All posts filed under: Education

what they tell us about reading standards in Welsh schools – and what they don’t

what they tell us about reading standards in Welsh schools – and what they don’t

Published by skeptic

School pupils in Wales are falling behind in reading according to the latest international data. The 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) is run by Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and compares the educational skills of 15-year-olds around the world every three years. In 2025, 15-year-olds in Wales achieved an average reading score of 459, not hugely different from the OECD average of 461. But Wales remained significantly below England (497), Scotland (488) and Northern Ireland (482). Being close to the OECD average does not mean reading in Wales has improved. Wales scored 466 in 2022 and 483 in 2018. Instead, the OECD trend average fell by 14 points between 2022 and 2025. Pisa reading results over time: Wales, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the OECD average. Source: OECD, PISA 2025 Results (Volume I); Welsh Government, PISA 2025 national report for Wales. Cameron Downing/Stata, CC BY-NC-ND Almost one in three pupils in Wales (31%) did not reach Pisa’s baseline level two in reading, the level the OECD considers necessary for young people …

how climate change hurts children’s chances from birth

how climate change hurts children’s chances from birth

Published by skeptic

Children across Europe have returned to school after a summer of extreme heat. As the climate warms, one question is becoming harder to ignore: how can students learn when classrooms become dangerously hot? Extreme weather is likely to disrupt schooling more often in the years ahead. But climate change can influence a child’s education even before they set foot in a classroom. In research conducted with my colleagues, we examined evidence on exposure to extreme weather during pregnancy and early childhood, including floods, droughts and unusually high temperatures. Such exposure has been linked to lower birthweight, poorer childhood development, starting school later, lower enrolment and completing fewer years of education. The effects can be particularly severe in low- and middle-income countries, where families may have fewer resources to cope with a sudden loss of food, income or access to healthcare. The reasons can be painfully simple. When crops fail or floods destroy livelihoods, families may have less money for food and medical care. Pregnant women may eat less, work longer hours or struggle to reach …

Mentoring based on young peoples’ strengths can alleviate the crisis in education, training and employment

Mentoring based on young peoples’ strengths can alleviate the crisis in education, training and employment

Published by skeptic

Nearly 1 million 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK are currently outside education, employment or training and the number is currently projected to increase. We can all see the huge waste of talent this represents for the young people concerned and society as a whole. In his interim report on young people and work, commissioned by the government, former MP Alan Milburn found that although most of the young people in this situation aspire to steady employment, education or training, pathways to achieve their aims are not clear. These issues reflect societal, moral and economic failure. Milburn identifies multiple intersecting reasons for the current situation. He observes that health, education, social services and legal systems can compound existing disadvantage. Interactions with these systems are often impersonal and transactional, prioritising measurable outcomes over genuine concern for the individual. Even the term Neet shows how young people are perceived as problems to be fixed, not individuals with dreams and talents. Defining them as “not in employment, not in education, not in training” implies there is something wrong …

Compulsory grammar tests in England’s schools aren’t improving children’s writing

Compulsory grammar tests in England’s schools aren’t improving children’s writing

Published by skeptic

For over a decade, children in year six – the final year of primary school in England – have taken the grammar, punctuation and spelling test as part of their Key Stage 2 Standard Assessment Tests (Sats). This GPS test has shaped how grammar is taught in primary schools. It is mostly a multiple-choice questionnaire test with some short answer questions. It tests pupils’ knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling rather than their ability to write. The GPS test was introduced in 2013 as part of wider curriculum reforms to raise writing standards. It focuses on a vast array of grammatical terms, and uses decontextualised examples that do not represent the complexity of everyday language. For example: “The lion approached silently as the zebra rested in the grass.” This test has been criticised for narrowing the curriculum. Because the results affect how schools perform in league tables, teachers prioritise GPS content, rather than teaching grammar in context to reading and writing. It also risks encouraging “teaching to the test” – children learn how to answer …

Growing up socially isolated linked to young people becoming Neet

Growing up socially isolated linked to young people becoming Neet

Published by skeptic

Around a million young people in the UK are not in education, employment or training (Neet). The consequences for their health and income can be significant and long lasting, with costs to the economy too. There’s pressure on the government to do something about it. To act effectively, we need to understand why some young people become Neet. Most explanations focus on things like exam results, family socioeconomic background or access to job opportunities. Our new research points to something else shaping job prospects: whether a child has peers around them growing up. Social isolation describes having very few social relationships or interactions. For children, who are typically embedded in family and school life, isolation is about being cut off from friends and peers, regardless of how they feel about it. This is different from loneliness, which is about how a young person feels about their connections. Loneliness arises when there’s a mismatch between the relationships we’d like to have and those we have in reality. Although loneliness and isolation often happen together, they can …

AI means there’s no better time to study maths – but degrees are becoming less accessible

AI means there’s no better time to study maths – but degrees are becoming less accessible

Published by skeptic

Once again, maths is the most popular A-level subject. There were 115,380 entries in the subject in 2026, an increase of 3.9% from 2025. Further maths AS-level entries enjoyed an 8.5% increase from 2025 as well. Moreover, recently published data from university admissions service Ucas for the 2026 application cycle showed a marked 11% increase in applications to study mathematical sciences at university. All of these figures show that maths remains not just a hugely popular subject at school, but that more students are wanting to pursue it further. In my opinion as a research mathematician, the staggering leaps that generative AI has made means there is no better time to be studying mathematics. The possibilities of AI AI is solving mathematics problems that have stood for decades. In May, OpenAI announced a counter-example to Paul Erdős’ planar unit distance problem, which stood unsolved for more than 80 years. In July, Anthropic’s LLM Claude Fable 5 found a counter-example to the Jacobian conjecture, which has stood since 1939. Most recently, OpenAI announced “ten advances in …

What children worry about when they start secondary school – and how to support them

What children worry about when they start secondary school – and how to support them

Published by skeptic

Moving from primary to secondary school can evoke a range of emotions, from excitement and anticipation to uncertainty and anxiety. It is an important rite of passage: many children look forward to the new opportunities, experiences and greater independence that secondary school offers. For some, it represents a chance to leave behind the familiarity of a smaller primary school setting and embrace new challenges as they broaden their horizons. Alongside this excitement, feelings of apprehension may emerge as children contemplate the academic, social and organisational changes that accompany the transition. Navigating a larger school environment, building new relationships and adapting to increased expectations can make this period both exciting and daunting. We carried out a study that explored how children felt about going to secondary school. We interviewed 13 children in year six (aged 10 and 11) in their final year of primary school about their expectations and feelings regarding the transition. We also spoke with a further 12 year seven pupils two terms after starting secondary school. In another study carried out with 210 …

did you miss grade four in maths, English or both? Here’s what you need to know

did you miss grade four in maths, English or both? Here’s what you need to know

Published by skeptic

Here’s some advice if you haven’t achieved a grade four or above in maths, English or both on GCSE results day. While grades three and below aren’t fail grades, a grade four in these subjects is often seen as a target, and is required to progress into some study pathways. First of all: you are not alone. Each year around 200,000 pupils in England find themselves in this situation. Here is some idea of your options and things to think about as you plan your next steps, perhaps taking a different path to the one you had in mind. You may be able to retake these exams in November 2026. Almost a quarter of pupils sitting Maths and English GCSE last year were re-taking. However, there is concern over lower pass rates for retakes. Speak to the leaders of post-16 courses you had planned to take, such as A-levels or T-levels. They may allow you to do retakes while continuing your original plans. On the other hand, this may be an opportunity to rethink your …

why politics is the fastest growing subject

why politics is the fastest growing subject

Published by skeptic

This year’s A-level results show a significant increase in the number of students choosing to study politics. In fact, politics saw the largest year-on-year increase of all A-level subjects in the UK, with entries up 11.9% this year compared with 2025. This is an additional 2,639 students – up from 22,185 to 24,824. Politics still accounts for only 3% of all A-levels studied across the UK in 2026. This increase comes on the back of increases in demand for over a decade. Politics is one of the fastest-growing A-levels – up 81% in the UK since 2010. Who studies politics? There is an interesting phenomenon going on in terms of who is choosing to study politics. In 2022, the subject marked an important watershed when, for the first time, more women than men studied politics across the UK. A significant change for a historically male-majority subject. The trend of a small female majority has continued year on year. In 2026, though, the gender split is almost 50-50. This change in gender demographics over time is …

Black academics need to feel they belong in higher education

Black academics need to feel they belong in higher education

Published by skeptic

The death of Professor Jason Arday has left many of us with a profound sense of sadness. For Black academics in particular, his loss feels deeply personal. Jason represented possibility – a reminder of what could be achieved despite the barriers that continue to shape Black people’s experiences in education. I had the privilege of knowing Jason and welcoming him to speak to scholars on the Accomplished Study Programme in Research Excellence (Aspire), which was set up to address the underrepresentation of Black students progressing into doctoral education. Jason had been facing accusations of plagiarism and resigned from his position at the University of Cambridge. He was found dead on August 14 2026. His passing has made me reflect on an uncomfortable question: do Black academics really belong in UK higher education? Of course, we should belong. The more difficult question is whether our institutions consistently make us feel that we do. This question has shaped much of my work through the Aspire programme. Across three cohorts, Aspire has supported 59 Black and mixed-Black scholars. …