Education & Training: A Year in Review
By Gail Fleming
We are currently in year two of the Inn’s five-year Education and Training Strategy (2024–29). Our strategic priorities are:
- Aspiring to excellence
- Supporting our members
- Valuing our volunteers
- Being innovative
- Being inclusive
- Collaborating with others
In the first academic year, our focus was on looking at what we do and evaluating whether it is having the intended impact. We had a valuable external review of the esteemed Pegasus Access and Support Scheme (PASS) for prospective barristers. The feedback was excellent, and we have taken forward some recommendations to develop the programme content further.
In 2024, we commissioned an independent review of our Bar Course scholarships. We continue to implement the recommendations; changes this year include the introduction of shortlisting applications and interviewing on circuit. You can read more about developments in this area in the article on page 63 from Master Saira Kabir Sheikh KC, Chair of the Scholarships and Outreach Committee.
This academic year, our focus has shifted slightly to how we can best support our members and volunteers while continuing to aspire to excellence.
Our Established Practitioner Programme has gone from strength to strength, with an outstanding flagship event in May 2026 on inquests and inquiries. A full write-up is included on page 77. In addition, we now have a series of events and webinars on a different theme each term. This year, our themes have been legal reform and human rights, understanding accounts and artificial intelligence and the Bar.
At the end of 2025, we launched our new monthly podcast series, designed to provide accessible and engaging information for those who have had a career break or are planning a move in their practice. All podcasts are available on major streaming channels, as well as YouTube.
Our digital educational offer to members extends beyond podcasts. At the end of 2024, we launched our refreshed Digital Learning Hub, hosted by the Inns of Court College of Advocacy. This year, we have moved to a standalone Hub, which we can tailor more specifically to our needs. We are extremely grateful to ICCA for all their help and support. The Hub is a key element of our Pupils’ and New Practitioners’ courses and will be extended to other programmes next year.
The number of student members at the Inn continues to grow year on year, with the biggest growth in the Midlands and the North. We are continually reviewing our provision to ensure it is accessible for all. One solution has been to host collaborative Qualifying Sessions with the other Inns. We continue to assess whether the timing and format of these sessions are optimal for our students on circuit.
We are always indebted to our volunteers, without whom the Inn’s Education and Training and scholarship programmes could not function. Towards the end of last year, we surveyed our volunteers to find out more about why they volunteer and how we could improve their experiences. It was perhaps not surprising to hear that members volunteer as part of the Bar’s strong culture of giving back to the profession. In addition, volunteering is considered to be enjoyable. We heard that our communications about volunteering could be better, so we launched a new volunteer registration form to gather better information about the types of volunteering activities individuals would like to assist with. To date, we have received over 1300 volunteer registrations, which is a testament to what a fabulous pool of volunteers we have. If you would like to sign up, you can access the form at www.innertemple.org.uk/membership-services-support/volunteering-opportunities.
In September 2025, the Bar Council published its review of Bullying and Harassment at the Bar led by Baroness Harriet Harman. It is a very concerning read, and there are actions for us all arising from this. Within the Inn, we have completed a programme of work to improve how we process and manage complaints. This includes the introduction of an anonymous reporting form, as we recognise that sometimes individuals do not feel confident to raise concerns but wish to share them. The four Inns have now also agreed a common set of principles for our Codes of Conduct, and as a result, our Code of Conduct is currently being refreshed. We will also shortly be developing an EDI refresher module reflecting the key points from Harman.
Finally, a few words on the Pegasus Scholarship Trust. We welcomed Master Penny Reed as the new Chair of the Trust in January 2026. We were also delighted to have secured new placements in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia in the last year, all of which are either now taking or ready to take barristers on placement. You can read more about some of the Pegasus scholars’ experiences on pages 84–88. Applications for the scheme are live every autumn.
The Inn said a sad farewell this summer to David Miller. David has worked at the Inn for over 15 years, most recently as Education Programme Manager (Established Practitioners). He will be greatly missed by both staff and members, and we wish him well in his new role at Goodenough College.
Gail Fleming
Director of Education