Growing divergence in UK schools policies after two decades of devolution

The four UK nations have begun to adopt increasingly different approaches to education policy after twenty years of devolution, according to a new Nuffield-funded report by the Education Policy Institute (EPI).

The new research, which is the latest major study to directly compare schools policy in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, shows that Scotland is spending significantly more per pupil than the rest of the UK, and has also increased school spending the most over the course of the last decade.

England appears to be targeting more resources towards disadvantaged pupils, committing the highest level of funding for poorer pupils through the Pupil Premium – while schools in deprived areas in Wales are most likely to report problems with their resources, such as education materials and school buildings.

School spending per pupil is currently greatest in Scotland (£7,300), followed by England and Wales (£6,100), and Northern Ireland (£5,800) – with Scotland’s higher level driven by a recent boost to teacher pay.

The study also finds that Scotland is ahead of the other UK nations on class sizes (pupil-teacher ratios), where in primary schools it has just 16 pupils for every one teacher, compared to 21 pupils or higher in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In secondary schools, there are just 12 pupils per teacher in Scotland, compared to 16 or higher in the other UK nations.

While devolution has ensured policy reflects national priorities – leading to a growing divergence on assessments, exams and the curriculum – and while it has also allowed policymakers to learn from successful approaches in other parts of the UK, the new report also identifies some major challenges.

With the four nations taking separate paths in education, researchers caution that this could cause problems for young people moving between UK nations for work or study, with an increasing risk that they will lose out due to a lack of understanding about different exams.

As political parties debate the future of education ahead of the 2021 elections in Scotland and Wales, and as the UK collectively looks towards education recovery, the new EPI research provides timely insights into the impact of devolution to date, each nation’s current priorities, and the future direction of education policy.