Blogs

At a glance

• Turing Scheme squeeze: two-thirds of schools’ bids rejected this cycle — big implications for STEM exchanges and fieldwork funding.
• AI in classrooms: a trust will pilot teacher “deepfake” avatars to deliver catch-up content — raises pedagogy, safety and ethics questions.
• SEND & inclusion: sector leaders warn “hyper-competition” undermines inclusion; a DfE adviser admits reforms are taking longer than hoped.
• FE/skills regulation: late-filing training providers face an automatic ‘inadequate’ financial rating; think-tank calls for a 10-year adult-ed rescue plan.
• 16–19 practice & attendance: EEF shares practical blogs on early-years attendance foundations and a sixth-form KEEP framework for teacher PD; FE Week runs an EEF-authored guide to building learning cultures in colleges.
• FE oversight changes: leaders query DfE’s new regional improvement teams (possible duplication with existing support).

Deep-dive summaries (with STEM takeaways)

1. Two-thirds of Turing bids rejected — acceptance rate sinks from c.90% to ~30% for schools
   Schools Week (8 Oct). The piece reports a steep drop in approvals, with calls for clearer guidance and more equitable distribution.
   STEM angle: If international STEM trips or field courses underpin your curriculum, build contingency: smaller cohorts, split-year travel, industry/HE co-funders, and virtual collaboration projects.
2. AI “teacher avatars” for catch-up — trust to pilot deepfake-style videos for pupils who miss lessons
   Schools Week (~10 Oct). Staff will record AI avatars that look/sound like them to recap missed content.
   STEM angle: Useful for missed required practical pre-briefs and method walk-throughs. Safeguards needed: data protection, consent, watermarking, logging where AI-generated content is used.
3. SEND reforms: temperature check — inclusion under pressure, reforms delayed
   Tes (10 Oct) reports concerns that market-style competition weakens inclusion; a DfE adviser tells Schools Week reforms are progressing slower than hoped.
   STEM angle: Plan reasonable adjustments that are department-wide (room layouts, equipment sets, write-up scaffolds) so support doesn’t vary class-to-class.
4. New compliance bite for training providers — automatic ‘inadequate’ financial rating for late accounts
   FE Week (9 Oct). The DfE will automatically rate ITPs ‘inadequate’ if accounts are late; filing window shortening flagged.
   Why it matters for schools/colleges: Apprenticeship partners’ stability affects placements and progression (engineering, digital). Check the financial health of partners and have alternates ready.
5. 10-year adult-education plan proposed — £2.2bn extra per year, £22bn GDP boost claimed
   FE Week (8 Oct). A think tank argues investment would restore skills to 2010 levels and save public money.
   STEM angle: Adult-ed capacity feeds family learning, entry-level maths/digital, and local STEM pipelines; useful context for trust/community partnerships.
6. 16–19 professional development: practical frameworks
   EEF shares: early-years attendance foundations (blog, ~10 Oct); sixth-form PD via the KEEP framework (~13 Oct). FE Week runs an EEF-authored explainer on building PD-rich college learning cultures (8 Oct).
   STEM angle: Use KEEP to tighten mentor practice in labs/workshops; link attendance nudges to catch-up for missed practicals and code labs.
7. FE oversight: new “regional improvement teams” questioned
   FE Week (~10 Oct). Leaders ask how the teams sit alongside the FE Commissioner and existing support.
   STEM angle: If you run 14–19/college provision, track how the teams will judge technical curriculum quality and employer engagement in engineering/digital.

Quick actions for STEM departments

• Trips plan B: If your Turing bid fell, re-scope STEM trips (smaller groups, phased travel, virtual links); keep employer/university co-funding on the table.
• AI guardrails: Draft a simple “AI in teaching materials” note (consent, watermarking, scope) before experimenting with avatar-style catch-up content.
• SEND consistency: Create a one-page “practical access profile” template so adjustments (equipment/rooming/assessments) are consistent across classes.
• Apprenticeship partners: Check ITP partners’ filing timelines and contingency options for learners on engineering/digital pathways.
• 16–19 PD: Trial a KEEP-aligned micro-CPD series (15 mins) on practical assessment, common misconceptions and computational thinking.

Direct links (copy/paste)

• Schools Week — Two-thirds of Turing bids rejected (8 Oct)
• Schools Week — Teacher “deepfake” avatars for catch-up (~10 Oct)
• Tes — ‘Hyper-competition’ weakens inclusion (10 Oct)
• Schools Week — SEND adviser: reforms taking longer (≈11–12 Oct)
• FE Week — Late accounts = automatic ‘inadequate’ (9 Oct)
• FE Week — 10-year adult-ed rescue plan (8 Oct)
• EEF — Attendance from the very start (≈10 Oct)
• EEF — KEEP framework for 16–19 PD (≈13 Oct)
• FE Week — Building learning cultures in colleges (8 Oct)
• FE Week — New regional improvement teams (~10 Oct)