recommends regular monitoring of progression and standardising assessment practices.

Starting with the 2025-2026 admissions cycle, UCAS is replacing their 4,000-character Personal Statement for UK university admissions with 3 structured questions about applicants’ motivations and preparedness for their chosen courses.

A review by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) found "no concerns" that UK universities are lowering entry requirements for international students applying to foundation courses. To ensure fair admissions and high-quality courses, the report recommends regular monitoring of progression and standardising assessment practices.

Universities in the UK are planning to expand their presence in India with new branch campuses. Coventry University is actively negotiating to open a campus in India, while the University of Southampton and Imperial College London are exploring various forms of collaboration, including research hubs and joint degree programmes.

Eton College will give basic "brick" phones to new Year 9 students starting in September 2024. These phones can only send and receive texts and calls and are intended for use outside school hours. Students will also receive iPads for academic purposes, and their decision follows a review of its mobile phone policy to balance technology's benefits and challenges.

The exams watchdog Ofqual plans to fine NCFE £300,000 for major failings in the 2022 Health and Science T-level exams, affecting 1,200 students. Ofqual had to recalculate grades for these students due to invalid question papers, and the NCFE apologised for the issues and committed to improving its processes.

Net migration to Scotland more than doubled from 22,200 in 2021 to 48,800 in 2022, the highest level in a decade, according to the National Records of Scotland. This increase is attributed to a substantial rise in international students, particularly from countries outside the European Union.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has launched efforts to recruit 6,500 new teachers. Phillipson aims to address the crisis in teacher recruitment and retention, and hopes to "reset the relationship" with the sector and transform the image of teaching. Unions welcomed her message but called for urgent action on issues like teacher pay, workload, and special educational needs funding.

Since Brexit, a shortage of French teachers and a focus on subjects like Maths and Computer Science have led to a decline in French studies in UK schools. A-level French entries have fallen from 22,700 in 1996 to 7,000 in 2024, and Spanish is predicted to become the most popular language GCSE by 2025.

Spear’s Magazine & School Management Plus

Ahead of the general election last week, the team has seen an increase in enquiries over VAT concerns from parents of pupils at UK independent schools. So, Dr David Smith, Senior Consultant at Quintessentially Education, and Education Manager Amelia Buckworth spoke to Spear's Magazine and School Management Plus about the proposed plan to impose VAT.

Quintessentially Education's Consultant, Dr. David Smith featured in Absolutely Education's 'Ask the Experts' column, offering insights on preparing for ISEB pre-tests for senior school entry. Read the full article here.

A pioneering educational initiative in UK schools will integrate AI and VR to preserve and enhance the testimonies of Holocaust survivors. The Testimony 360 project, launched by the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET), allows students to engage in immersive conversations with AI versions of survivors and explore virtual tours of significant Holocaust sites.

Headteachers of state schools across England have reported a sharp increase in pupil absences due to mental health issues since Covid, with nearly nine out of 10 secondary school leaders noting a significant rise.

A new toolkit from SOAS university aims to diversify philosophy education by reducing the focus on traditional Western thinkers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Created to combat perceived colonial biases, the initiative introduces perspectives from non-Western philosophers such as Nishida Kitaro and Uma Narayan.

The number of children and young people in England requiring special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support has risen 26% from 2022, with local authorities issuing 84,400 EHCPs last year, and bringing the total to 576,000.