Editorial

A website backed by the UK government, Starting Reception, has been launched to help parents understand the key skills children should develop before starting school, such as brushing their teeth twice a day and using cutlery. The campaign aims to improve school readiness across England by providing guidance and resources for families. 

Lomond School in Helensburgh, Scotland, has become the first in the UK to accept tuition fees in bitcoin, responding to requests from both local and international families. While all bitcoin payments will initially be converted into British pounds, the initiative is part of Lomond’s broader efforts to remain innovative and financially resilient. 

Harrow School is opening its first US campus in New York, with pupils to be admitted from September 2025. The school will offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum and will be open to both boys and girls. Other international campuses within the Harrow family of schools are located in Thailand, Hong Kong, mainland China and more. 

University of Cambridge officials have voted to review its long-standing practice of automatically informing students of their ‘tripos’ exam rankings, as part of a broader effort to improve mental health. The reforms, supported by the students’ union, aim to promote a healthier work-life balance and include measures such as removing weekend lectures

A national survey of 15,000 schools in England has found that 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools surveyed are enforcing some form of restriction on mobile phone use during school hours. The findings have renewed warnings of the harmful effects of mobile phone use on young people's wellbeing. 

It was great to see Jess Harris, our Head of Education, featured in FOCUS Magazine. She spoke about the importance of GCSE and A Level subject selection, deciding between A Levels and the IB Diploma, and exploring Foundation pathways to university, with a focus on international families relocating to the UK. 

 A study by the Sutton Trust found that 21% of UK state school pupils taking GCSEs in 2023 received private tutoring, a sharp increase from 10% in 2013. Once a rare phenomenon, tutoring is now widespread, with intensive revision camps in high demand during the school holidays. 

The National Audit Office (NAO) has advised that vocational qualifications such as BTECs should be retained until the effectiveness of T-levels, introduced in 2020, can be properly assessed. T-levels have seen lower than expected uptake, with only 25,000 students enrolled this year compared to over 270,000 studying BTecs and similar qualifications.

The Department for Education has announced the introduction of a natural history GCSE, following more than a decade of campaigning by environmentalists. Education minister Catherine McKinnell said the qualification would equip pupils to “understand and respect the natural world” and contribute to its conservation. The government will consult on subject content later this year. 

Ed Sheeran has written an open letter to UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, calling for a £250 million investment in music education across UK schools and community centres. The letter, co-signed by major artists including Elton John, Coldplay, and Stormzy, highlights a 21% decline in music provision in state schools and stresses the need for support and direct funding.  

Harvard University has announced that it will provide free tuition to families earning less than $200,000 a year, with additional support for those earning under $100,000. Other US institutions, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania, have adopted similar policies, and the change will begin in the 2025–26 academic year.

The Conservative Party is pushing for a vote on banning mobile phones in schools, arguing that current guidance leaving decisions to head teachers “hasn’t worked”. Party leader Kemi Badenoch has launched a petition and will host a round table with experts to build support. The Labour government, however, remains resistant to a legal ban and has asked officials to provide guidance for parents instead.

A Department for Education report from UCL has found boys in England are now significantly ahead of girls in maths and science, with the gender gap in maths the largest among countries surveyed. Researchers called for further investigation into factors such as confidence and absenteeism.

Alleyn’s School in south London, founded in 1619, is expanding north of the Thames to take over two North Bridge House schools in Regent’s Park and Hampstead, forming the new Alleyn’s Schools Group in partnership with Cognita. Both schools will adopt Alleyn’s curriculum, which includes a digital and ethical skills programme.

Deakin University and Lancaster University have launched Indonesia’s first UK-Australia joint international campus in Bandung, offering UK and Australian dual qualifications to Indonesian students. The campus will initially offer undergraduate qualifications in Business and Information Technology starting from September 2025.