Teach Secondary 13.7

THE SPEECH: Education Secretaryaddresses the 2024 LabourPartyConference WHO? Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education WHERE? ACC Liverpool Kings Dock, Liverpool WHEN? 25th September 2024 “We have always known that bringing up the next generation doesn’t start and stop at the school gate. Conference, across education, I hear a story told time and again. Of staff in our nurseries and schools, in our colleges and universities, going above and beyond so often.Who stepped in when the services around them frayed and failed. School staff ending up as bothmaths teacher andmental health counsellor. College staff helping with benefits, as well as BTECs. I want to put on recordmy thanks, our thanks, Labour’s thanks, to everyone who works in education across our country. You deserve a government that works with you, to deliver the change our children need. And I amhere today to tell you that we are that government, that we will work with you and your unions, that the change has already begun. In just 12 weeks we have begun the hard work of reform.We have already brought an end to one-word Ofsted judgments in our schools,once and for all. Today, the Curriculumand Assessment Review begins a national conversation, to ensure that a rich and broad education – the start that every parent wants for their children – is the experience of the many, not the privilege of a few. In less than 100 days we will end private schools’ tax breaks. To drive high and rising standards for the nine in 10 children who go to state schools.We will focus apprenticeships once more on young people, to set themup to succeed. We have turned government to the work of tackling child poverty once again, because it is the purpose of our Party, above all others – it is my purpose – to ensure that no child, no child , grows up in poverty inmodern Britain.” Recruiting Gen Z As themembers of Generation Z begin to enter the workforce, the education charityTeach First and policy consultancy Public First have co-produced a report into what motivates the career choices of those born in themid to late 90s, andwhat incentivesmay succeed in persuading capable graduates to enter the teaching profession. According to the ‘Tomorrow’s teachers’ report, 56%of ‘Gen Z’ chiefly prioritise a good work-life balance when seeking employment, with the next twomost popular criteria being a ‘high long-termsalary’ (47%) and ‘Interesting and engaging work (46%). Andwhat does this group currentlymake of the teaching profession? Among those surveyed, the word theymost readily associatedwith teaching was ‘stressful’ (by 55%), then ‘rewarding’ (48%) and ‘difficult’ (45%).On amore heartening note, 73%of respondents recognised teaching as a ‘job that had purpose’. So,what will it take to actually get them applying for those PGCE courses? One thing that certainly dissuades many is the starting salary,with 71%of respondents reasoning that it would be easier to earnmore in a different sector. Frompotential incentives suggested to respondents, themost popular by far was a starting salary of £40,000 (ranked top by 50%). Somemore esoteric proposals further down the list included 13 weeks of holiday spread across the year in 2-week blocks (chosen by 22%) student loan forgiveness after 10 years of teaching at a low income school (preferred by 14%) and no requirement to performmarking (prized by 11%). SPEECHES AND CORRESPONDENCE Forget the media-friendly soundbites – what else was in those announcements and letters you missed? 19-20 OCTOBER 2024 Battle of Ideas Festival | 13 NOVEMBER 2024 The Education People Show | 20 NOVEMBER 2024 Schools &Academies Show SAVE THE DATE 19-20 OCTOBER 2024 Battle of Ideas Festival WellingtonCollege,Crowthorne battleofideas.org.uk Fans of robust debate, and those with trenchant views they’d like to get off their chest,will find lots to chew on at this year’s Battle of Ideas,where a vast spread of topics – women’s rights,AI,mental health and disinformation among them – will be subject to impassioned discussion. Secondary pupils can attend one of the days for free, or both for a discounted £10. 20 NOVEMBER 2024 Schools &Academies Show NECBirmingham schoolsandacademiesshow.co.uk Back for another stint at the NEC is this fixture of the education events calendar, offering lots in the way of knowledge- sharing, advice sessions and inspiring keynotes.This year’s event will be sharing exhibition space on the daywith both the EdTech Summit and the Independent Schools Conference, making formore networking opportunities than ever before. 13 NOVEMBER 2024 The Education People Show Kent Event Centre,Detling theeducationpeopleshow.co.uk Billed as the South East’s ‘Leading event for the promotion and development of effective school leadership,management, learning and teaching’ and free to attend, thosemaking the trip to Detling will get to participate in a series of workshops spanning an array of topics – fromemployment law and SEND provision to school finance. Proceedings then conclude with a keynote address by Beth TweddleMBE. THE RESPONSE: NEUcomments onprojectedpupil numbers FROM? Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union REGARDING? Pupil projections by the National Foundation for Education Research, highlighting a future fall in primary pupil numbers WHEN? 25th September 2024 “Currently, there is nomechanism to plan school places for a local area. Labour need to put this in place to ensure that we do not close far toomany schools which will be needed when the birth rate increases again. The present system, with academies being able to take decisions on their own, is not rational or fair – and hinders the work of local authorities.” 07 teachwire.net/secondary N E WS | O C T / N O V