Education

Published: 11 September 2025. The English Chronicle Desk The United Kingdom is poised to witness the creation of its first “super-university” following the announced merger of the University of Kent and the University of Greenwich, a move set to reshape higher education in the South East. The new institution, proposed to be called the London and South East University Group, will operate under a single vice-chancellor from the start of...

Published: 09 September 2025. The English Chronicle Desk England’s schools watchdog, Ofsted, has confirmed it will move forward with its new inspection regime in November, despite strong opposition from teaching unions, school leaders, and mental health advocates. The system, which introduces a colour-coded “report card” for parents, has been branded by critics as little more than a cosmetic rebranding of the current framework that caused widespread concern after the tragic...

Published: 08 September '2025. The English Chronicle Desk Lecturers and staff at the University of Edinburgh have launched a five-day strike during the university’s freshers’ week, in a significant escalation of industrial action against proposed budget cuts amounting to £140 million. The walkout, which began on Monday, is being led by members of the University and College Union (UCU), who say the scale of the planned savings threatens jobs, teaching...

Published: 04 September 2025 | The English Chronicle Desk The government has announced a major expansion of early years provision in England, with up to 7,000 new school nursery places set to be created by September 2026. Backed by a £45 million investment, the initiative aims to ease pressure on parents, support working families, and ensure that children—particularly those in disadvantaged areas—have access to high-quality early education. The Department for...

Published: 22 August 2025. The English Chronicle Desk Education experts in England are urging the government to reconsider its policy requiring students who fail to achieve a grade 4 in English and maths GCSEs to resit the subjects during post-16 education. Critics argue that the mandatory resit system is failing many students and has reached a “crisis point.” Jill Duffy, chief executive of the OCR exam board, highlighted the scale...

Published: 21 August '2025. The English Chronicle Desk Students across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will receive their GCSE and Level 2 vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) results on Thursday, a key milestone that determines progression to sixth form, college, apprenticeships, or other training opportunities. This year’s results day comes amid ongoing reforms to grading and the introduction of digital tools to make exam records more accessible. In England, GCSEs...

Published: 21 August '2025. The English Chronicle Desk The UK government has announced plans to facilitate the evacuation of nine students from Gaza who have been awarded full scholarships to study at British universities, following months of advocacy from MPs, academics, and campaigners. These students, all recipients of the prestigious Chevening scholarships funded by the Foreign Office, were recognized for their academic potential and leadership qualities. For the students, the...

Published: 21 August '2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online. Campaigners and child welfare organisations are renewing calls for a total ban on smacking in England, citing growing public support and mounting evidence of the harm caused by physical punishment. Recent polling indicates that attitudes among young adults have shifted significantly in recent years, with an increasing majority considering any form of force against children unacceptable. While Wales...

Published: 20 August 2025. The English Chronicle Desk Boys and girls should be taught about periods together in schools to foster a better understanding of menstruation, according to new research conducted by academics at University College London (UCL). The study highlights significant gaps in current school curricula, where many students reportedly receive only two lessons on periods throughout their entire education – one in primary school and one in secondary...

Published: 20 August 2025 | The English Chronicle Desk A leading think tank has warned that stark inequalities in England’s education system are widening, with pupils in London outperforming children in other parts of the country at an accelerating rate. The Institute for Government (IfG) says that despite repeated pledges to narrow the attainment gap, successive governments have failed to produce a credible strategy to address what it describes as...