The Week in Education: What mattered for STEM

Policy pulse: phones off, AI on

Phone-free school day affirmed. The education secretary wrote to heads stating schools should be “phone-free environments” all day, including breaks and not using phones as calculators. Expect inspectors to check policies and consistency in practice.

AI tutoring & edtech pilots expand. DfE set out a trial of “safe AI-powered tutoring tools” targeted at disadvantaged pupils, alongside a £23m expansion of AI/edtech pilots to >1,000 schools and colleges from September. STEM heads should weigh device access, safeguarding, and curriculum alignment for science, maths and computing.

Inclusion & early years signals

‘School readiness’ concerns grow. A national survey suggests nearly a third of children starting reception struggled with book handling, sometimes trying to swipe pages like a phone. For KS1 science and early maths, that’s a cue to double-down on vocabulary, fine-motor routines and print-handling.

Curriculum drafting concerns. Leaders raised issues about diversity and representation on expert groups shaping the new national curriculum. Departments may want to audit schemes of work for representation and careers breadth, especially in STEM.

Funding, free meals & governance

Free school meals (FSM) expansion gap. Analysis suggests extending FSM to all families on Universal Credit could leave schools ~£47.5m short without additional funding for overheads (admin, kitchens, staffing). STEM tie-in: timetable pressure on lunch sittings affects practical lesson sequencing and technician turnaround.

Trust finances improve (unevenly). Some MATs reported sharper reserves, others remain in deficit; leaders warn to plan for “rainy days”. Consider lab replenishment cycles, exam-practical budgets and specialist kit procurement windows.

Governance matters for inspection readiness. Research highlighted that strong boards correlate with sustained improvement beyond inspection cycles. STEM tip: ensure a governor is explicitly linked to practical science, tech/DT safety and digital strategy.

Leadership moves & system shifts

Senior DfE move ahead of white paper. The DfE’s schools/SEND director-general is moving posts as reforms near publication—watch for continuity questions across behaviour, attendance and SEND implementation.

Ofsted chief on behaviour/attendance merger. Sir Martyn Oliver acknowledged concerns about combining behaviour and attendance judgments. STEM lens: make attendance expectations visible in practical entitlement (e.g., safety briefings, make-up labs).

FE, skills & apprenticeships

Bootcamp budgets diverge with devolution. Some combined authorities are trimming skills bootcamp funding as local priorities shift. Schools advising post-16 routes should check local offers in digital/engineering pathways before option evenings.

Apprenticeship quality & access. Analysis shows disadvantaged apprentices are more likely to drop out, with poorer wage outcomes. Meanwhile, employers worry “streamlining” may squeeze management standards. Guidance and employer liaison in KS4–5 should anticipate these shifts.

Regulation & oversight. DfE investigation found a provider enrolled learners without consent and claimed funding with insufficient evidence—useful context for sixth-form/college QA and parent comms.

People moves. Ofsted named a new deputy director for post-16; the awarding-body federation appointed a new chair; a long-running sixth-form pay dispute settled at CCCG.

Practice & evidence

RISE ‘universal support’ promoted. DfE positioned a universal strand of RISE school improvement; look for practical offers that support curriculum sequencing and assessment validity in STEM.

Attendance patterns unpacked. New analysis of autumn data shows absence up year-on-year; break it down by cohort (SEND/EAL/mobility) and by practical entitlement (missed labs/workshops) to target support.

EEF: AI for evidence-informed tools + 16–19 PD blueprint. EEF announced Google.org support to develop an interactive tool for effective generative-AI use in education, and published a blueprint piece for professional development systems in colleges.

Reflections & prompts for STEM teams

• Phone-free routines: Run a 2-week trial of “phones off & away” with a simple script for labs/workshops. Track impact on starts, transitions and behaviour points.
• AI pilots readiness: Inventory devices, bandwidth and safeguarding routes. Draft a one-pager for staff on acceptable AI use in science/maths/computing tasks.
• FSM logistics: If lunch sittings change, adjust practical timetables and technician hours to protect pre-/post-lab setup windows.
• Attendance for practical entitlement: Identify cohorts most likely to miss practicals; set standing catch-up slots and an evidence route for missed competencies.
• EY/KS1 vocabulary: Pair print-handling routines with science talk frames (“observe-name-describe”) to support the least experienced readers.
• Post-16 advice: Update slides for parents on apprenticeships: local bootcamp shifts, drop-out risks, and questions to ask providers.
• Governance link for STEM: Nominate a governor for practical science/DT and digital strategy; share termly risk and resourcing snapshots.