Dear Colleagues
As the academic year draws to a close, I am sorry to have to begin this letter with some sad news.
Over the last few years, with school and university budgets becoming ever tighter, subscriptions to the EPRS have declined. The University’s School of Education has made the difficult decision that it is no longer viable to run the service in its current form. We are aware that some of you have paid advance subscriptions, and we will be contacting you about refunds. We are also considering what we can continue to offer in terms of the existing database and toolkits and will keep you informed of how we will be moving forward with this. I am pleased to say that the School of Education will continue to publish the annual Bristol Guide – our 2024-25 edition will be ready for purchase soon. You can pre-order your copies now.
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/education/expertiseandresources/bristolguide/order/
So, as I sign off as Director of the EPRS with, I must confess, a heavy heart, I bring you the first and the last – the last set of summaries and the first set of summaries under a new government – change is very much in the air.
Although I knew that the election would be behind us by the time you get these summaries, I wanted to include 2 election-related reports, as they will be worth looking back at in a year or so as we chart the progress of the new government in facing some of the challenges in the education sector. One is a cross-phase report from the Sutton Trust and the other is a report from the Higher Education Policy Institute focussing on issues related to higher education. Staying with the theme of higher education, there is a somewhat gloomy report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies outlining the financial challenges facing the sector. The annual Student Academic Experience Survey, however, strikes a more positive note. Other themes this month include smartphone bans, creativity, and AI.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your loyal support of the EPRS over the last 12 years since I began writing summaries. I will miss writing to you!
And may I end on a positive note by wishing you all a lovely summer break.
EPRS 23/24 101 General election 2024: An analysis of manifesto plans for education
This report from the Education Policy Institute provides an independent, evidence-based assessment of the extent to which each of the main parties have committed to meeting challenges in the education system.
All Phases
https://edn.bristol.ac.uk/eprs/2324101/
EPRS 23/24 102 PISA 2022 results: Creative minds, creative schools
This report from the OECD presents data from PISA’s first ever assessment of creative thinking which was taken by pupils in 66 countries.
All Phases
https://edn.bristol.ac.uk/eprs/2324102/
EPRS 23/24 103 Fair opportunity for all
This report from The Sutton Trust gives an overview of the challenges facing all phases of education and sets out a roadmap for the incoming government to tackle these.
All Phases
https://edn.bristol.ac.uk/eprs/2324103/
EPRS 23/24 104 Election briefing 2024
This report from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) gives an overview of the challenges currently facing the higher education sector in the UK.
All Phases
https://edn.bristol.ac.uk/eprs/2324104/
EPRS 23/24 105 Higher education finances: How have they fared and what options will an incoming government have?
This report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies examines the current financial health of the higher education sector.
Higher Education; Further Education
https://edn.bristol.ac.uk/eprs/2324105/
EPRS 23/24 106 Student academic experience survey
The annual Student Academic Experience Survey from HEPI and Advance HE reports on all aspects of the student experience over the last academic year.
Higher Education; Further Education
https://edn.bristol.ac.uk/eprs/2324106/
EPRS 23/24 107 CECIL (Coaching early conversations, interventions, and language): Final Report
This report from the Sutton Trust evaluates a range of projects which were carried out as part of the Coaching early conversations, interventions, and language (CECIL) programme.
Early Years
https://edn.bristol.ac.uk/eprs/2324107/
EPRS 23/24 108 Mapping active civic learning in primary schools across England
This report, published in the most recent edition of the British Educational Research Journal, explores the concept of civic engagement in primary schools across England.
Primary (Whole School)
https://edn.bristol.ac.uk/eprs/2324108/
EPRS 23/24 109 The case for a smartphone ban in schools
This report from Policy Exchange revisits arguments for and against smartphone bans in schools and looks at the extent to which schools are enforcing bans.
Whole School; Primary (Whole School); Secondary (Whole School)
https://edn.bristol.ac.uk/eprs/2324109/
EPRS 23/24 110 Teachers’ and young people’s use of generative AI to support literacy in 2024
This report from the National Literacy Trust explores and critiques the use and role of generative AI in children’s writing.
Whole School; Primary (Whole School); Secondary (Whole School)
https://edn.bristol.ac.uk/eprs/2324110/
If any school requires the access code to view the summaries please contact Education admin at: childrensservices@northumberland.gov.uk
