Teach Secondary 13.5

THE SPEECH: Education Secretaryaddresses Education World Forum2024 WHO? Gillian Keegan, Secretary of State for Education (at time of going to press) WHERE? London WHEN? 20thMay 2024 “In the last few years, we’ve talked a lot about the pandemic.We’ve now moved beyond the COVID crisis, and our immediate response, but there are still challenges that remain – including children’s mental health and school attendance. These are joined by the other great issues of our age: introducing children to technology safely, whilst not allowing it to damage or dominate their lives, and accelerating climate action and awareness to preserve their future world. How do we limit the impact of the challenges mentioned above? Sharing what is known to work can overcome stubborn problems and spread success. Real change is hard. But someone showing you a proven way forward, guided by good evidence, canmake it easier. We have worked together successfully in the past. This is howwe must tackle the current and upcoming education challenges of this century. As Malala Yousafzai has said, “ There are many problems, but I think there is a solution to all these problems. It’s just one, and it’s education. ” As we gather together to discuss education solutions this week, remember to share what you’ve seen work in your country. Children’s futures rely on all of our solutions.” THE RESPONSE: Teacherpayuncertainty FROM? Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of theAssociation of School and College Leaders, said: REGARDING? Lack of clarity fromgovernment on 2024/25 teacher pay award WHEN? 24thMay 2024 “The Department for Education has not been able to give us any steer on the fate of the teacher pay award – and we fear no decision will now be made until after the General Election. [This] means that teachers and leaders have no clarity about what they will be paid when they come back after the summer break, and schools are unable to plan their budgets for next year with any confidence. This is particularly problematic in the context of school budgets being under massive pressure withmany schools planning deficit budgets while they consider further cuts.” Mixed fortunes With the 2024 general election campaign still in full swing at the time of writing,we don’t yet knowhowdifferent the DfE’s priorities are going to be after July 4th. Either way, the incoming administration will be inheriting a DfE with a distinctlymixed record, if a new report fromthe Institute for Fiscal Studies is anything to go by. According to the authors of ‘The state of education: what awaits the next government?’, standards of literacy and numeracy among England’s 15-year-olds showing amarked improvement over the past 10 years, relative to other OECD nations. As things stand, academic performance in England sits above the G7 average. Things are distinctly less rosywhen it comes to education inequality, however. Around half of those pupils eligible for Free School Meals show good levels of development, compared to 72%of their peers. 16-year-olds in the Free School Meals group are also 29 percentage points less likely to earn good GCSEs, compared to their less disadvantaged peers, highlighting the extent to which the GCSE attainment gap between the two groups has barely shifted over the last couple of decades. Other issues set to loom large on the new government’s to-do list are the 60% rise in pupils on EHCPs since 2016 and a dramatic rise in absenteeism,with pupils on average missing 14 school days per year, climbing to 21 days for disadvantaged students. The full report canbe downloadedvia bit.ly/ts135-NL1 SPEECHES AND CORRESPONDENCE Forget the media-friendly soundbites – what else was in those announcements and letters you missed? 4-5 JULY 2024 The 14th Festival of Education | 5 JULY 2024 nasen LIVE 2024: Inclusive Practice inAction | 5 JULY 2024 Reckoning with Race: Anti-racism in Schools Conference SAVE THE DATE 4-5 JULY 2024 The 14th Festival of Education WellingtonCollege,Crowthorne educationfest.co.uk If you like the idea of getting some valuable CPDwithin the bucolic surroundings of Wellington College, put a date in the diary for this year’s Festival of Education in July. Expect a packed programme with over 300 noted speakers, a host of engaging sessions, stimulating talks and passionate debates wherever you look, and all manner of networking opportunities. 5 JULY 2024 Reckoningwith Race: Anti-racism in Schools Conference St Claudine’s Catholic School forGirls, London bit.ly/ts135-NE1 Anational conference aimed at bringing together education leaders engaged in anti-racismefforts at their schools.On the agenda will be expert advice and practical suggestions on how schools committed to racial justice and anti-racismcan put those values into action, via workable and sustainable policies and practices. 5 JULY 2024 nasen LIVE 2024: Inclusive Practice inAction Vox Conference Centre, Birmingham nasen.org.uk/nasen-live-2024 So popular is the SEND education charity’s annual conference that tickets for this year’s event are actually sold out,with access only available via a waitlist.Thosemanaging to make it along will find leading speakers and panels aplenty, numerous opportunities for in-person advice and CPD sessions, and a sizeable exhibition area populated by a wide range of service and product providers. 07 teachwire.net/secondary N E WS | J U L / A U G