VAT on school fees, the end of their business rates relief, a big hike in employers’ National Insurance contributions, falling pupil rolls. It is no exaggeration to say that independent schools in England have had a very tough couple of years financially.

These pressures have already forced some independent schools to close, but what if, rather than closing, these struggling schools became state schools instead?

That may sound outlandish but, as my new report for the Private Education Policy Forum shows, 27 independent schools have jumped from the independent sector into the state sector since 2007 – either as academies or free schools.

So why did these independent schools decide to move into the state sector? What obstacles did they face along the way? And, crucially, have these former independent schools become successful state schools?

To discuss this new report, I’m delighted to be joined by my co-author, Dr Tilly Clough, a lecturer in law at Queen's University Belfast.

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On the 28th of October 2021, the first ever episode of Inside Your Ed was released. Almost four and a half years later, I’m delighted to say that this is episode number 100 of Inside Your Ed – quite a milestone for a podcast with a tiny budget but a big interest in education policy.

Of course, little did we know in October 2021 that just a year later, the launch of ChatGPT would herald the emergence of a new form of Artificial Intelligence, or AI.

The long-term impact of this new Generative AI on our education system remains unclear, but that has not stopped the Department for Education, or DfE, from making not one, not two, but three announcements in the early weeks of 2026 on this very subject.

So what has the DfE announced in relation to AI and other forms of education technology, or ed tech? Are there any reasons to be cautious about the DfE’s direction of travel? And what will ultimately determine whether children and young people stand to benefit from a greater use of AI and ed tech in schools and colleges?

My guests are Renate Samson, a policy and data consultant who co-authored a major report last year for the Ada Lovelace Institute and Nuffield Foundation on AI in education, and Dr Cat Scutt, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching.

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“It’s been a terrible year to graduate and find a job” said a recent headline in the Financial Times.

Other newspapers have also chipped in with equally gloomy headlines such as “Where have all the graduate jobs gone”, “It’s a jobs desert” and ‘It’s so demoralising’: UK graduates exasperated by high unemployment”.

So why are so many seemingly well qualified young people finding it hard to get a job? To what extent is AI to blame for graduates’ labour market woes? And are the challenges facing graduates likely to get better or worse in the coming years?

My guests are Sarah O'Connor, the employment columnist and associate editor at the Financial Times, and Stephen Isherwood, the joint Chief Executive of the Institute of Student Employers, a membership body that supports organisations who recruit graduates.

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