In The News
Policy Exchange publications, staff and policy concepts in the press.

Education & Arts News

Grammar school ‘annexe’ in Kent is a dangerous moment
Natasha Porter and Jonathan SimonsWriting in The Guardian, education journalist Fiona Millar cites a Policy Exchange blog post by Jonathan Simons and Natasha Porter which highlighted evidence against the social mobility case made in favour of grammar schools.

English university finances on ‘unsustainable trajectory’
Policy ExchangePolicy Exchange’s Higher, Further, Faster, More report is covered by Times Higher Education in an article on university funding. The report called for some university funding to be transferred to the imperilled further education sector.

Hand it over, higher ed: why colleges deserve universities’ funding
Policy ExchangeWriting in The Guardian, managing director of City & Guilds Kirstie Donnelly, supports calls from Policy Exchange’s Higher, Further, Faster, More report for £532m of university funding to be redirected to the further education sector. She describes such a move as “absolutely invaluable”.

Further education and skills sector misses out on £250m in FE loans cash
Jonathan SimonsJonathan Simons, Policy Exchange’s Head of Education, is quoted by FE Week commenting on figures which show far fewer loans for FE courses have been taken out than were allocated for.

Why schools should see the recruitment crisis as an opportunity to innovate
Policy ExchangeFollowing Policy Exchange’s event on the future of the teaching workforce, former Minister of State for Schools Lord Knight examines the possibility of technology helping to alleviate the current teaching shortage.

‘Universities are awash with cash’
Jonathan SimonsThe Times covers Policy Exchange’s new report Higher, Further, Faster, More, which calls for government to redirect up to £532m of universities funding to the Further Education system. Universities, the report says, will be able to make up the shortfall by drawing down their £12bn reserves.

University cash should be given to further education colleges, says report
Policy ExchangeThe Independent covers Higher, Further, Faster, More, Policy Exchange’s new report looking at how to improve England’s Further Education system. The report highlights that one in four FE colleges are at risk of imminent bankruptcy at a time where the universities sector has £12bn in reserves, and calls for government money to be redirected from HE to FE.

Free school meals ‘could be scrapped’
Jonathan SimonsJonathan Simons, Policy Exchange’s Head of Education, is quoted by The Telegraph questioning the sustainability of the Universal Free School Meals programme.

Protect free school meals, say doctors
Jonathan SimonsJonathan Simons, Policy Exchange’s Head of Education, is quoted by BBC News arguing that pilot studies show that universal free school meals don’t have a direct impact on improving BMI or childhood obesity, and are not the best use of money in tight financial circumstances.

Jeremy Corbyn backtracks on abolishing free schools
Policy ExchangeThe Telegraph cites findings from Policy Exchange’s A Rising Tidereport which show that new free schools, rather than sucking talent from and undermining nearby schools, actually help drag up results in neighbouring schools.