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UK education roundup for STEM teachers — 17–23 Sept 2025

Hello, STEM community! Here’s your long‑read, classroom‑focused digest of the week’s education news (Wednesday 17 September to Tuesday 23 September 2025). 

1) SEND: inclusion, entitlement and post‑16 routes

What happened:

• The Education Select Committee published a wide‑ranging set of recommendations to “solve the SEND crisis”, emphasising: a) ring‑fenced FE SEND funding; b) guaranteed or subsidised transport for learners 16–25 with SEND; c) stronger workforce capacity and training; and d) clearer national standards for inclusion. (Schools Week write‑up, committee‑informed Sky News report)

• In a companion interview, the committee chair cautioned that EHCP entitlements should not be reduced as part of any reform and urged a cultural shift to make mainstream provision genuinely inclusive. (Sky News video)

Why it matters for STEM:

• Labs, workshops and computing suites often create access barriers (space, layout, supervision ratios). Ring‑fenced funding and transport guarantees could directly affect timetabling flexibility, TA deployment, and reasonable adjustments during practical work and exams.

• Expect renewed scrutiny of maths and English condition‑of‑funding resits for SEND learners in FE — with consequences for progression into Level 3 STEM pathways.

Takeaways:

• Review accessibility of practical lessons: bench heights, fume‑cupboard access, robot/DT workspace circulation, emergency egress.

• Map provision in KS4/5 options for learners with EHCPs who want practical STEM routes; document where adjustments work well (and where they are fragile).

2) Ofsted reforms: teacher sentiment still cool; unions mobilise; attainment‑weighting under fire

What happened:

• A near‑10,000‑response Teacher Tapp poll suggests only 11% of teachers feel positive about Ofsted’s finalised reforms, with most saying the changes will not make inspections fairer, clearer or more accurate. (Schools Week)

• 9 in 10 heads at a large NAHT meeting reportedly backed exploring industrial action over the proposed ‘report cards’. (Tes)

• Separate analysis flags the risk that judging schools heavily on attainment could be “the biggest problem” in the new model. (Tes)

Why it matters for STEM:

• Attainment metrics can narrow curriculum time and incentivise intervention bands that sideline extended practicals, coding projects or CREST‑style inquiry.

• Any industrial action planning by heads could affect internal QA cycles, data drops and scheduled mock exams in STEM.

Takeaways:

• For middle leaders: safeguard core practicals (KS3/KS4 required practicals, design iterations, CAD/CAM time) in your curriculum intent and QA paperwork.

• For subject teams: prepare a short ‘validity & breadth’ narrative explaining how practical STEM experiences contribute to attainment and wider outcomes.

3) Money and staffing pressure: job cuts, TA hours, primary deficits

What happened:

• A CST/Edurio survey indicates over half of MATs are considering cuts to classroom staff and 60% are looking at reduced TA hours to balance budgets. (Schools Week explainer)

• 7 in 10 primary schools expect to run a deficit this year amid falling rolls. (Tes)

Why it matters for STEM:

• TA cuts typically hit practical safety, small‑group interventions and SEND inclusion in labs/workshops.

• Deficits in feeder primaries can reduce STEM transition experiences (science fairs, robotics clubs, science week visits), making Year 7 diagnostics more important.

Takeaways:

• Prioritise technician hours and TA cover for assessments/practicals in your risk assessments.

• Coordinate with feeder primaries on KS2‑to‑KS3 transition diagnostics in maths/science to triage gaps early.

4) Who’s teaching Year 7? Non‑specialists in the spotlight

What happened:

• A Tes/Teacher Tapp poll finds 36% of secondary teachers report that Year 7 classes in their subject are taught by non‑specialists, with maths and humanities most affected; the proportion drops steeply by Year 13. (Tes)

Why it matters for STEM:

• Non‑specialist teaching in early KS3 risks a “KS4 catch‑up sprint” — especially in maths fluency, practical skills and misconceptions in physics/chemistry.

Takeaways:

• Create short, high‑leverage KS3 teaching packs per topic (misconceptions, demo videos, apparatus lists, do‑nows) that non‑specialists can use with confidence.

• Build co‑teaching or lesson study cycles pairing specialists with colleagues covering outside their subject.

5) STEM pedagogy & pipeline: spatial reasoning, maths talent and the role of music

What happened:

• Scotland launched a dedicated Spatial Reasoning Centre, highlighting spatial thinking as a foundational skill for STEM learning and careers. (Tes Scotland)

• New research highlights a leaky pipeline for high‑achieving disadvantaged learners in maths: fewer than 1 in 10 go on to secure at least a B at A level, with lower progression to maths‑focused degrees. (Tes report)

• A survey/report associates school music participation with skills valued in STEM careers (problem‑solving, collaboration, discipline). (Tes)

Why it matters:

• Strong case for giving spatial reasoning explicit curriculum time in maths/DT/CS (e.g., isometric drawing, 3D modelling, robotics navigation).

• Identifies equity gaps where targeted extension (maths circles, Olympiad prep, mentoring) could keep talented pupils on STEM trajectories.

• Cross‑arts links (music ↔ computing/physics) support wider participation and retention.

Takeaways:

• Add routine spatial warm‑ups (nets, rotations, mental folding) to KS3 maths and DT; embed CAD tasks into design briefs.

• Track and invite disadvantaged high‑attainers into enrichment (UKMT, Isaac Physics, Maths Feast, coding challenges). Pair with role‑model mentoring.

• Collaborate with music staff on interdisciplinary projects (e.g., building contact microphones, coding sound with Python/Sonic Pi, analysing waveforms in physics).

6) FE & skills policy: careers service questions, NEET focus, and an app under fire

What happened:

• MPs on the Work & Pensions Committee say the careers service shake‑up risks being a rebrand, not a reform, and call for a clearer national adult‑careers strategy and metrics. (FE Week)

• The government’s realignment places skills policy inside DWP; ministers signal a major push on NEET reduction and on joining up jobcentres with training routes. (FE Week)

• DfE’s Your Apprenticeship app draws criticism over usability and uptake, despite ambitions to support learners’ progression and assessment readiness. (FE Week exclusive)

Why it matters for STEM:

• Careers guidance coherence affects STEM T‑level and apprenticeship recruitment; weak signposting can depress girls’ uptake in engineering/CS.

• A NEET‑first lens may open short, job‑linked STEM training via jobcentres — an opportunity for colleges and UTCs.

• If the apprenticeship app remains unreliable, providers may need alternative progress‑tracking tools and clear communication with learners and employers.

Takeaways:

• Review your Gatsby Benchmarks evidence trail; make sure STEM routes (including local employers) are front‑and‑centre in assemblies and 1:1 guidance.

• If you run apprenticeships, audit which data you depend on the app for, and provide fallback channels (email, LMS, paper trackers) while issues persist.

7) People & portfolios: who holds what at DfE?

What happened:

• Tes summarised the DfE ministers’ portfolios, clarifying who leads on areas such as assessment, SEND, teacher training and AI/edtech. This is handy when writing to the right office for guidance or pilots. (Tes)

Takeaways:

• Keep a simple contact map for policy queries (e.g., AI use in assessment, science practical funding, T‑level placements) so approaches land on the right desk.

8) Parental engagement: expectations signalled ahead of a white paper

What happened:

• A Schools Week report says the forthcoming schools white paper will set clear expectations on parental engagement. (Schools Week)

Why it matters for STEM:

• Parental engagement is a consistent predictor of STEM participation and homework completion. Clear expectations could legitimise time spent on family STEM events and communications.

Takeaways:

• Pilot STEM‑at‑home guides (short, low‑cost experiments, coding challenges) with QR codes and translated versions where helpful.

• Invite families to project showcases (robotics demos, DT exhibition, science fair) with roles for siblings and carers.

Reflections & prompts for STEM teams (use in briefings/CPD)

1. Inclusion audit for practical STEM
   • Where do learners with EHCPs face the highest friction in labs/workshops?
   • Which adjustments are institutionalised (on the checklist every term) vs. ad‑hoc?
   • Which assessments still need access arrangements rehearsals (timed practicals, NEAs, controlled coursework)?

2. Protect the practical
   • If budget cuts hit TAs/technicians, which practicals are non‑negotiable at KS3/KS4?
   • What’s your minimum viable kit list per year group, and where can you pool resources across departments or local networks?

3. Year 7 experience
   • If non‑specialists cover early KS3, what ready‑to‑run sequences (power-ups, misconceptions, demo safety) do they get?
   • Can you timetable co‑teaching for the trickiest topics (forces, electricity, ratio in chemistry, data types/loops in CS)?

4. STEM pipeline equity
   • Identify disadvantaged high‑attainers in maths/science now. Who is invited to enrichment and who isn’t — and why?
   • Build a progression narrative for families that demystifies A level maths/physics/CS and local apprenticeships.

5. Spatial reasoning across subjects
   • Agree three spatial tasks per half‑term across maths, DT and computing (nets → CAD → 3D printing; rotations → robotics paths; vector drawings → simulation).
   • Track whether this correlates with improved geometry attainment and design iteration quality.

6. Careers coherence
   • Map where learners encounter real STEM labour‑market stories (visits, alumni, virtual tours).
   • If the careers app/tools are unreliable, what’s your paper/digital backup so learners don’t miss gateways (EPA, placements, applications)?

7. Communication with parents
   • Draft a one‑page parental engagement plan for STEM (frequency, channels, translation, community partners).
   • Test family STEM nights that pair a short talk (e.g., AI safety, lab careers) with hands‑on mini‑workshops.

Spotted something we missed in this 17–23 Sept window? Send the link and we’ll append it in the next edition.