The last cycle of the NLA Education Expert Panel concluded with the panel producing a white paper which contributed to the New London Agenda. A refreshed panel met at the end of last month for the first meeting of this next cycle. We welcomed new members, developed previous conversations further and identified lines of enquiry for the working subgroups of this cycle. 

We began by updating with the latest developments on three issues the panel identified previously, and which subsequently became headline news. 

The RAAC crisis brought the deteriorating condition of the schools estate, a long-standing focus for the panel, into national consciousness.  We discussed how to promote and achieve retrofit, using data to understand what aspects of the old stock work well. We heard evidence of improvements to buildings improving outcomes. It was remarked that the biggest limitation is the economy and the consequential available funding. An interesting question posed was how retrofit is regarded in terms of community perception: does it have the same investment-in-the-community impact as a new building? 

Another recent headline, brought to the panel’s attention in our first meeting three years’ ago, is that a sudden surplus of school places, particularly in Inner London, caused by rapid demographic shifts – Brexit, pandemic, cost-of-living related – is leading to school closures. We heard how this issue has now extended to other areas nationally. We discussed how to keep buildings and land in public ownership. Suggestions included augmenting SEN provision which has reduced despite expanding need; improving adult education provision; teacher accommodation and wider public use with schools or authorities acting as landlord. 

Next, we turned to funding challenges for universities, where fees from domestic students have effectively been fixed for more than a decade. With costs exceeding funding for domestic students, the sector has sought alternative sources of revenue and in many cases a reliance on income from international students. We discussed other challenges the sector faces, not least making education accessible through providing affordable accommodation. We also heard how courses with large space requirements and low-density occupancy were vulnerable. We heard of other revenue streams being developed: executive education, summer schools and so on. The challenge was stated: if London aspires to remain a world-class city it requires world-class institutions. 

In an election year, we then turned towards the future. A new generation of Technical Excellence Colleges was announced by Labour in conference season, but little has been heard of them since. We discussed the needs of adult education, how T-levels are regarded against A-levels and heard of the current plans for rebuilding further education colleges. We also heard that whilst there is lots of speculation, education practitioners are really just waiting to see what a new government may actually bring. 

The panel agreed to form subgroups to pursue three lines of enquiry: 

Although our conversation was educationally-focussed, we repeatedly returned to a common theme: the need to make London a more liveable and affordable city. The next full NLA Expert Panel sessions are cross-panel charrettes building on the themes and values of the New London Agenda where ideas to make London more liveable and affordable can hopefully be part of the focus.