The next term in the sequence $2, 7, 12, 17$ is $22$.

To determine the next term in this sequence, we first need to identify the underlying pattern. We can do this by examining the differences between consecutive terms. The difference between $7$ and $2$ is $5$, the difference between $12$ and $7$ is also $5$, and the difference between $17$ and $12$ is again $5$. This consistent difference indicates that the sequence increases by $5$ with each term.

Since we have established that this is an arithmetic sequence, characterized by a constant difference of $5$, we can find the next term by simply adding $5$ to the last term. The last term provided is $17$, so we calculate:

Thus, the next term in the sequence is $22$.

In general, an arithmetic sequence can be defined by the formula:

where $a_n$ represents the $n$th term, $a_1$ is the first term, $n$ is the term number, and $d$ is the common difference. For this particular sequence, we have $a_1 = 2$ and $d = 5$. Therefore, to find the $5$th term, we can substitute into the formula:

Understanding how to identify and extend arithmetic sequences is a fundamental skill in GCSE Maths, as it aids in solving various problems involving patterns and series.