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Tom Richmond

@tom-richmond.com
1.6K followers 197 following 1.1K posts

Education policy analyst. Host of 'Inside Your Ed' podcast (www.insideyoured.com). Former teacher, think tank director and government advisor. Follow my work here: linktr.ee/tomrichmond

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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 02/10/2026
"What about the pupil whose parents say requires access to a phone to help manage severe anxiety? Or the child with autism whose family believes a device provides reassurance or helps them regulate during the day?" In both situations, the parents are the problem - not the ban on phones.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 02/10/2026
Perhaps there is a link here between a lack of funding for schools in France and their teacher pension scheme, which consumes 28% of the entire schools budget. The employer pension contribution for teachers and other public sector workers is 82%. Yes, 82%. 'Unsustainable' doesn't even come close.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 02/10/2026
3,000 school students arrested. More than 300 police and dozens of firefighters, teachers and pupils injured. Fires started. Bus stops destroyed. Welcome to debates about school funding, French style. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/o...
theguardian.com
France school protests escalate into ‘urban violence’ as PM calls crisis cabinet meeting
About 900 demonstrations, blockades and related incidents under way outside high schools around the country
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 30/09/2026
In my latest podcast, @lukesibieta.bsky.social from @theifs.bsky.social explained how England's stable score for reading in the latest PISA tests comes against a backdrop of very concerning developments at a global level. Listen to the full episode here: insideyoured.com
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 29/09/2026
Great panel. Great topic: making vocational qualifications work for 14 to 16 year olds. Great work @edupolicyinst.bsky.social and OCR.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 29/09/2026
Super @suttontrust.bsky.social panel on apprenticeships at Labour conference this morning. Great combination of a government minister, an apprentice, an employer and a policy expert!
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 29/09/2026
Yes, the framing of a vocational pathway / track is hugely important. Is it for everyone, or only low attainers? Do students put themselves on the vocational track, or do schools decide? Etc
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 28/09/2026
@lucympowell.bsky.social and @juliemcculloch.bsky.social kicking off tonight's reception on 'skills for the future'. Lucy committed to not taking an ideological approach to reforms. Amen to that.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 28/09/2026
Expert hosting by @iaindale.bsky.social at the @plmr.co.uk policy hub, discussing how to help young people earn, learn and progress courtesy of Emily Rock and the St Martins Group. So refreshing to skip the long speeches from panellists and just dive into a discussion!
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 28/09/2026
@lucympowell.bsky.social right to say at this morning's @edupolicyinst.bsky.social event that tackling persistent disadvantage requires a 0-19 approach and will need to extend well beyond the school gates.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 28/09/2026
Lots of people seem concerned about the prospect of pupils being wrongly pushed into technical education pathways at age 14, but shouldn't we be just as worried about pupils being wrongly held back on an academic pathway? My new post on LinkedIn: lnkd.in/p/e5kzjVFn
lnkd.in
Lots of people seem concerned about the prospect of pupils being wrongly pushed into technical education pathways at age 14, but shouldn't we be just as worried about pupils being wrongly held bac...
Lots of people seem concerned about the prospect of pupils being wrongly pushed into technical education pathways at age 14, but shouldn't we be just as worried about pupils being wrongly held back on...
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 27/09/2026
Minister in charge of apprenticeships listening to apprentices. Great stuff at my first event at Labour conference from Jacqui Smith and St Martins Group.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 27/09/2026
India's education system is a disaster at both ends. At the top, only 7% of graduates find a formal job within a year. At the bottom, frightening numbers of children cannot read, write or count. No wonder India - the world's most populous country - steers clear of PISA. (via the Economist)
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 25/09/2026
I'm certainly unpersuaded by their claim that entry to these new selective state schools will not be based on wealth or postcode, but rather “a combination of academic performance, aptitude and socio-economic circumstance”. Sure. Keep telling yourself that.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 25/09/2026
In the Australian state of Victoria, the Liberal (what we'd call Conservative) opposition is promising to establish more selective state schools if they win November's election. Will we see the same in England soon? educationhq.com/news/a-level...
educationhq.com
‘A level playing field’: three new select-entry high schools for Vic under Coalition
Thousands of high-achieving Victorian students are missing out on securing a place at a selective school, the Liberal opposition says, as it unveils a plan to build three new select-entry high schools...
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 24/09/2026
Yes, trying to create perfect dividing lines between subjects is not easy. I like the word 'applied' because it distinguishes something from theoretical learning (which happens in your head), hence why I think we should have 'academic', 'applied' and 'technical' as the three subject buckets.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 24/09/2026
We certainly have done something similar before. Quite a few times, it turns out.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 24/09/2026
So, Vocational GCSEs, eh? If you think that something about this announcement feels eerily familiar, you're in good company. Time for a quick history lesson.... My new post on LinkedIn: lnkd.in/p/eJVMzP-S
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Reposted by Tom Richmond
Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 22/09/2026
England's performance in the latest round of PISA tests was brilliant....... wasn't it? I mean, we rose up the rankings in maths, reading and science, so everything is going well....... isn't it? My new post on LinkedIn: lnkd.in/p/e9hJCK5n
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Reposted by Tom Richmond
Luke Sibieta @lukesibieta.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I was delighted to chat with @tom-richmond.com again on his Inside Your Ed podcast. We talked all things PISA, why most countries are seeing declines in results and why England seems to be bucking that trend @theifs.bsky.social
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 22/09/2026
England's performance in the latest round of PISA tests was brilliant....... wasn't it? I mean, we rose up the rankings in maths, reading and science, so everything is going well....... isn't it? My new post on LinkedIn: lnkd.in/p/e9hJCK5n
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 21/09/2026
All three sentences from Stephen are spot on.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 21/09/2026
🚨NEW PODCAST🚨 What did we learn from England's latest PISA results? @lukesibieta.bsky.social from @theifs.bsky.social joins me to discuss whether England fared better or worse than 90 other countries in maths, reading and science. Listen here: insideyoured.com
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 20/09/2026
Mind you, the fact that so many parents in Northern Ireland think the grammar school system is "fair and effective" shows what a mountain reformers will have to climb to drive through any changes, let alone substantive changes.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 20/09/2026
"The option receiving the greatest support was a transition towards an all-ability comprehensive system" Northern Ireland's grammar schools still have supporters, but that doesn't mean reform is off the table by any means. www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/norther...
belfasttelegraph.co.uk
New QUB study finds NI academic selection process poses ‘educational inequalities’
New QUB research exposes how NI grammar school entrance tests fuel educational inequality and stress, and outlines evidence-based options for reform.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 18/09/2026
Glorious. I'm sure there are plenty more like it!
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 18/09/2026
That's a new one to me, but fits the general trend of 'If only we were more like Finland....'
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 18/09/2026
I did not know that, but it makes their constant decline in recent PISA tests even more startling.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 17/09/2026
When your best defence is 'Yes our PISA scores are still collapsing but we remain above the OECD average', things are not good.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 17/09/2026
"More than one in four Finnish pupils now perform below the basic proficiency level in reading....Nearly one in three Finnish pupils now fall into the low-performing group in mathematics." Does anyone still think England should be more like Finland? I hope not. www.helsinkitimes.fi/themes/theme...
helsinkitimes.fi
Finland’s PISA scores fall again in reading and maths
Finland’s 2025 PISA results show further declines in reading and mathematics, while science performance remains above the OECD average. More than one in four Finnish pupils now fall below the basic re...
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 17/09/2026
In my latest podcast, Sam Gibbs explained why she thinks little progress will be made on improving teacher retention unless fundamental changes are made to teachers' daily lived experiences. Listen to the full episode here: insideyoured.com
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 16/09/2026
Then again, context is important - not least the fact that Moldova is planning to keep tax relief for parents paying school fees. Not sure I've seen anyone propose giving parents income tax relief on private school fees in England, despite plenty of opposition to VAT on fees.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 16/09/2026
Taxing private education is highly unusual by international standards. I think the UK and New Zealand are the only ones that charge VAT or equivalent on fees. But wait... is Moldova about to join the club? They are proposing to abolish tax relief for private schools. logos-pres.md/en/news/the-...
logos-pres.md
Moldova Proposes Equal Tax Rules for Private Schools
Private schools could face a 12% profit tax, while tax benefits for parents paying for their children’s education would remain.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 15/09/2026
In my latest podcast, Dr Haili Hughes said that there needs to be a greater focus on retaining experienced teachers, given the impact that their departure can have on pupils and schools. Listen to the full episode here: insideyoured.com
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 11/09/2026
As the article points out, Germany continues to suffer from a huge shortfall in skilled workers. Despite their famed apprenticeship system, more and more young people are opting for a university degree instead - hence why foreign workers are often filling the gaps.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 11/09/2026
As Chinese university graduates face increasingly bleak employment prospects, some of them have apparently decided that the best solution to their job woes is to start an apprenticeship. In Germany. www.scmp.com/economy/glob...
scmp.com
China’s youth job crisis drives graduates to German vocational apprenticeships
Facing bleak employment prospects at home, some young Chinese workers are pursuing technical training abroad, but not all make it through.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 09/09/2026
Here is the graph from the PISA 2025 results that AI companies don't want you to see. It shows pupils' mean score in the PISA science test versus the frequency of pupils' AI use for schoolwork. The pattern could hardly be clearer. My new post on LinkedIn: lnkd.in/p/eJrXYvkQ
lnkd.in
#pisa | Tom Richmond
Here is the graph from the #PISA 2025 results that AI companies don't want you to see. It shows pupils' mean score in the PISA science test versus the frequency of pupils' AI use for schoolwork. The...
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 09/09/2026
It was also remarkable to see Édouard Geffray, the French education minister, say “the results are worrying but they aren’t a surprise.” If phones and social media are the problem, what will be France's solution?
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 09/09/2026
As @nicolawoolcock.bsky.social and @georgiamay.bsky.social show in today's Times, England's PISA results really do stand out. Germany fell to a new low, leaving them barely above the OECD average, while France recorded its worst results since PISA began in 2000. www.thetimes.com/article/8a98...
thetimes.com
English pupils in top ten for key subjects — but Scotland and Wales slump
New Pisa education rankings come amid a battle over Labour’s planned curriculum reforms
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 08/09/2026
@lukesibieta.bsky.social has been following the divergence of education systems across the UK for a long time. His observations from the latest PISA data are very troubling.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 08/09/2026
This is not a new problem, nor is it confined to the GCSE years - the curriculum and assessment weaknesses start well before then. Wales has been tanking for years, despite all the promises of improvement. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wale...
bbc.co.uk
Wales and Pisa: What the ministers said
How has the Welsh government responded to previous Pisa results?
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 08/09/2026
The curriculum woes in Wales go back way further than Curriculum for Wales (although the new one won't help!). Every major reform over the past couple of decades promised better standards, and said it would just take time to work. And then failed. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wale...
bbc.co.uk
Wales and Pisa: What the ministers said
How has the Welsh government responded to previous Pisa results?
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 08/09/2026
Yes, correct - there has been a huge amount of political pressure to move towards phonics in recent years, with an ITV investigation showing how bad things have become. Plaid said they are going to switch to phonics, so hopefully Wales will turn a corner soon: www.itv.com/news/2026-09...
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 08/09/2026
NI has recently announced a major overhaul of their curriculum: www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/cur... Their vague skills-based approach (which rejected subject-based teaching) was found to be undermining progression: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Education minister proposes new curriculum for NI schools
Under the new syllabus, children would learn about "identity, privacy and cybersecurity" online from the earliest years of primary school.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 08/09/2026
Hi Alex. NI has announced a major overhaul of their curriculum to move away from their vague skills-based approach: www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/cur... Scotland has also announced plans to move away from their skills-based curriculum to one that "clarifies the role of knowledge".
education-ni.gov.uk
Curriculum Reform
Curriculum Reform is a key commitment in the TransformED Strategy and Delivery Plan. This page provides information about the Curriculum Reform Programme.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 08/09/2026
Hi, yes Scotland has pursued some similar curriculum and assessment goals to Wales. They use phonics but also use other reading methods that are not evidence-based.... And just like in Wales, things have got a lot worse in Scotland (which used to outperform England!). www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 08/09/2026
I'm also pretty convinced that Wales allowing schools to design their own curriculum to encourage them to "build their own vision for their learners" and provide "space for practitioners to be creative" is not a sensible way to improve national standards or build pupils' knowledge and understanding.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 08/09/2026
I'm pretty sure university admissions staff will be aware of any differences in standards, particularly in the most competitive universities.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 08/09/2026
Hi Mark, great question - and the answer is.... Wales was still behind England 15-20 years ago, but a lot closer than they are now. In short, it's getting worse. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Wales' Pisa test results fall further behind rest of UK
Three-yearly maths, reading and science test results show continued "downward trend", says OECD.
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Tom Richmond @tom-richmond.com · 08/09/2026
Yes, it will undoubtedly harm progression opportunities to prestigious universities in the UK and abroad, which may in turn reduce things like research funding, inward investment etc. I haven't seen anyone quantify this, but it seems implausible to me that it would have no knock-on effect.
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