Having an ethnically diverse teacher workforce is an important policy goal in the UK and elsewhere. Ethnically diverse teachers can have potentially positive outcomes for all pupils; for example, by serving as role models and enhancing culturally responsive pedagogy. Despite policy interventions to increase recruitment to teaching in the UK, data on the characteristics of teachers point to a profession that remains overwhelmingly female and white; and where the workforce in schools in diverse urban areas is often not reflective of local communities. This paper contributes to the literature on inequalities in the supply of teachers by documenting patterns of participation and success in postgraduate initial teacher training programmes over an eight-year period. Using data on applications and outcomes to all ITT programmes across the UK, the findings show that there are significant inequalities in the likelihood of Black and Asian applicants securing a training place compared with those who are White. These inequalities persist across gender, subject and type of training provider; as well as over the period considered. The data also show, however, that there is very little variation in training outcomes with most trainees being awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), irrespective of their ethnic background.
The year 2026 marked the 30th anniversary of the founding of the first overseas branch of a British private school, when London's Dulwich College in 1996 had opened an offshoot on Phuket Island. Since then, the exportation and quasi-replication of Britain's private schools have involved 50 institutions establishing about 150 branches. We offer a comprehensive overview of the growth and development of this largely under-reported phenomenon, exploring how the expansion has involved four distinct 'waves'. The current 'fourth wave', beginning in 2021 has been characterised by a post-China expansion with branches emerging in unexpected areas such as Europe, Japan, the United States and West Africa. At the same time, new providers have appeared, some ambitiously intent on creating systems of branches across several nations. We report on the current level of market concentration, with the biggest 10 players led by London's Harrow Schoolhaving over half the market, and the level of market saturation, particularly in Bangkok and Shanghai. We discuss the possible implications of the current scene and speculate from the growth patterns that a new wave might appear, in 2027, based on expansion into areas beyond Asia and China, and involving new markets and players.
The argument has been made that there is an underdevelopment of a pedagogical culture for social science research methods education and a lack of a body of knowledge for research methods teachers to use. This paper revisits this argument and the early signs of optimism surrounding sound evidence and principles that are in use, recognised and researched. Drawing on the research work of the author and knowledge of the wider field, it brings the evidence up to date and illustrates the pace and extent of developments in understanding and making explicit pedagogy for social research methods. This includes discussion of policy priorities and what counts as research evidence in education. The case is made that not only is there a healthy pedagogical research culture now, but that a signature pedagogy for research methods education is emerging and helping to define the subfield.
Codes of governance in education carry symbolic and operational weight, and are increasingly powerful normalising texts. They help institutionalise particular visions of purpose, accountability and authority and, in doing so, marginalise others. At a time when higher education faces intensifying scrutiny from governments, markets and the public alike, the documents that frame how universities govern themselves demand close scrutiny. This paper argues that one reason university governing bodies have become increasingly fluent in the language of legal and regulatory compliance, yet less confident in articulating the public value of universities, lies in the governance code that structures their work. The analysis employs critical discourse analysis to examine the UK's Code of Governance for Higher Education, published by the Committee of University Chairs in 2020, with comparative reference to a parallel code developed for further education. By examining presuppositions, strategic silences and the assumptions embedded in apparently routine language, the paper interrogates dominant conceptions of 'good' and 'effective' governance. The findings reveal a systematic privileging of accountability to external stakeholders over students and staff, of risk management over institutional mission, and of corporate logics over educational principles.
