IT ALWAYS SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE UNTIL ITS DONE - TOWARDS A LONG TERM PLAN FOR EDUCATION

The quote by Nelson Mandela, "It always seems impossible until it's done," is a powerful reminder of the importance of perseverance in achieving goals. This sentiment can be applied to many aspects of life, including the challenges faced within the education system.

At the FED, we believe that a long-term plan for education, developed in collaboration with stakeholders, is crucial in overcoming these challenges.

Two of these complex issues were highlighted throughout the week: the accountability system and teacher recruitment and retention.

The accountability system.?This week the Education Select Committee has launched an inquiry into school inspection titled?'Ofsted’s work with schools'?amid 'notable groundswell of criticism' on Ofsted's impact on standards, workload and staff wellbeing.?

This coincides with a recognition from the former Ofsted chief inspector,?Sir Michael Wilshaw, in a recent?Guardian article?that school inspections should change and he now thinks differently about use of one-word headline grades in England.?

Alongside these developments, Ofsted has also proposed changes to it's accountability system.?Throughout our consultations, we are clear that the solutions need to be developed through discussions with stakeholders through a long term lens.

Teacher recruitment and retention.?The latest?workforce survey?by the Department for Education (DfE) found that 40,000 teachers resigned from state schools last year – almost 9% of the teaching workforce, and the highest number since it began publishing the data in 2011 – while a further 4,000 retired.

The survey found that unfilled teaching vacancies were also at a record high, with more than 2,300 empty posts compared with 530 a decade earlier. A further 3,300 posts were filled by supply teachers, 1,000 more than the year before.

As is the case with both of these issues:?Long term issues require long term solutions.?

The FED continues?to examine how long-term planning in our education system can benefit learners and the country and, critically, how such an approach could solve the bigger challenges that we always seem to tweak around the edges but never get under the skin of.

Come and join us at the?FED National Education Summit 2023?where two of our sessions will be:

Does OFSTED require improvement??Lord Jim Knight, Chair of the NEU’s ‘Beyond OFSTED’ review,?Sir Michael Wilshaw, former Chief Inspector of Schools, and?Meena Wood, international education consultant, and chaired by?Liz Robinson,?CEO Big Education.

?Recruitment and retention:?We know the problems, but what are the solutions??Emma Dickinson, Principal Policy Officer for Employment and Skills at Liverpool City Regional Combined Authority chairs a session with?Professor Tanya Ovenden-Hope, Plymouth Marjon University,?Dr Steph Ainsworth, Manchester Metropolitan University, and?Robin Landman OBE, Black Leadership Group

And in case you missed our list of speakers:

The Rt Hon Rt Hon Gillian Keegan MP

The Rt Hon? Munira Wilson MP

The Rt Hon?Bridget Phillipson MP

Steve Rotheram, Sir Michael Barber ,?Valerie Hannon,? Holly Papworth ,? Sherry Coutu CBE ,? Carl Ward ,? Ruth Slater ,? Jonas Andrew-Phillip ,? Penelope H. ,?Lord Jim Knight ,?Sir Michael Wilshaw,? Meena Wood MBA Ed Leadership, FRSA FCCT , Liz Robinson , Emma Dickinson ,?Professor Tanya Ovenden-Hope ,?Dr Steph Ainsworth ,? Robin Landman OBE CCMI ,? Salise Dourmoush ,? Ali Durban ,? Frances Akinde ,? Nicola Bailey ,? Nas Hussain ,? James Pope ,? Heather Phillips FCCT ,? Dr Ceri Daniels , Elaine Bowker,? Sharon Hague ,? Dr. Pete Atherton ,? Nikeisha Webb-Hardy MSc, NASENCO, NPQH, CEA ,? Martin Kerridge ,?Dr Pooja Saini,? Ellie Cross ,? David Baker , Curtis Worrell ,? Nansi Ellis ,? Paddy Craven FIEP ,? David Gallagher FIEP ,? Ben Mason ,? Andy Moor ,? Jenna Crittenden ,? Joe Hallgarten ,? Martin Allen Morales ,? Keya Lamba ,? Django Perks , Phoebe L. Hanson ,? Stephen Henry ,? John Byrne ,? Dr Matt Silver (NPQEL) ?? ,? Ellie Costello ,? Elijah Denning ,? Hannah Kirkbride , Dame Kathryn August ,?Tom Clark,?Dr Craig Hammond ,?Steve Chalke MBE,?Sir Paul Grant,?Dr Karen Edge , Michael Stevenson ,? Curtis Worrell ,?Dr Sana Rizvi,? Pelumi Fatayo ,?Dame Dame Ann Limb DBE DL ,?Professor Joe Yates,? Parminder Singh Garcha ,? Jo Blundell ,? Rajay Naik ,? Patrick Wall ,? Natascha Engel (listed in order of appearance at the summit).

FED National Education Summit 2023 - A day to connect, reflect, and make your voice heard on some key questions for the next decade. The full list of sessions:

• Does OFSTED require improvement??
• Recruitment and retention: We know the problems, but what are the solutions?
• SEND – practical ideas for long term change.
• Education leadership – new models for support and development.
• Technology in Education: imagining the future.
• Wellbeing for all? Building emotionally healthy schools and colleges.
• Broadening the post 14 curriculum.=
• Broadening the primary curriculum.
• Building a climate change and sustainability strategy: A practical guide.
• Pressing unmute. Making your voice heard.
• How can we reset English education?=
• A Manifesto for Hope.
• Whose education is it anyway?
• The power of place:?How can?education institutions?help their local communities become socially and economically stronger??
• What are the key education policies we need for the next decade and how might we achieve them??

Book your ticket here!

The second chapter of our work has focused upon delving into the priorities identified in our first chapter, namely: 1. Establishing a vision, purpose and objectives of a long-term plan for education 2. Considering the system architecture and governance arrangements required to achieve it 3. Understanding place based approaches to better connect regional and national objectives. The results of this years work will be shared at in our upcoming?FED National Education Consultation Report 2023?in July.

We want to thank the Children's Commissioner for England ,? Dame Rachel de Souza , for speaking with members of the?FED Learners Council, the?Fair Education Alliance?and?#iwill?campaign learners and champions. The discussions focussed on how to create genuine participation of learners, what and how to get things done, the digital divide, inequalities in education, disability, Artificial Intelligence and the important of authentic voice and meaningful engagement of learners.

If you want to hear more about our work and connect with us, come and find us speak at the?Festival of Education?at Wellington and also try and join us in Liverpool for our 3rd?National Education Summit - Shaping our Education system for the next decade. Once again we want to thank our headline sponsors Pearson for all their support.