Campaigns & Policy

What

Students who attend schools that have good textbooks, science equipment and IT labs score two grades higher at A level than other children – the difference between getting AAA and ABB. 

1 in 4 schools in England can’t afford to provide sufficient stationery and books for their pupils, and 6 in 10 children attend schools that can’t afford to spend the national average of £300 per pupil on classroom materials. 

Every child deserves to receive the learning materials they need to succeed in life. That’s why our campaign won’t stop until: 

• All pupils receive the national average spend on learning resources. 
• For secondaries, this equates to £365 per pupil per year.  
• For primary schools, this equates to £265 per pupil per year. 

Why

Primary and secondary schools currently have £13 and £100 less per pupil respectively to spend on quality textbooks, ICT and lab equipment than they had in 2013. 

Even with the Government’s proposed £14.1 billion education funding, research shows that schools will only have between £2-3 more to spend on each pupil’s learning materials.  

How

Until we receive the funding we need to create properly resourced schools, it’s up to all of us to keep the budget pressures facing schools front and centre of the debate- at every dinner table, in each PTA meeting, in MP offices up and down the country. 

What

The COVID-19 Pandemic placed an enormous amount of pressure on schools and teachers during the period of school closures. Nearly every school in the country had to reorientate from in-class to online learning, this placed an enormous amount of pressure on teachers to keep children learning.  

Though EdTech has been used in classrooms for many years, the period of school closures meant that technology went from being a supportive in-class resource to the primary means of delivering education to most children.  

In conjunction with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education Technology, BESA conducted an inquiry into how and which technology was effectively implemented by schools during the pandemic.  

Why

Education Technology has been a key feature within the education system for well over three decades. However, extensive research by the Department for Education, as well as organisations such as BESA, NAACE, EPI amongst others, has found that it has been implemented with mixed success and is often underpinned by a drive within each school on how to realise the full benefits of education technology. 

The pandemic has provided a unique opportunity for all teachers, regardless of their attitude towards technology, to fully engage with the power of education technology enabling suppliers to get a more rounded understanding of what does and doesn’t work.  

As the leading trade association for educational technology suppliers, BESA was well positioned to conduct a focused study on the positive impact technology played.

How

In conjunction with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education Technology, BESA has conducted an inquiry into the lessons learnt from lockdown. The report brings together the views of legislators, former cabinet ministers, teachers, suppliers and other stakeholders to assess the impact which technology.  

The report demonstrates the sectors commitment to developing an evidence-based approach to technology.  

Read now. 

What

Oak National Academy (Oak) was established as a charitable response to the COVID pandemic by the Reach Foundation and was supported by BESA members who provided resources to support the site free of charge during its initial launch. 

In September 2022, Oak was incorporated by the Department for Education as an arms-length curriculum body to procure and distribute education resources to schools paid-for by central government.   

Why

The UK is home to one of the most vibrant, innovative and dynamic marketplaces in the world to purchase educational resources. Thanks to a market which empowers schools and teaches to make their own decisions about which resources they would like to procure, British teachers have benefited from a dynamic marketplace, which encourages experimentation, innovation and competition to deliver the best value and highest-quality materials which are exported globally.  

With autonomy being rated as one of the most highly ranked factors in keeping teachers engaged in their role – it is essential that they do not feel pressured or coerced into selecting ‘government procured’ resources over the ones which they know and like. Our members recognise that each school has its own specific needs, and we are concerned that government promotion of a one-size-fits-all curriculum could accelerate the decline in student engagement in the curriculum.  

Furthermore, the involvement of Government in the curriculum resources market is likely to disrupt what is otherwise a dynamic and highly functional marketplace which has become vastly more competitive particularly over the last ten years. The vast majority of BESA’s members are small and medium-sized enterprises, these companies are the lifeblood of innovation within the sector, and we share major concerns that Oak could disrupt the virtuous cycle of innovation from which teachers and pupils currently benefit.  

How

BESA has built a coalition of support from stakeholders across the sector including the Publishers Association, Society of Authors and National Education Union in our objection to government intervention into curriculum development. We believe that teachers should be trusted to use their own professional judgement to choose curriculum resources which fit their school’s specific needs, over the one-size-fits-all model advocated for by the Department for Education. 

BESA continues to engage in a dialogue with the government on how this issue can be resolved – and we remain committed to pursuing a legal challenge of the decision to establish Oak should we not be able to come to a mutual agreement on the issue. 

What

In August 2024 the Department for Education announced that it would be launching the first Curriculum & Assessment Review in over ten years. This review is the chance for stakeholders within the education sector to reflect on the positive and negative aspects of the existing curriculum. Unlike previous reviews, this one also considers the role of the assessment system as part of the wider curriculum.  

The review is seeking to ensure that the current curriculum is fit for purpose and meeting the needs of children and young people. 

Why

BESA is contributing to the Curriculum Review as a significant group of our membership specialises in curriculum and assessment design. Our membership ranges from some of the UK’s largest publishing and assessment providers to some of the most innovative and exciting EdTech startups.  

Our members have a deep understanding of the entire curriculum development process, from designing all the way up to implementing within schools. Our members can draw on the best practice from their experience in working with a range of international education ministries, and understand the unique challenges which teachers face in delivering a curriculum that works best for their students’ specific needs.  

How

To facilitate a sector-wide authoring of the report, the association invited members working in the curriculum to contribute their thoughts on the existing curriculum, what it does well and not so well, over a series of roundtable discussions.  

The report was then pulled together by BESA with the assistance of curriculum experts, to generate a comprehensive response which covered the curriculum and assessment regime from Key Stage 1 all the way through to Post-16.  

You can read our response to the Curriculum & Assessment Review in our report, BESA’s vision for a broad and balanced curriculum.   

Policy updates