Welcome to this week's long-read education blog, tailored for teachers and leaders working in STEM across UK schools and colleges. We’ve sifted through dozens of stories from top UK education sources to bring you the most relevant news, innovations, and policy shifts. The focus is on what matters most to science, technology, engineering, and maths education—but we’ve included broader developments too, because education doesn’t happen in silos.
🔝 Top STEM & Tech-Related Stories
🧠 Numeracy in the Age of AI: Now More Critical Than Ever
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As artificial intelligence tools become integral to daily life and work, numeracy has emerged as a fundamental skill—not just in STEM careers, but across the entire digital economy. Tes argues that strong numeracy builds the foundation for data interpretation, algorithmic thinking, and responsible AI use.
For STEM teachers, this is a rallying cry to:
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Promote critical thinking around data
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Challenge students to go beyond “number crunching” toward problem-solving
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Embed AI literacy into your schemes of work, particularly in maths, computing, and science
This is also a key area for whole-school numeracy strategies. Are STEM departments leading the charge?
☀️ 200 Schools to Get Solar Panels in £80m Green Rollout
📍 Read the article
In a major investment in sustainable infrastructure, the DfE is funding solar panels in 200 schools—a move expected to save £25,000 per school annually. This has huge potential for STEM teaching, particularly in physics, environmental science, and design technology.
✅ Ideas for classroom integration:
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Create student-led energy audits or carbon footprint projects
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Use real-time energy data from solar panels in science and maths lessons
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Explore links between energy production, sustainability, and engineering careers
The rollout also provides a model for “living labs,” where schools become sites of authentic STEM enquiry.
💥 T Levels Scrapped, But Technical Education Evolves
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Three more T Levels have been dropped, including some in health and science, with awarding body contracts reassigned. While T Level enrolment has still grown 59% this year, the government’s decision underscores an ongoing shake-up in vocational STEM pathways.
What this means for educators:
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Students seeking STEM routes may need more guidance amid shifting course availability
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Schools with sixth forms or UTCs must stay updated to advise on changing routes
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There's a growing need to prepare students for both academic and technical options with strong foundational STEM skills
🤖 Mind the (AI) Skills Gap
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FE Week reported that students are leaving education underprepared for roles that require AI and data literacy. As the tech sector evolves, so does the demand for flexible thinkers with both digital and interpersonal skills.
Suggestions for STEM departments:
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Integrate AI ethics and fundamentals into KS4 and KS5 computing
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Create interdisciplinary projects that merge coding, maths, and ethics
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Encourage students—particularly girls and underrepresented groups—to pursue AI careers
🧪 EEF Investigates: Is Teaching an Art or a Science?
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The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) asks whether teaching can (or should) be entirely evidence-led. While not STEM-exclusive, this debate is particularly relevant to science and maths, where evidence-based strategies are often championed.
EEF urges educators to:
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Think critically about the role of intuition vs. data
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Use tools like their Teaching and Learning Toolkit to inform planning
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Engage in practitioner-led research within departments
🌐 The Role of FE Colleges in Tackling the UK’s Digital Skills Gap
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With the digital economy booming, FE colleges are stepping up to offer pathways into coding, cybersecurity, and digital design. This article outlines the pivotal role of colleges in addressing a skills shortage that directly impacts STEM education and careers.
Implication: Strong KS4 foundations in computing and maths are essential. Schools and FE need to align on the skills that matter most.
📚 Broader Education & Policy Updates
🏛️ Teachers Launch Legal Action Over Pension Valuation Delays
📍 BBC coverage | TES follow-up
Teachers stuck in divorce proceedings due to delayed pension valuations are taking legal action. The issue has raised wider questions about the complexity of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme and support for long-serving staff.
🏫 Ofsted May Let Schools Rate Inspectors
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Ofsted is reportedly considering feedback mechanisms for schools to evaluate inspectors. This could transform how inspections are perceived—and how teachers experience them.
📉 Drop in Overseas University Applications
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The BBC reports a decline in applications from international students, potentially affecting university finances and widening participation schemes—especially for STEM degrees. Sixth forms should monitor implications for university advice.
🧒 SEND Transport and Provision Concerns Continue
Local authorities are proposing cuts to free transport for SEND learners and some critics argue new DfE SEND reforms may not prevent spiralling private provision costs.
📍 Read more
📜 English Lit GCSE: Five Strategies for the Final Push
📍 Practical tips here
While not STEM-specific, this is a timely reminder that GCSE exam strategies matter across all subjects.
💭 Reflections for STEM Educators
Here are some prompts to take back to your departments and CPD sessions:
🧮 Are We Really Prioritising Numeracy?
☀️ Sustainability: A STEM Learning Opportunity?
🧠 Preparing for the AI Economy
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Are your students digitally literate—or just digitally fluent?
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How can STEM lessons support ethical, computational, and data literacy?
🧪 Teaching as a Craft and a Science
Note: This blog post is an AI curated summary of news articles from various sources. The aim is to provide educators with a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the education sector. All hyperlinks direct readers to the original news articles for further reading.