Financial literacy is set to become a core part of the curriculum, following publication of the Curriculum & Assessment Review. During #NumberConfidenceWeek, Reza Schwitzer @schwitzer.bsky.social and Natalie Wilson from AQA met the APPG on Financial Education to demo our new numeracy app. (1/3)

Proud to convene leaders from the UK Ukrainian community at @aqaeducation.bsky.social to discuss the campaign for a Ukrainian GCSE. We need the right qualification, but it's also about preserving and celebrating Ukrainian identity. Thanks to @joepowell.bsky.social and other MPs for your support

We were honoured to host an inspiring meeting this morning alongside @andrewlewinmp.bsky.social and @joepowell.bsky.social - bringing together Ukrainian language teachers & stakeholders for a discussion on how to ensure Ukrainian children can maintain & develop their language skills while in the UK.

We’re finishing up in Manchester for the Conservative Party Conference and began with a @ukyouth.bsky.social YouthZone panel! Panellists included @lauracunliffehall.bsky.social, an AQA Student Advisory Group member, a UK Youth member and AQA Head of External Affairs, @c-fraser.bsky.social (1/8)

Rounding off today’s panels with @aqaeducation.bsky.social We're joined by @robeastaway.bsky.social, Sarah Porretta (@youngenterprise.bsky.social), Baroness Spielman, and @schwitzer.bsky.social to discuss what’s needed from the curriculum and assessment system to help every child excel in maths.

Many thanks to our joint panel with Education Policy Institute at the #CPC25 today on ‘Can technology solve the challenges facing #education’ for a thoughtful and insightful discussion. With Pepe Di’Iasio Natalie Perera Dr Ben Spencer Reza Schwitzer#CPC25#education’nd Shane Ierston. #AI #policy

Hello from Liverpool for the @teamlabouruk.bsky.social Party Conference! Yesterday was a busy day, starting in the Youth Zone with a panel event including representatives from Girlguiding, @dofe.org and our Student Advisory Group. (1/5)

Great to finish a packed day at conference chatting with the Education Policy Institute about building a curriculum where every child can thrive - thank you to fellow panelists for a really insightful session

Cracking panel at @edupolicyinst.bsky.social / @aqaeducation.bsky.social event, discussing the small matter of the future of the curriculum and assessment. @schwitzer.bsky.social @jonnyuttley.bsky.social @leoracruddas.bsky.social @pepediiasio.bsky.social @peter4bracknell.bsky.social

Very eminent group of people, was really exciting to present our numeracy prototype to them and get so much support and encouragement for what we’re doing

Kicking off our #LDConf programme with a packed room, looking at inclusive curriculum & assessment reform in partnership with @aqaeducation.bsky.social. Ellie Harris (@thedifferenceed.bsky.social), David Laws, Phil Sayles, @schwitzer.bsky.social & @munirawilson.bsky.social on the panel.

How is this not incitement? www.bbc.com/news/article...

It’s #LiteracyDay today, and that includes digital literacy. So how confident are young people in engaging digitally? @thakeman.bsky.social writes the latest AQi blog about the myth of the digital native and what support young people need in this digital media era > www.aqa.org.uk/aqi/the-myth...

Would love to hear more about this

If Darren Jones is now CDL anyway, doesn’t the new CSPM role lose some of its importance? Is the new story now really the newly formed Department of Growth led by Pat McFadden?

The interesting Q re: Polanski taking over the Greens is whether they can keep their strategic ambiguity that has allowed them to win in both progressive and nimby/Tory/conservationist areas.

Martin about as happy as I am with doing a half time interview. What new devilry is this?

“In a world where AI will be ubiquitous, but we want young people to develop knowledge and skills of their own, we will need to find a balance,” writes Chinwe Njoku in an engrossing new AQi blog. www.aqa.org.uk/aqi/ai-in-ed...

Had to do a double take on these polling figures 👀 @politico.eu @yougov.co.uk

Yes I do agree that the application of the test needs more nuance than it probably will have. Haven’t seen the details apart from on this page www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/fast-stream/...

Don’t agree. The way it has been announced, socio-economics is an exclusionary factor. It doesn’t say there are exemptions for disability or care experience. I hope that is just the media line and not the reality. (It’s otherwise obviously sensible but not that different to the status quo…)

Every day is a school day! Just discovered wheat plants are also used to make straw. Beautiful morning in Berkshire

Imagine you're a brand that doesn't want to pay whatever Cindy Crawford, Kendall Jenner, and Gisele Bündchen command. Can you create an AI "model" based on them? A basic idea of property rights is that you own your body and thus what your body creates (labor). How does this work with AI "models?"

We at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk have coordinated a letter in @thetimes.com today in which numerous individuals and organisations call on the government to withdraw its mistaken rules which are having a serious chilling effect on civil servants speaking in public…

The response from John, by the way, is an absolute masterclass in reacting to a hospital pass

Will somebody PLEASE think of my vegetables www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...

This is why we can’t have nice things

Have just clocked this presumably includes the Chief Medical Officer? Chief Social Worker? Not able to do Q&As or conference appearances? What about Becky Francis? She’s a civil servant (on secondment). Can she not talk publicly about the C&A Review anymore?

“Whilst ministers remain intensely nervous of any media coverage which even slightly deviates from the agreed position, so civil servants will continue to be very selective in who they discuss things with openly and honestly.” www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

I really like @jo3hill.bsky.social's 'everythingism' concept (re-state.co.uk/publications...) and it's inspired me to think a bit about what I used to see undermining good policymaking in government, and to call it out! (1/6)

Thanks for the reminder @janemunday.bsky.social. Every summer, I repost this article DROWNING DOES NOT LOOK LIKE DROWNING. To date, I know of FOUR kids who were saved after someone who'd clicked on the link learnt how to spot actual drowning. Take time to read and pass on. slate.com/technology/2...

Today, students sat the last exams of the AQA summer 2025 exam series. Our thanks to the school and college leaders, teachers and exams officers who helped to make it happen. And best of luck to the students when results are out in August! 1/2

Will this change how people write consultation responses? I've always advised making each answer stand on its own, given DfE often slices responses up for different officials. But might there now be a skill in writing a response which is easily summarised by AI? If so, what would that look like?

Fantastic news on Labour extending FSM eligibility to everyone claiming Universal Credit @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social making a bold and positive move that will unquestionably help address child poverty This is long overdue and credit must go to DfE But… there are still some details that need work

On a train where the driver has *literally* switched the whole train off and on again to try and fix it. If it’s good enough for your tablet it’s good enough for a train.

Also whichever coward anonymously called Becky Francis, who is leading the curriculum review, a "timid technocrat" is an idiot who clearly doesn't know her.

A major, multi-year Spending Review announcement is now just over a week away. In my opinion, this will dictate the direction of government policy over the next three years far more than speeches or white papers ever truly can.

This article might be wishcasting, but if the govt goes in this direction it will be deeply disappointing. Education has issues but the basics work, much better than any other public service. The people pushing this stuff do not have a track record delivering for kids - quite the opposite in fact.

Interesting choice for UUK to draw a direct comparison between HE vs. school & college funding. Is the claim really that colleges have been lavished with funding compared to HE? "The university system is being repeatedly deprioritised in favour of investment in schools and colleges." (1/2)

Trump getting embarrassed in front of his friends

Do you ever get the feeling you’re being lied to? 😅

One of England’s main education union leaders has warned against “an excess of caution” preventing the rollout of digital exams. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

In 2015 I set up the School Efficiency and Financial Health programme in DfE. Colleagues and I worked x-dept in what felt like a genuinely new way of working, to develop support for school efficiency. A few rebrands later, it’s incredible how similar the language here is 10 years later.

We’re delighted to share with you on #NationalNumeracyDay that we've spent the last year working on an exciting and brand new numeracy assessment that focuses on real-world maths.

Big exclusive interview with @aqaeducation.bsky.social chief exec Colin Hughes for @tesmagazine.bsky.social discussing the future of exams and tech. Semi-automated digital invigilation is ready (just needs regulator approval) and a major update on digital exams rollout. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

Take an exciting glimpse into the digital future of exams and invigilation in this fascinating TES interview by @ramshodgson.bsky.social with our CEO Colin Hughes. www.tes.com/magazine/new...

💣Exclusive: Chief of England’s biggest exam board tells @ramshodgson.bsky.social: *How AI cameras could end mass exam hall school assessments *First digital exams rollout may not be until 2028 (originally 2026) *Digital exams for a major subject “at least a decade away” (previous aim was 2030)

I nearly always defend the civil service in these sorts of debates but I actually think there’s something in this It is both true that 1938 appeasement was part driven by a civil servant, and also that the civil service is generally risk averse

Presumably a mistake… can’t find the chapter on woke?