HEP Talks

The Education Brief: Wednesday 8 July 2026 - Top stories include:

• Religious education is set to become part of the national curriculum for the first time.

• Pearson is under mounting pressure after Key Stage 2 SATs results were delayed.

• Two years into Labour’s term, and TES’ analysis on school data points tells a mixed story.

• New EEF guidance on inclusive teaching warns that some adaptations can lower expectations, reduce thinking, and make pupils less independent.

• The DfE has published RISE plans showing how regional school improvement teams will target school issues differently across England.

Insights:

• Read Catherine Priggs’ blog posts: https://catherinepriggseducation.substack.com/p/50-reading-aloud

HEP Updates:

• Get your HEP CPD Package here: https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/professional-development-at-hep/

Watching - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXnOzzrRfrk&t=1s 

Listening - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002ybc5 

Reading - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/may/did-tiktok-just-divide-and-conquer-feminism 

AI Tool - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlZKzH-ajgU 

⁠Music by Slo Pony⁠

The Education Brief: Wednesday 1 July 2026 - Top stories include:

• What would an Andy Burnham government look like for education?

• Teach First’s flagship government-funded training route is being renamed Teach Lead Change.

• NFER analysis finds disadvantaged primary schools are seeing pupil numbers fall faster.

• ASCL recorded a nearly £480,000 deficit last year, citing rising demand for member support.

• Heatwave conditions sent school attendance down to 82 per cent on Wednesday afternoon.

HEP Updates:

• Our ARB/Inclusion Base report: https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Responding-to-a-Cry-for-Help-Additional-Resource-Bases-in-Schools-2026-v3.pdf 

• Get your HEP CPD Package here: https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/professional-development-at-hep/

Watching - https://www.tes.com/for-schools/content/growth-in-every-learner-on-demand-webinar 

Listening - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/comparative-judgement-and-the-future-of/id1516532537 

Reading - https://blog.teachmate.com/2026/06/10/preparing-for-send-reform-a-practical-guide-to-the-governments-white-paper/ 

AI Tool - https://go.turnitin.com/e/45292/l-45292-2026-05-22-cpz2mj/cq16pk/3171086275/h/Z1Hj1qUcZDpaDzk5fInVGYAIVQc3IbWXU9I-902TpDA 

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Music by Slo Pony⁠

The Education Brief: Wednesday 24 June 2026 - Top stories include:

• 100 heads inspected under Ofsted’s new framework were largely negative about the experience.

• SATs marking ran beyond an extended deadline after technical problems with Pearson’s system.

• The Education Select Committee questioned ministers on several pressing school issues.

• Ofsted chief inspector Martyn Oliver told MPs he is “very concerned” about leader distress under the new inspection framework.

• Schools are being warned to rethink how they publish pupil images online.

HEP Updates:

• Get your HEP CPD Package here: https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/professional-development-at-hep/

• https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/PE-Sport-Premium-HEP-one-pager.pdf

• https://haringeyeducationpartnership.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Setting-up-free-breakfast-clubs-one-pager-for-schools.pdf

Watching - https://www.bigmarker.com/maexhibitions/how-teachers-and-schools-can-use-ai-effectively-and-safely

Listening - https://www.npr.org/2026/06/19/nx-s1-5863554/how-your-phone-keeps-you-scrolling-even-when-you-want-to-stop 

Reading - https://catherinepriggseducation.substack.com/p/49-supporting-a-struggling-cohort 

AI Tool - https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/lQnCMfDN4GEwh8O7MCWPk-ZWjAc4DHSfcbIctRJYzmTysoK3ucAgYLPEd8w04FrJfd-erpzYs26wkwXg.qb8A3USezNlJ5HHX

⁠Music by Slo Pony⁠

The Education Brief: Wednesday 17 June 2026 - Top stories include:

• School leaders cautiously welcome government plans to block under-16s from social media.

• The DfE is set to publish five new enrichment benchmarks for schools, covering arts, sport, nature, civic life and life skills, alongside a £132.5 million “Every Child Can” scheme.

• The government is consulting on proposed content for a new GCSE in natural history.

• Teacher Tapp polling suggests most teachers believe poor diet affects pupils’ behaviour.

Deep Dive: Ofsted key changes and grades research

Watching - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqIcEuJUN7E 

Listening - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002xdny 

Reading - https://carlhendrick.substack.com/p/spandrels-of-the-mind-the-case-against 

AI Tool - https://www.oneusefulthing.org/p/what-it-feels-like-to-work-with-mythos 

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Music by Slo Pony⁠

The Education Brief: Wednesday 10 June 2026 - Top stories include:

• The government is launching a review of children’s screen time for new guidance in the autumn.

• DfE guidance says Experts at Hand support for SEND pupils in mainstream settings should usually be time-limited.

• Teacher numbers in England have fallen by nearly 2,000 year on year.

• Half of state primary pupils are now taught in academies.

• The DfE wants schools to buy their management information systems through a new government framework from September 2027.

Deep Dive: Young people and work: interim report

Watching - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KXehzYMq9w&t=2s

Listening - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/adolescent-literacy-episode-1-foundational-skills-for/id1483513974?i=1000770900634 

Reading - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2026/may/mental-health-difficulties-among-young-adults-have-doubled-past-decade 

AI Tool - https://www.canva.com/canva-ai/  

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Music by Slo Pony⁠

The Education Brief: Wednesday 3 June 2026 - Top stories include:

• The Milburn review warns that education is failing too many young people falling into NEET.

• School insurance claims are projected to rise above £180 million within three years.

• Updated DfE guidance says schools can use AI to help draft official documents.

• Girls are more than twice as likely as boys to take a modern foreign language at A level.

HEP Updates:

• Find and book more CPD sessions at https://hepbookinghub.co.uk/

Watching - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g6QGPDZ4-I 

Listening - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2025/nov/how-can-research-data-influence-policy-save-lives

Reading - https://resources.steplab.co/content/files/2026/05/10-Common-SEN--Mis-interventions-1.pdf 

AI Tool - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-to-get-faster-easier-access-to-government-support-with-new-ai-tool 

⁠Music by Slo Pony⁠

The Education Brief: Wednesday 20 May 2026 - Top stories include:

• Every mainstream state school has now become an academy in one English council area.

• The King confirmed that SEND reform will be taken forward through a new Education for All Bill.

• Schools warn that proposed changes to KCSIE 2026 are too much, too quickly.

• Bridget Phillipson has launched a new international SEND alliance.

• Most schools are meeting Ofsted’s expectations on inclusion - but are they missing something?

HEP Updates:

• Donate to the Horizons 100k in May fundraiser: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/horizons-100km-in-may-2026

• Find and book more CPD sessions at https://hepbookinghub.co.uk/

Watching - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyipGKTj-vI&t=129s&pp=ygUebWluZCB0aGUgZ2FwIHdpdGggdG9tIGFuZCBlbW1h 

Listening - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/whats-changed-in-education-and-whats-still-to-come/id1714972358?i=1000767827776  

Reading - https://www.educationnext.org/rediscovering-knowledge-as-the-key-to-reading/  

AI Tool - https://aieducator.tools/

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Music by Slo Pony⁠

The Education Brief: Wednesday 13 May 2026 - Top stories include:

• The revised Early Career Framework is landing better with new teachers.

• The DfE has paused physics and languages bursaries for overseas teacher trainees.

• The NEU is preparing to formally ballot teachers and support staff for strike action.

• Sixth form college teachers win a contractual right to planning, preparation and assessment time.

• Fewer senior leaders now aspire to headship, from 55 per cent in 2018 to just 37 per cent now.

• School phone bans reduce phone use during the day, but do not automatically improve attainment, attendance, attention or behaviour.

HEP Updates:

• Leadership 55: https://hepbookinghub.co.uk/calendar/leadership-55-with-lee-elliot-major-obe/

• Donate to the Horizons 100k in May fundraiser: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/horizons-100km-in-may-2026

• Find and book more CPD sessions at https://hepbookinghub.co.uk/

Watching - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u9rfEoi7YQ 

Listening - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/apr/following-new-generation-understand-childhood-and-inequality-research-real-world 

Reading - https://www.suttontrust.com/our-research/admissions-not-impossible/ 

AI Tool - https://www.slidesai.io/ 

⁠Music by Slo Pony⁠

The Education Brief: Wednesday 6 May 2026 - Top stories include:

• School leaders are warning that the timeline for new enrichment benchmarks is unrealistic.

• NAHT leaders have backed an indicative ballot on industrial action over pay.

• Suspensions are continuing to rise in primary schools but have begun to fall in secondaries.

• A DfE review suggests its flexible-working scheme struggled to reach the schools most in need.

• Schools with higher levels of disadvantage or SEND are more likely to be marked down by Ofsted.

HEP Updates:

• 100k in May: https://horizonscharity.org/news/join-100km-in-may-fundraising-challenge/

• Leadership 55: https://hepbookinghub.co.uk/calendar/leadership-55-with-lee-elliot-major-obe/

• HEP Headteacher Conference: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScAXkBQt0vS4FjBoHCj8FwI5ARQMugQBoLI6yn6jel8lg4B-w/viewform

• Find and book more CPD sessions at https://hepbookinghub.co.uk/

Watching - https://www.everway.com/en-gb/guides/supporting-dyslexia-signup/

Listening - https://podcast.mrbartonmaths.com/ 

Reading - https://economistfoundation.org/impact/vote-confident-research-report/

AI Tool - https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-design-anthropic-labs

⁠Music by Slo Pony⁠

The Education Brief: Wednesday 29 April 2026 - Top stories include:

• The DfE has cut its projected need for new teacher trainees by 23 per cent for 2026-27.

• Schools have begun scaling back language provision due to plans to scrap the EBacc.

• A Sutton Trust survey shows over 40 per cent of leaders are reducing SEND support.

• Most teachers do not feel equipped to support pupils with emotionally based school avoidance.

• Half of leaders report school areas that are disused or not fit for purpose.

• The DfE is capping supply agency fees under a new framework.

HEP Updates:

• 100k in May: https://horizonscharity.org/news/join-100km-in-may-fundraising-challenge/

• Leadership 55: https://hepbookinghub.co.uk/calendar/leadership-55-with-lee-elliot-major-obe/

• HEP Headteacher Conference: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScAXkBQt0vS4FjBoHCj8FwI5ARQMugQBoLI6yn6jel8lg4B-w/viewform

• Find and book more CPD sessions at https://hepbookinghub.co.uk/

Watching - https://www.canva.com/canva-create/

Listening - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s10-e13-building-blocks-for-deep-comprehension-with/id1483513974?i=1000754609610

Reading - https://carlhendrick.substack.com/p/orthographic-skeletons-can-children

AI Tool - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360131526000540

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Music by Slo Pony⁠