The Education Brief: Wednesday 8 October 2025 - Top stories include:

• Former Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman blasted the watchdog’s new “report card” reforms.

• The DfE has announced sweeping cuts to teacher-training bursaries from 2026.

• The government has commissioned new “best practice” guidance to help mainstream schools set up and run SEN and pupil support units.

• The DfE is scrapping funding for state schools offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

• AI-written questions will be trialled in SATs moderator tests to cut costs and reduce workload.

Round Up for Schools:

• Ofsted’s inspection engagement programme

• refreshed DfE privacy notice templates

• 2025–26 assessment calendar (KS2 tests 11–14 May 2026)

• the NPQ application deadline on 16 Oct (single window this year)

HEP Updates:

• ⁠HEP Inclusion & SEND Conference 2026: Neurodiversity in the classroom

• Leadership 55 with Patrick Cozier

Watching - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAaH3pH9--Y

Listening - ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/memory-is-the-residue-of-thought-daniel-willingham/id1516532537?i=1000729829579

Reading - ⁠https://schoolsweek.co.uk/the-quiet-ofsted-plan-that-could-revolutionise-inspection-fairness/

AI Tool - ⁠https://artlist.io/

⁠Music by Slo Pony⁠