Public four times more likely to think apprenticeships offer young people better job prospects than university
People are four times more likely to think apprenticeships offer young people better job prospects than university, according to new research from tech startup Multiverse, shifting from the long held perception that a university degree provides young people with the best chance of succeeding in life. The new report finds that almost half of the public (44%) believe apprenticeships offer young people better job prospects and preparation for the workplace than university, while just one in ten (11%) thinks the opposite. The research also challenges perceptions that apprenticeships are widely seen as an option for other people’s children. When presented with the choice between university and an apprenticeship for a family member, fewer than two in ten (17%) respondents said they would prefer a relative to go university, in contrast to almost three quarters of respondents (73%) who said they would want a family member to do an apprenticeship. This is a view shared across all income groups, with just two in ten (19%) of the highest earners preferring a family member to go to university rather than begin an apprenticeship. Multiverse’s representative poll of 1,517 people in England also reveals that seven in ten people (70%) believe that apprenticeships should receive more government support than universities. When asked about how they would like to see funding divided, respondents allocated two thirds of cash to apprenticeships on average and only a third to universities – approximately the opposite of the current proportion. The new research comes as Multiverse sets out a number of recommendations to remove barriers and unlock the potential of apprenticeships in the UK, calling on the government to make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to access funding to train up the next generation of their workforce. Recommendations include: Euan Blair, CEO at Multiverse, said: “This National Apprenticeship Week, it’s great that we continue to see more and more demand for apprenticeships; not only from prospective apprentices themselves, their family members, and wider society, but from a huge volume of employers, both large and small. The contribution apprentices make to businesses and society is enormous – the Government’s own data shows that for every £1 spent on an apprenticeship, more than £28 is put back into the economy. “Beyond that, apprenticeships are fulfilling the potential of millions of people, diversifying our workforce across the UK, and addressing some of the most critical skills gaps, particularly in digital and tech. Our report provides clear evidence of the opportunities apprenticeships are unlocking in Britain.”
Early years leader backs Shaping Us campaign led by the Princess of Wales.
A Worcestershire teacher who launched a free toddler group at a leading county prep school has given her support to a new campaign to focus on the importance of early years of children. Shaping Us is a new long-term campaign from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, spearheaded by The Princess of Wales, which aims to transform the issue from one of scientific interest to one of the most strategically important topics of our time. Louise Hannis, Head of Early Years at The Downs Malvern, who set up her own group ‘Hoot’ after spotting a need for extra support for lockdown babies said she was passionate about how pivotal the first five to seven years can be to a child’s developmental and future happiness. She said the Shaping Us campaign was a great boost in terms of raising the profile of the work that goes on to not only nurture young children but to support their key carers in early years. “Hoot is as much for the parents as it is for the children and I think the Shaping Us campaign recognises that support for those people who are a child’s closest support is important too,” said Louise. Having herself dealt with postnatal depression following the birth of her daughter, Louise recognised similar struggles in the parents she saw through lockdown and as a teacher also understands how crucial a happy and positive start can be to a child’s formative years. She said: “In the limited time we had to spend outside our own homes, I was seeing more and more new parents who clearly had very little external support. “The parents I was seeing even on our limited trips out to the supermarket or the park were overwhelmed, emotional and completely isolated. I knew I had to do something as soon as I was able to.” Louise, alongside her team, launched Hoot in April 2022. Open to parents of children at The Downs Malvern as well as the wider community, the free weekly (term-time) sessions offer a range of activities from messy play to songs, storytelling, sports and games. For parents, the sessions offer an opportunity to meet other parents who might have faced similar struggles through lockdown. Having qualified as an Early Years teacher in 1998, Louise is also passionate about seeking out the most innovative and effective teaching methods to create an environment which is both happy and has the most impact on attainment in the first years of school. Louise uses methods which maximise all the senses to ensure whether a child is an audio, verbal or kinetic learner the information will be easy to access and retain. “Lots of our work is research through play and I use a huge variety of physical resources around a key topic,” she added joking that car boot sales were one of her favourite places and she was never happier than when she had a weekend to fill her spare room at home with learning aids from model aardvarks to toy zebras. “If a child wants to sit and get stuck into a task in the classroom then they can, but they also should be able to walk around, perhaps use touch or taste something, or even listen to music to help them retain information that will boost their learning.” Louise admitted some people might see that as chaos but it was organised chaos and encouraged children to also enjoy observing how others learn too which had a beneficial outcome. Her methods are working with 100 per cent of Louise’s class measuring at secure in their learning with 75 per cent on track to achieve greater depth this year “The Shaping Us campaign is shining a light on an area greatly in need and one which has the potential to make such a huge difference,” added Louise. “I am proud of the work that goes on in this area but we know so much more can be done. “When it comes to going above and beyond I know I do it because I can see how crucial it is to get it right at this stage. It’s important to lay the foundations here for a happy, resilient and positive future. Hoot was a way to make that support more accessible from the beginning. We build on that in the classroom by making sure we use the most impactful teaching methods and as teachers know we are always willing to learn too so that the well being of the children we are looking after is always a priority.” The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood has launched the Shaping Us campaign to raise awareness of the life-changing impact a supportive and nurturing world, around children and those who care for them, can have. Hoot runs from 9:30 to 11:00 every Friday during term time, with places bookable through www.thedownsmalvern.org.uk
Call for more early years settings to recruit male workers
“Children under the age of five are being denied positive gender role models in many nursery settings as the people who are educating and caring for young children do not reflect the society those children are living in and being brought up in.” June O’Sullivan, CEO of the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF). To mark National Apprenticeship Week (6-12th February), LEYF is calling for more gender-diversity across the Early Years workforce by encouraging schools, career advisors and recruiters to proactively promote more flexible attitudes towards gender roles and cut the stigma attached to it. The aim being to encourage boys and young men to consider school courses and work experience which can provide career pathways into early education and childcare. This comes at a time when less than 3% of the childcare workforce are men. Incorporating as much diversity into a setting not only supports learning outcomes but ensures children see both positive male and female Early Years teachers from an early age. LEYF, which runs 40 social enterprise nurseries across London, says careers advice should communicate to boys and men that working in early education and childcare is fulfilling, challenging, and offers good career progression. The advice needs to ‘normalise’ male participation in the childcare industry – offering men clear information about what the work involves, the kinds of qualities and skills required, and the varied pathways that exist for men who want to consider a career in early years, including entry at higher education level. With women stereotypically viewed as the main care givers, it’s a career few men would even consider – but this needs to change. Over the past two years, LEYF has designed an innovative, male-only cohort of apprenticeships in Early Years (working with the under 5’s) to help boost the number of men joining the sector. Using research carried out by LEYF over the past ten years has enabled the organisation to better understand why men work with small children and, more importantly, what the children think about having male teachers and educators. The 12-18-month salaried training programme offers hands on experience and training in one of LEYF’s diverse settings. Upon successful completion, all apprentices will be given a guaranteed interview for a LEYF teacher post. At present and out of LEYF’s 857 employees, 6.7% of its workforce are male which is well above the average sector of 3%. The ambition is to increase this to 10% – especially given that 84% of LEYF parents want to see more men working in childcare. June O’Sullivan MBE and CEO of London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) adds: “As evidence shows, men and women interact with children in subtly different and complementary ways. When you combine both parts, children’s learning and development becomes much more enriched and this is hugely important.” Michelle Samuels, Apprentice Manager at LEYF explains: “For many reasons, childcare is not a career pathway which many young men often consider because of the negative stereotypes associated with it and a lack of information from schools, careers advisors and recruiters. However, we now want to see this change by promoting more flexible attitudes towards gender roles and encouraging young men to consider a career in the Early Years.”
Financial planners go back to school to shine spotlight on real world maths uses
Experts from Acumen Financial Planning went back to school recently to give pupils a math lesson with a difference. Aiming to equip the younger generation with financial literacy and knowledge, they gave insights into financial topics from understanding pay slips and budgeting, to workplace and personal pensions, income tax and national insurance. The financial planning team were welcomed into a variety of different maths classes with pupils ranging from S4 to S6 and taught as part of their National 4 and 5 Application of mathematics classes. They included Nicola Doohan Recruitment and Development Manager, Keith Mackie, Director, Chris Hewson Chartered Financial Planner, Charlotte Thomson Financial Planning Administrator, Andrew McRae Trainee Paraplanner, Emma Graham Financial Planning Administrator, Rhiain Hammond Marketing Executive and Andrew Masson Paraplanner. They also gave insights into Acumen working life with a client case study and the pupils also discussed examples involving people in their 20s, their financial goals and objectives, as well as their attitudes towards money, budgeting and saving. To help engage the youngsters, these topics were presented through interactive quizzes, group discussions and videos from their financial education series which launched earlier this year. Nicola Doohan, Recruitment and Development Manager at Acumen Financial Planning said: “Acumen Financial Planning is passionate about educating younger generations about finance and ensuring they are fully equipped with financial knowledge when entering the world of work for the first time. Having worked with a variety of different schools previously, the financial group’s outreach work is continuing to assist young people in understanding day-to-day financial practices.” Elizabeth Mackenzie, a teacher at Kemnay Academy added: “We began working with Acumen in May 2022 with the aim of enhancing the finance unit of our National 5 Applications of Maths course for our S4, 5 and 6 pupils. We cannot thank Acumen enough for the impact they made with our pupils. “It was fantastic for our pupils to have the opportunity work together with experts from a variety of roles and levels within the financial planning industry who are all so passionate about their job. This brought real authenticity to the learning and helped our pupils see the benefit of the knowledge and skills that they are developing in Maths and that these are skills for learning, life and work. We look forward to continuing our work with Acumen to positively impact our pupils’ experiences here at Kemnay Academy.” Having worked with a variety of different schools previously, Acumen Financial Planning’s outreach work is continuing to assist young people in understanding day-to-day financial practices. Local schools interested in accessing the educational videos or for more details about recruitment opportunities can contact Nicola Doohan on 01224 392350 or opportunities@acumenfp.com
How do we equip young people with the skills they need to make their way in the world?
According to the National Institute of Health, nearly one in three of all adolescents ages thirteen to eighteen will experience an anxiety disorder.[i] Young people are currently navigating unprecedented and extraordinary challenges that no generation in history has ever had to face. It has never been more important for children to cultivate the core skills they need to ground them on their journey through adolescence. But how can we equip children with these skills and more importantly, what are they? With a background in theatre, we have always been passionate about the ability of creative play to inspire, motivate and nurture confidence in people. As actors, we love to get lost in stories. But seemingly, this gets harder as we get older and as we transition from childhood into adult life, we forget how to play. We become stuck in our heads and forget how to connect with our bodies. Inhibitions take over and as we juggle the myriad responsibilities that come with modern life, our thoughts become crowded and we lose touch with our creative instincts. As children develop, it is vital that they are given the fuel that they need to keep the fire of their imagination burning. We care deeply about igniting curiosity in children and unlocking their creative potential. Our ACTivate mission is to equip young people with the core skills they need to pursue their goals, take risks and express themselves with confidence, credibility and conviction. Nurturing imagination and harnessing lifelong skills of leadership, team-building and resilience is at the heart of what we do. Every child deserves to experience the joy of imaginative play as they grow and mental health expert, Dr H Barry asserts that this is essential in cultivating emotional resilience in young people.[ii] He breaks down emotional resilience into three broad skillsets, defining it ‘successfully developed personal, social and life skills.’ Personal Skills The personal skills that Dr Barry alludes to include self-awareness, anxiety management, flexible thinking and problem-solving; all skills that are harnessed through drama, movement and collaboration. Flexible thinking, in particular, is deeply embedded in some of our favourite games and exercises. Make it better, Make it worse requires children to think on their feet, inviting them to experiment with bending the arc of a story in different directions. Spontaneous Story-time is a brilliant exercise for encouraging group collaboration and quick thinking. Each child must relinquish control, work as part of a team and embrace the uncertainty of the story’s trajectory. Open-mindedness is everything. Lateral thinking is essential. It is a total delight to watch it unfold and we are always inspired by the narrative twists and turns that are volunteered in the process! Life Skills Taking risks is one of the key tenets of a rehearsal room and any good director or facilitator will create an environment where this is embraced. Its rewards are hard to quantify but Dr Barry praises the benefit of practised risk-taking in the development of key life skills, encouraging curiosity, bravery and trust in one’s instincts. This really is a skill that can be honed and one of our favourite ACTivate mantras encourages students to ‘put your head in the lion’s mouth!’ Nothing beats the satisfaction that comes with breaking out of the proverbial ‘comfort zone’ and this sense of accomplishment is life-blood for young people as they grow. Social Skills Perhaps most importantly, the work we do nurtures the vital social skills that young people need to make their own way in the world. Dr Barry defines these as ‘the successful interaction with the self and environment’ and they include understanding social cues embedded in verbal and non-verbal communication, managing social or performance anxiety and unlocking the power of self-expression. But arguably one of the most valuable skills that is nurtured through creative play is empathy. The act of physically stepping into the shoes of other characters and exploring their experiences is perhaps one of the most effective ways to cultivate empathy.[iii] Studies suggest that children develop empathy from as early as two years old but expert Dr David Walsh maintains that ‘its development requires experience and practice.’[iv] In a polarised world where difference threatens to divide us, empathy is a skill that we need to teach our children more urgently than ever. We can’t afford not to. It is the passport that grants us access to another point of view and we need it to cultivate a truly open mind. ‘Theatre is like a gym for empathy. It’s where we go to build up the muscles of compassion, to practice listening, understanding and engaging with people that are not just like ourselves. We practice sitting down, paying attention and learning from other people’s actions. We practise caring.’ Bill English, San Francisco Playhouse About ACTivate ACTivate offer workshops in Literacy, Character Education and Mental Health to primary and secondary schools across the UK. We are a small team, passionate about equipping students with the core skills they need to pursue their goals, take risks and express themselves with credibility, confidence and conviction. Founders Alex and Phoebe are professional actors with over ten years of experience, working with renowned organisations such as the RSC, BBC, National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe. With a background in Education, Alex and Phoebe established ACTivate Workshops to use the skills they have honed as actors to enrich learning, harness imagination and unlock creative potential. We also work with leading CBT Therapists and Senior Psychologists to jointly deliver evidence based and interactive Mental Health workshops, to help students better understand and manage feelings of anxiety. What We Care About Workshops Include: Ultimately, we believe in finding the balance between dynamic, energetic, pure fun whilst allowing space for self-reflection. The ability to tune into feelings and understand how they contribute to actions gives young people the skillset to look inwards and the courage to trust their instincts. We invite children to explore their identity, to be bold and consider the defining questions at the heart of growing up. Who
The Education Committee to probe the pros, cons and practicalities of Sunak’s maths plan
A special one-off session investigating the feasibility of the Prime Minister’s plan for all children to study maths until they’re 18 will be hosted tomorrow (February 7, 2023) by The Education Committee. It follows a speech by the PM on 4 January in which he said the education system should “reimagine” its approach to numeracy. He said: “I am now making numeracy a central objective of the education system. That doesn’t have to mean compulsory A level maths for everyone. But we will work with the sector to move towards all children studying some form of maths to 18.” The cross-party Committee will question witnesses from the National Education Union, the Association of School and College Leaders, and the National Foundation for Education Research, on challenges around training and hiring maths teachers. MPs will also question experts from the Royal Society and education charity National Numeracy on the current quality of maths teaching, and what a system of studying maths to 18 should look like. The last major reforms came in 2015, with an upgrade to GCSE maths that was seen to have made the subject more demanding. The Government at the time issued guidance for schools to increase the time spent teaching maths. Meanwhile, a ‘core maths’ subject was also introduced for post-16s who wished to continue developing their skills without undertaking a full A-Level. The Committee will question whether the most suitable way of continuing maths teaching after secondary school could be through an expansion of the core maths qualification or with T-Levels. Educational policy in England already requires those who achieve lower than grade 4 in GCSE maths at age 16 to continue to study towards GCSE maths post-16. This is a condition of school and college funding for students aged 16-19. Witnesses from 10:00 · Sir Martin Taylor, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Mathematical Education, Royal Society · Niamh Sweeney, Deputy General Secretary, National Education Union · Jack Worth, School Workforce Lead, National Foundation for Education Research · Sam Sims, Chief Executive, National Numeracy · Kevin Gilmartin, Post-16 and Colleges Specialist, Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)
Let’s Go Zero and OVO Foundation launch Nature Prize for schools
Let’s Go Zero has launched a new Nature Prize for schools in partnership with OVO Foundation, OVO Energy’s charitable arm. The Nature Prize will support schools to increase access to nature for their students and local communities, improve biodiversity in their school grounds, and kick-start climate action. The Let’s Go Zero campaign is a coalition of environmental organisations pushing for all UK schools to be zero carbon by 2030. OVO Foundation and Let’s Go Zero share a belief that all children and young people should have access to nature and are committed to building a brighter, greener future for the next generation. Schools, nurseries, and colleges across the UK can enter for the chance to win a cash prize to implement their own nature projects and bring their students closer to nature. There are 25 prizes available: 10 prizes of £1,000 and 15 prizes of £200, meaning plenty of chances to win. Planting vegetables, creating outdoor learning spaces, or building bug hotels are just some of the ways schools can encourage nature in the school grounds, but the possibilities are endless, and schools are encouraged to be as creative as possible in their entries. There is already a huge amount of research demonstrating the importance of nature connection for children, with those who spend time outdoors experiencing better mental and physical health, and improved well-being. The government, recognising this fact, has made a policy commitment to get children closer to nature, both in and out of school. Money from the OVO Foundation Nature Prize will help to do just that, enabling over 37,000 children and young people to learn in and for nature, whilst improving student well-being. Schools are key places to enact and inspire change in the next generation as well as the wider community. Judges for the Nature Prize will be particularly looking for projects whose impact reaches beyond the school gates. Schools could invite members of the community, local businesses, or other schools in to learn about, or take part in, their nature projects as part of widening the project’s impact. Judges are also keen to see applications from schools in less-advantaged areas, or for projects that benefit less-advantaged students. Access to nature for children and young people is highly unequal across the UK: it has been reported that, on average, 12% of children never, or rarely, visit natural environments. The Nature Prize seeks to address this and ensure that every child and young person has access to nature and can learn about protecting the planet. Applications from schools in areas particularly vulnerable to climate impacts are also encouraged, alongside projects that will help schools adapt to changes brought about by climate change. Adaptation is a major theme of the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy (2022) as schools face significant challenges from flooding, water scarcity, and heat stress. Projects helping schools’ adaptation efforts are an essential tool in improving the resilience of school communities and are a great way of impressing the judges and winning a prize. Competition entries will be judged by Let’s Go Zero team members and OVO employees in an online vote. Judges hope to see a wide range of projects being entered and are excited to see just how creative schools can be. Hannah Howard, Head of OVO Foundation said: “We know how important it is for children to have access to nature, and to be equipped with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities to protect it. We hope the OVO Foundation Nature Prize will act as a catalyst for schools to kickstart climate action within their grounds, helping students, teachers, and wider communities to connect with nature.” The OVO Foundation Nature Prize opens during Fairtrade Fortnight (27 Feb-12 March) which will be celebrated by Fairtrade Schools, a coalition member of the Let’s Go Zero campaign. The focus of this year’s fortnight is the harmful effect the climate crisis is having on our food systems and presents a great opportunity to raise students’ awareness of fair food growing in the UK and around the world. Schools might also take inspiration from Fairtrade Fortnight when designing their projects for the Nature Prize, perhaps by growing food or setting up a community vegetable garden. Entries for the competition are now open and will close at 23:59 on Monday 6th March. Visit The OVO Foundation Nature Prize – Lets Go Zero to apply or find out more details.
GCSEPod offers pupils access to over 500 hours of free content during NEU strikes
One of the UK’s leading education software providers, GCSEPod, will offer 525 hours of free content to students on 1 February, and all future strike days, to support teachers and help ensure learning is uninterrupted while members of the NEU union go on strike. The content being made available has been hand-picked to align with the knowledge and confidence gaps highlighted in a recent survey of 80,000 GCSE students answering over 1 million assessment questions. To view all the content available visit: https://www.theaccessgroup.com/en-gb/education/resources/free-curriculum-content/ Described as the ‘Netflix’ of education, GCSEPod is used by 1,659 schools across the UK, both in the classroom and to assist with at-home learning and revision. The free content will be available to all schools and learners, regardless of whether they currently use GCSEPod. With many schools expected to close to the majority of students on the planned strike days, GCSEPod hopes to minimise the pressure on teachers and ensure that learning can continue. Original, English Language, GCSE style exam papers will also be made available to English and Welsh exam boards. These can be easily downloaded and printed off for pupils without access to technology on strike days. Emma Slater, Head of Education at GCSEPod, said: “We appreciate that the decision to strike is by no means an easy one for teachers and understand that the last thing they want to see is pupils falling behind at a crucial point in the academic year. By offering free access to content that aligns with the knowledge and confidence gaps including video content from across the core and options subjects, we believe that pupils and teachers at all schools taking advantage of the offer will benefit. “Studying Shakespeare, revising the topic of energy, stretching yourself with statistics or geographical skills. With over 100 videos being made available online across all areas of the curriculum teachers and SLT can rest assured that we have their learners covered over the coming month.” Rosie Tucker, a science teacher based in Devon, said: “The situation for teachers is becoming almost untenable and forcing many, like myself, to consider leaving the profession altogether. While we’ve had a small pay rise, this hasn’t come from extra government funding, it’s come from the schools themselves – things urgently need to change. “While we are not required to set work on the days of the strikes, many of us will be working extra hours over the next few days to ensure that pupils have work to complete and that learning can continue from home. By offering GCSEPod to students we are confident that pupils will access engaging and useful content that they are familiar with. At the end of the day, no one wants to see pupils losing out.” Covering 30 GCSE/ IGCSE subjects, users of the GCSEPod learning and revision tools are proven to achieve one grade higher, on average, than non-users. The GCSEPod content and assessments are accessible both in the classroom and at home, providing learners more flexibility and freedom when it comes to managing their progress and revision. To find out more visit: GCSEPod curriculum content and assessment
What is the role of English in 2023 and beyond?
The English skills developed throughout learners’ school lives play a vital role in their futures. As a subject, English opens the minds of young people, enabling them to explore ideas, opinions and attitudes and express their own, and in doing so supports the development of morally responsible, empathetic individuals who can positively influence the world around them. As well as this intrinsic significance, achievement in English is an important steppingstone, a key to unlocking future doorways and prospects: the skills that are so deeply at the heart of English – of clear, purposeful and appropriate communication in a range of forms and media – are prized highly by employers and higher educators alike. And yet, for many years, English as a preferred choice for A level students has been in decline. We know from our own conversations and research with schools, that many learners struggle to connect and relate to their experience of English at GCSE, unable to see its relevance and value to their lives – an issue compounded by a political focus on the employability benefits of studying STEM. For some, including those from areas of disadvantage (45%), pupils with SEND (42%), global majority groups (21%) and boys (19%), English is much less likely to be seen as appealing and accessible. Individuals who feel the subject is irrelevant, or simply not for them, risk missing out on far more than a reading list. After all, words are a priceless currency: they emote, they express, they connect, they influence. Those who can use them well will forever be at an advantage in our interconnected world, best equipped to hear and understand others, and to be heard and understood themselves. With A level entries declining by more than 20% since 2017, it is vital that we change the tide in opinion on this pivotal core subject. To do this, we must answer the challenge clearly given to us from our young learners: what is English for and why is that important to me? Relevance, representation and modernity Creating the right conditions for every learner to want to engage – igniting their love of language, and expanding their view of the subject – involves an objective look at inclusivity in the curriculum. Learners should be able to connect with English as a subject, identifying with their experience of the curriculum as well as encountering narratives and voices that may perhaps be unfamiliar to their immediate world. Much thinking is already underway in English departments across the country to embed diversity and representation into the English syllabus in a meaningful way. Joy Mbakwe, Head of English at Lilian Baylis Technical College, explains the situation as she sees it: “Classrooms around the UK are growing in both voice and diversity, empowered by the interconnectedness of our modern world and, as a consequence, an increasing number of our students feel alienated by choices being made at department level concerning what is taught.” One of the major roles English holds is to give shape to the world around our students. Consequently, non-diverse curricula mean many students are not accessing the world as it truly is. For those who don’t feel represented themselves, it can be a small step from there towards disengagement. For those who don’t see others represented, their capacity to develop in sync with the increasingly global context of society is being limited. Tabatha Sheehan, Head of English and Media at Westonbirt School, is one of many schools driving forward the necessary change: “We are more committed than ever to making the curriculum as representative as possible, to opening up our students’ minds to the world outside their neighbourhoods, and to ensuring that no young person feels excluded by the books we teach and read. Our curricula needs this. Our children need this. It’s time for change.” As two-thirds of teachers seek more diverse and representative texts in the next curriculum reform and just under half of teachers more modern texts, it seems a diverse English curriculum matters now more than ever if we are to successfully help learners see English as a living, breathing, ever-evolving subject discipline. English and employability A future English curriculum should arguably have as one of its explicit purposes getting young people work-ready. Employer bodies have long since asked for more deliberate attention to be paid to the development of real-world employability skills through school curricula and qualifications. With almost half of employers believing young people leaving school are not work-ready, these concerns should not be dismissed. In developing the English curricula and qualifications for the future, we would serve young people better through working with employers to identify vital content and skills, to develop real-world tasks that are systematically embedded into the English curriculum and could, in the future, feature more prominently in high stakes assessment, including a more central role for oracy. Competency in such skills could be recognised through micro-accreditation such as digital skills badges and skills passports, supplementing their grade and giving a more complete view of what every learner can do. In doing this, we can simultaneously develop and evidence key skills valued by employers and more obviously show to learners the relevance and application of what they are learning. A curriculum for our time, and for all A coherent and relevant English curriculum should have a logical flow that tantalises GCSE students with rich, engaging subject material that speak to how language is power and language shapes identity. In this way, a KS4 curriculum of the future could introduce learners to the fields of socio-linguistics, child language acquisition and semantics – helping open their minds to the role that language plays in shaping meaning and identity and encouraging onward study through earlier exposure to such rich subject content. As with any subject, an English curriculum is never complete – it is always evolving and being refined. Our current students have lived through extraordinary times in the rapid development of how humankind communicates, shares information and influences each other; it is not