Today’s King’s Speech sets out some bold plans for investment, growth, and breaking down barriers to opportunity.

The Royal Society of Biology welcomes:

• The National Wealth Fund that will promote innovation and create investments opportunities in priority sectors, such as the life sciences, and support the transition to clean energy
• The recognition of the importance of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and the commitment to recruit 6,500 teachers
• A review of curriculum and assessment and the requirement for all schools to teach the national curriculum
• The intent to address skills provision challenges via the creation of Skills England.
• The new UK Government’s commitment to the environment and a nature-first approach to planning and economy

However, we would urge the Government to re-affirm its commitment to the long term, secure and sustainable research and development (R&D) investments, and to work alongside the R&D sector to develop a roadmap for delivery.

We encourage the Government to address the teachers’ retention crisis across all subjects, as part of a co-ordinated STEM education strategy that invests in biology teachers as well as the commonly targeted “shortage subjects”.

We would advise the Department for Education (DfE) to improve data collection regarding teachers and disciplinary expertise as a basis for action. We also recommend a comprehensive curriculum and assessment review across the entire 5-19 learning, informed by evidence and experts. The RSB is keen to engage with the process at an early stage, and to inform curriculum reform through our Evolving 5-19 Biology recommendations and framework.

As this new Government delivers on its missions, we will continue to monitor all areas of policy developments, convening the expertise of the bioscience community in support of evidence-based decision-making.