How a tertiary education system could transform access and progression: Learners need diverse routes, not just the high jump

The Labour Party is in government again and education underpins its opportunity mission. Policy appears to be focused on curriculum, assessment and inspection reform in schools (see DfE, 2024;...

The political dimensions of building a tertiary education system in England

The latest government Skills England report highlights the fragmentation of post-compulsory education as a significant challenge. Deep divisions persist between higher education, further education...

How can institutions thrive in a tertiary education future?

Much has been said about the need for more coherence and collaboration across the various parts currently making up the tertiary sector in England – not least by the Labour government itself...

Helping meet the skills challenge(s) through a tertiary system

This blog post explores how the development of a tertiary education system in England could help address the skills challenges now facing the government and the wider economy. These challenges are...

Managing the transition to a tertiary future: Devolution and evolution, not revolution?

There are different views about what constitutes a tertiary education approach, but there is growing belief that bringing apprenticeships, further education (FE) and higher education (HE) closer...

Facing up to the dilemmas created for policymakers by a move to an integrated tertiary education system in England

As a former UK Secretary of State for Education, I have always found the concept of tertiary education somewhat slippery. Its voluntary nature means that different incentives are required to...

We need a revolution in the primary curriculum for England, not an evolution

Curriculum: Theory, policy and practice

Like many headteachers in the state sector, I was excited in 2024 when the newly elected Labour government called for a curriculum and assessment review. Many of us in the primary phase (ages...

Curriculum making: A brief history and future directions

Curriculum: Theory, policy and practice10 years of the BERA Blog

The term ‘curriculum making’ is becoming increasingly common in educational policy and practice. It is a concept with a long tradition in curriculum studies, going back to the foundational...

Evolution or business as usual? The interim report for England’s national curriculum review

Curriculum: Theory, policy and practice

The election of a Labour government in the UK in July 2024 heralded optimism that some serious problems with England’s national curriculum and assessment system, evident since 2014, would...