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Adam Cox is joined by Dr. Frances from Stetson & Associates. With VAT charges on private school fees in place from January, leading inclusivity experts are urging the UK government and local authorities to commit funds to meaningful change. With it being Inclusive Schools Week, Dr. Stetson offers her insight and perspective. https://stetsonassociates.com/

Last Wednesday was World Children’s Day – a chance to not only celebrate the youngest members of our society, but also those who dedicate their lives to caring for and educating them. And with the government committing to opening 300 new nurseries in the next 12 months, the industry needs more early year educators. Could that be you? Joining Adam Cox to discuss this is Charlotte Hutchings from Busy Bees Nurseries. And she’s joined by Jazmine Waring who is an early years apprentice.

Adam Cox is joined by Emma Shackleton from Beacon School Support Limited. As behavioural challenges in schools continue to rise, experts are calling for more support to be incorporated into teacher training – and for all teachers, regardless of experience, to take part in continued learning on the topic. Emma offers her industry expertise on the matter. https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/

Adam Cox is joined by Anna Materson from Atom Learning. New data shows a 39% rise in the number of parents seeking a grammar school place for their child. Anna tells Adam all about how Atom Learning is attempting to level the playing field and is offering its 11+ exam resources to eligible pupils completely for free. https://atomlearning.com/

Last week, the consumer prices index measure of inflation nudged higher to 2.2%. But what does this mean for future base rate decisions — and then in turn, mortgage rates and savings rates? Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost discuss the latest inflation figures and what the rest of the year has in store for the economy. Meanwhile, experts predict a busier housing market this autumn - but what makes them so sure? And watch out if you plan on taking your kids out of school during term time — you could face big fines, with the first change to the system since 2013. Is it fair that parents get fined for taking children on holidays and should there be a better system devised? We look at the supermarket winners and losers over the last decade — just how bad have things been for ASDA. And our reporter Angharad Carrick takes a visit to west London Tesco to test its new anti-shoplifting measures. Is it any good? We also run the rule over Aliexpress... and the bargain items that are almost too good to be true.

The Government wants us to get heat pumps fitted in our homes and it's offering up to £7,500 for us to do so. Now Worcester Bosch is bumping that up by an extra £2,500 - if you pick one of theirs of course. But with the devices cost between £8,000 to £30,000 to buy and fit, would it tempt you? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Lee Boyce reveal all... and talk the 'boiler tax'. Is inflation back on the rise? How worried should we be by the latest figures? And where next for interest rates? And millions face a big price hike for their mobile and broadband from March. Isn't it time these inflation-busting mid-contract increases were banned? Also, following campaigning by This is Money for years for fair treatment for parents who do not qualify for child benefit, parents denied state pension credits WILL get them. Tanya Jefferies explains all you need to know. Tanya also talks about a bungled handover to a new administrator that has left BAE Systems retirees suffering drastic cuts of up to 50% in their pensions. And Crane is on the Case, this time over a robot vacuum cleaner...

Jeremy Hunt had a spring in his step this week as he delivered his Budget. It was a considerably different air to the gloomy warning of trouble ahead in his November Autumn Statement. The headline act was a major shake-up of pension saving rules, removing restrictions that limit the amount that can go in without tax penalties. The lifetime allowance was abolished rather than raised, the annual allowance got a big bump, and rules to stop pension recycling were eased. Was this a bung for the rich shovelling cash into their pension - and doctors - or a move that will help many more young professional savers aspiring to a decent retirement, who may not realise the lifetime limit could be hit? Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Simon Lambert delve into the Budget and joining them to explain the pensions element is a special guest, This is Money's retirement columnist and ex-pensions minister Steve Webb. Also in the Budget was news on the economy, a ray of hope on energy bills, and a big expansion of free childcare... but it won't come in for some time. The team look at all those elements and more. And finally, as the Budget claimed the headlines something else was rumbling on: a mini-banking crisis sparked by the Sillicon Valley Bank collapse. What is going on there and should we be worried?

Adam Cox talks to Charlie de la Haye from Epson UK regarding new research revealing the UK’s ignorance when it comes to the cost of printer ink. Some believe that ink is more expensive than scorpion venom, (the world’s most expensive liquid), and some believe that it’s less expensive than champagne, when printer ink is much more expensive. With students heading back to university en masse at this time of year, it means that many students will either overspend on ink by up to a thousand pounds over a 3-year degree or potentially avoid printing essential work to keep costs down. They discuss how new printing technology could help students save a lot of money.

Saving, spending, planning — you've got money questions and we've got answers. Every week host Alison Southwick and personal finance expert Robert Brokamp challenge the conventional wisdom on life's biggest financial issues to reveal what you really need to know to make smart money moves. In this week's show, we're joined by Caitlin Zaloom, NYU professor and author of Indebted: How Families Make College Work at Any Cost. Her research explores the financial and moral conflicts Americans face when paying for college.

In any society there are ‘elite’ positions that command a high income and, more importantly, high status. Unsurprisingly, there is intense competition for these positions. But what happens when a society turns out more people qualified for these roles than the number of roles actually on offer? On this week’s podcast, the IEA’s Head of Education Dr Steve Davies discusses what he calls the ‘over-production of elites’ in society. The problem, he explains, is that elitism, unlike many things, is a zero-sum game – to be in the elite means you are not like 90 per cent or more of the population as a whole. As a result, the ever-increasing number of UK university graduates or American PHDs students leads to bitter resentment towards those with similar qualifications, who have managed to secure elite jobs. Steve talks about how elitism affects our views of a fair society, what it means for the concept of meritocracy, and how societies go about addressing perceived issues of unfairness.