Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, has announced plans to change how schools work in England. Pupils as young as 14 — in Year 10 — could study practical subjects like manufacturing and AI alongside traditional subjects such as English and maths. BBC News

The government called the reforms a "fundamental change to the education system" and said the courses would be tied to local jobs and industries. The BBC understands ministers expect the new pathways to be up and running in some areas by 2028. Ofsted, the body that inspects schools in England, will change how it measures performance and will check on technical education as part of the reforms.

Burnham said "for too long" students had been told to take academic subjects to "do well and be respected." Writing in The Times, he said that in the age of AI, practical and technical skills have become "more valuable than ever," and that Britain will need engineers, electricians and cybersecurity experts. He listed construction, coding, classics, maths, manufacturing and mechanics as valued pathways.

The announcement comes against a tough background. Data from earlier in 2025 showed more than one million young people across the UK were not in education, employment or training — the highest number in more than 12 years. That figure covers all four nations of the UK. Education policy is devolved, meaning Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own school curricula through their own parliaments and assemblies (Holyrood, the Senedd and Stormont). What is announced for England would not automatically apply elsewhere.

The Association of School and College Leaders welcomed the ambition but raised concerns about whether schools have the capacity to deliver, pointing to tight budgets and ongoing changes to support for pupils with special educational needs. Headteachers have seen similar plans struggle before — from the 14–19 Diplomas in the late 2000s to T-levels (technical qualifications meant to stand alongside A-levels) in recent years. Offering manufacturing workshops, AI teaching and industry-linked courses means finding money, trained staff and space in the school timetable that many secondaries simply do not have.

Burnham's track record in Greater Manchester gives the announcement a solid foundation. He launched the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate, or MBacc, as a technical route offering an alternative to going to university, first setting out plans for two equal pathways for young people in 2023. GMCA He followed that with a plan to "turbocharge" growth in the city-region through the MBacc in July 2024. GMCA Sixty businesses publicly backed the vision that autumn. GMCA

More recently, employers in Greater Manchester pledged 1,000 new industry placements to support technical education in the city-region, according to a GMCA announcement in January 2026. GMCA Greater Manchester students were also the first to access a new computing certificate from the Raspberry Pi Foundation, aimed at boosting AI and digital skills, in July 2025. GMCA

The broader context is about shifting political gravity. A metro mayor — originally elected to run transport and housing — has steadily built a separate education system in his city-region, and is now offering it as a model for the whole of England. The big question is whether the government in London can copy what Greater Manchester has done — with its employer partnerships, a mayor who can push things forward, and a concentration of industry — in regions with very different local economies. That is what will decide whether these reforms work where previous efforts have stalled.

The inclusion of Ofsted inspection changes matters. Schools tend to take seriously whatever Ofsted measures, because inspection results affect their reputation. If inspectors start checking technical education, headteachers will pay attention. It also means the reforms cannot be quietly dropped: once Ofsted's framework changes, schools are accountable for delivering technical education, no matter how tight their funding.

The 2028 target gives officials roughly two academic years to design courses, train or recruit teaching staff, and build links with employers. In Greater Manchester, that groundwork has been under way since 2023. For the rest of England, the timetable is much tighter.