Author | Lightnews

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 5d

76% of 11-17s get news from social media, but only 56% learn how to verify it at school. Children from higher-income families are far more likely to get media literacy education (66% vs 49%). We must close this gap so all young people become informed, not overwhelmed.

Informed or Overwhelmed? Understanding the impact of online news on children’s wellbeing

Understanding online news' impact on children | Internet Matters. This report explores how children navigate the online news landscape.

internetmatters.org

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Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 6d

New UK policy: All pupils will take a mandatory reading test at age 13 (Year 8) to identify gaps & target support early. Govt also aims for 90% to pass phonics check & launches National Year of Reading 2026. Reading truly is the passport to opportunity.

Focus on reading in secondary years to drive up standards

Education Secretary confirms all pupils will sit a mandatory reading test at age 13 to drive up reading standards.

www.gov.uk

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Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 7d

Are severe absence figures overstated? FFT analysis shows most "severely absent" pupils weren't enrolled for the full year, many struggling during school transitions. Current stats count enrolments, not pupils. A better measure is required.

How many pupils really are severely absent? - FFT Education Datalab

Is it right to say that there were over 170 thousand children who were severely absent in 2023/24?

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk

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Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 9d

New research shows how project-based learning transforms student experience when combined with employer engagement and strong institutional commitment. Key insight: meaningful educational change takes time and must be embedded, not bolted on.

Transforming student experience through authentic learning

24 September 2025

www.edge.co.uk

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Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 12d

New UCL research: only 9% of disadvantaged pupils excelling at primary maths reach A Level grade B+ (vs 20% overall). Just 3% study maths degrees. England is losing vital talent. What interventions have worked for you?

Budding mathematicians from disadvantaged backgrounds struggle to meet potential

Children from disadvantaged backgrounds who show strong mathematical ability at primary school don't progress at the same rate as their equally skilled but more advantaged peers, finds a UCL study,…

www.ucl.ac.uk

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 13d

Chancellor Reeves pledges libraries for 1,700 primary schools currently without them – vital for learners lacking quiet study spaces at home. At NEC, we know removing barriers through accessible education, physical or online, creates real opportunity.
Source:

Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s address to Labour Party conference in full – LabourList

Thank you, Conference. And thank you, Matt, for that incredibly kind introduction. Your enthusiasm alone could power half the country for many years to come.…

labourlist.org

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 14d

SEND facing £3bn crisis by 2029 despite 66% spending rise—yet system still failing children. Could flexible online learning help provide personalised support & stretch resources? What innovations are working in your area?
📰 BBC News - Kate McGough
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
#Education #SEND

Send costs will rise by billions without reforms, ministers told

The Institute for Fiscal Studies says more than 200,000 extra children will need Send support by 2029.

www.bbc.co.uk

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 16d

Worrying figures from The Guardian: 6/10 UK secondary schools suffered cyber-attacks last year. State schools most vulnerable due to funding pressures. At NEC, Cyber Essentials accreditation is key to protecting our learners' data. www.theguardian.com/technology/2... #EdTech #Cybersecurity

Six out of 10 UK secondary schools hit by cyber-attack or breach in past year

Hackers are more likely to target educational institutions than private businesses, government survey shows

www.theguardian.com

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 21d

England loses thousands of talented young mathematicians from disadvantaged backgrounds. Key drop-offs happen at GCSE, A-level choices & uni pathways. Urgent action needed to close the gap. 📉
🔗 Read more: ffteducationdatalab.org.uk
#Maths #Education #SocialMobility

Home - FFT Education Datalab

We are a group of expert analysts who produce independent, cutting-edge research on education policy and practice. We are part of non-profit company FFT Education.

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk

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Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 22d

AI workers earn 56% wage premiums, yet Yale finds no job losses since ChatGPT launched. The truth? Jobs are transforming, not disappearing. Skills beat degrees. Which makes accessible, flexible learning more vital than ever. What shifts are you seeing in your sector? www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues...

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 23d

Powerful report: How tackling health, SEND & family issues cut UK school absence 45%. Now reversed - 1.5m pupils persistently absent. Time for comprehensive strategy again.

School-absence-innovation-lessons-last-labour-government

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 26d

26% of young people lack a laptop at home. For 67%, this directly affects their decision to apply to university.

Digital access is "the front door" to education – yet too many find it locked. What should we be doing differently?

Lessons in Digital Inequality: Degrees of Digital Divide | FE News

| Lessons in Digital Inequality: Degrees of Digital Divide

www.fenews.co.uk

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · 27d

LLE launches Sept 2026, but careers guidance for adults remains fragmented. 15m could benefit. How do we build accessible support? www.lifelongeducation.uk/post/the-lif... #LifelongLearning

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement Needs a New Kind of Careers Service

Currently, adult careers services are neither widely available enough, or sufficiently well-resourced to reach the 15 million individuals who could benefit from the LLE.

www.lifelongeducation.uk

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · Sep 18

New FFT Education Datalab research shows only 38-40% of White British disadvantaged pupils achieve basics in English/maths vs 66% nationally. Poor outcomes persist even in top schools - highlighting need for flexible learning pathways.
ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2025/07/the-...

The educational outcomes of disadvantaged White pupils - FFT Education Datalab

We look at how attainment at KS4, persistent absence, suspensions and permanent exclusions for disadvantaged White pupils compare to those of other groups.

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk

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Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · Sep 17

APPG report: disabled households face £1,000+ extra monthly costs, 800,000 at risk from benefit cuts. Education must work WITH circumstances, not against them. How do we keep learning accessible? #InclusiveEducation #AccessibleLearning

appgpovertyinequality.org.uk/home-page/ap...

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · Sep 16

5% of pupils leave school without basic GCSE passes - most weren't even entered for exams. 55% of pupils with EHC plans affected. This is why flexible online education pathways matter. How do we better serve these overlooked learners?

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2025/09/the-...

The pupils who leave school without passes in GCSE English and mathematics - FFT Education Datalab

Post-COVID there has been a rise in the percentage of pupils leaving school without a pass (9-1) in GCSE English and a similar figure in maths. Most of these pupils were not entered for examinations.

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · Sep 15

New FFT data: 33% of pupils didn't achieve GCSE basics (English + maths grade 4+), but 53% of those were close with grade 3s. Second chances matter.
#Education #GCSEs #OnlineLearning

An early look at pupils who did not achieve the basics last year - FFT Education Datalab

Based on data from 1,500 secondary schools, we take an early look at the pupils who did not achieve a standard pass in English and maths GCSE.

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · Sep 12

The IPPR Inclusion Taskforce couldn't come at a better time - SEND system 'at breaking point.' Geoff Barton's panel includes parents alongside policy experts. At NEC, we know flexible, accessible learning helps everyone. What gives you hope for reform?

Nicky Morgan, Anne Longfield and Leora Cruddas join IPPR Inclusion Taskforce | IPPR

The IPPR Inclusion Taskforce, chaired by education leader Geoff Barton, will publish its findings in autumn 2025The IPPR Inclusion Taskforce has today anno

www.ippr.org

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · Sep 11

GCSE results: gender gap closing as male pupils drive improvements. But re-take students struggle - only 20% pass English, 15% maths. Are we failing second-chance learners?

GCSE results 2025: The main trends in grades and entries - FFT Education Datalab

Our round-up of everything you need to know about this year's GCSE results.

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · Sep 10

Skills England identifies 10 key growth sectors & training pathways to 2030. Evidence-based workforce planning guidance.

Assessment of priority skills to 2030

A report on the future employment demand across 10 key sectors and the education pathways for the priority occupations in these sectors.

gov.uk

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · Sep 9

Labour may introduce annual tuition fee rises as 40% of universities face deficits. With traditional HE under financial pressure, flexible online learning becomes more vital than ever. How can we balance accessibility with sustainability?

Labour fails to rule out annual tuition fee rise to stop universities going bust

It comes less than a year after Bridget Phillipson announced that university tuition fees will increase in England for the first time in eight years

www.independent.co.uk

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Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · Sep 7

CSJ report: 560k more 50-64yr olds out of work since pandemic. Digital exclusion & lost confidence major barriers. Only 14% want to return to work (down from 19% in 2015). Tailored support works. How do we better value older workers' experience? www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/wp-content/u...

Midlife Mission

Work changes lives. The evidence is clear: a good job provides much more than a payslip. It keeps us mentally and physically fit, connects us to other people, and creates both identity and purpose.1

www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk

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Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · Sep 6

Shocking data: North East and London A-level gap now 9.2pts, university entry gap 18.5pts. "Not about school quality but structural inequalities" - this is why accessible online education matters more than ever. Geography shouldn't determine destiny.

‘It's not school quality’: how the north east fell behind

Calls for 'urgent' action to battle 'entrenched divides' as north east A-level results fall further behind

schoolsweek.co.uk

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · Sep 5

Skills England: 250k+ enter priority jobs annually. Growth expected in digital, social care, construction & engineering by 2030. Skills landscape "too complex" - why flexible online education matters. How can we better support learners?
feweek.co.uk/providing-ou...
#SkillsEngland

Providing our future workforce with the skills to succeed

Data-led insights from employers give us a clearer picture on routes to great jobs in priority sectors, writes Skills England chair Phil Smith

feweek.co.uk

Esther Chesterman @estherchesterman.bsky.social · Aug 13

Concerning to see the government's £54m global talent fund went to 12 universities but not a single one north of Birmingham - despite seven northern institutions including Manchester, Leeds and York meeting the key spending criteria.

Dismay as north of England universities miss out on share of £54m talent fund

Exclusive: MP presses minister for explanation as thinktank says omission undermines innovation in the north

www.theguardian.com