The Education Brief: Saturday 22 March 2025 - Top stories include:

• The government’s interim curriculum review outlined 4 areas of focus for the national curriculum.

• Severe absence has reached its highest point on record, especially affecting those with SEND.

• The UK’s "lost learning crisis" has worsened; researchers propose 10 bold solutions.

• Government support for rising employer national insurance contributions could fall short by 35%.

This week’s deep dive: 

• Covid-19: Five years later

We’ll also tell you what’s happening at HEP this week and what we’ve been watching, listening to, and reading!

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

Listening - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0028v06

Reading - https://sendmatters.co.uk/2025/01/29/send-provision-and-parents-communicating-the-why-that-drives-our-what/

AI Tool - https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/ai-tools-education-2025/

Music by Slo Pony