Findings from NGA’s annual governance survey reveal an education system under growing strain. Supporting pupils with SEND has seen the steepest rise as the top challenge for governing boards across England (cited by 63% of respondents) and is accompanied by sharp increases in SEND-related pressures such as difficulties accessing funding and securing education, health and … Continue reading NGA publishes policy paper on SEND
Category: General
Access to early SEND support through Best Start Family Hubs
Best Start Family Hubs are part of the governmenta's new Child Poverty Strategy (see this post for more on that). Best Start Family Hubs are to act as a one-stop-shop for parents to access SEND professional and services to support speech and language development. As part of the government’s pledge to roll out Best Start … Continue reading Access to early SEND support through Best Start Family Hubs
Child Poverty Strategy
The government has published its long awaited Child Poverty Strategy, which can be found on their website here. The strategy sets out the steps they are taking to reduce child poverty in the short term, as well as putting in place the building blocks needed to change the course we’re on and create long-term change. … Continue reading Child Poverty Strategy
The rise of deepfake pornography in schools
This Guardian article highlights the growing problem of deepfake pornography in schools, noting that the use of ‘nudify’ apps is becoming more and more prevalent, with hundreds of teachers having seen images created by pupils, often of their peers. They report that a new poll of 4,300 secondary school teachers in England, carried out by … Continue reading The rise of deepfake pornography in schools
The Importance of Local Education Partnerships
A new Area-based Education Partnership Alliance (AEPA) report – Belonging and Excellence: The Importance of Local Education Partnerships - describes how place-based, school-led partnerships are reconnecting schools, academies and communities to deliver improvement, inclusion and belonging. You can download it here.
Budget 2025: Everything schools need to know
Schools Week have provided a useful summary of what's in the Chancellor's autumn budget for education. Here is the link.
Therapists warn of dangers as children turn to AI for mental health advice
A survey from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) reveals that more than a third (38%) of therapists working with under 18s have clients seeking mental health guidance from AI platforms and that nearly one in five therapists (19%) reported children receiving harmful mental health advice from AI. The Mindometer survey, which gathered … Continue reading Therapists warn of dangers as children turn to AI for mental health advice
Schools and colleges: apply for the condition improvement fund
The condition improvement fund (CIF) The condition improvement fund (CIF) is capital funding which keeps school and college buildings in good working order or supports a specific expansion projects that meet the criteria. Applications are now open for funding for 2026 to 2027. You must apply by midday on 16 December 2025. Funding is available … Continue reading Schools and colleges: apply for the condition improvement fund
Pupil numbers and school finances
A blog post from NFER looks at the potential impact on school finances of the projected falls in pupil numbers. The Department for Education forecasts primary pupil numbers will fall by five per cent (ca. 185,000 pupils) between January 2025 and 2028, with a further drop of approximately 115,000 pupils expected from January 2028 and … Continue reading Pupil numbers and school finances
Children in need: 2024 to 2025
The government's annual release containing statistics on children in need in England and referrals to and assessments completed by children’s social care services. You can read it here.
The Wealth Gap
A new report from the Fairness Foundation looks at the impact of the wealth gap across a wide range of societal factors. One of the findings is that it leads to unfair inequalities in children's mental health and wellbeing. The report notes that wealthier families may be able to provide more enriching experiences, live in … Continue reading The Wealth Gap
Additional inequalities holding more girls back from sport
New data from the Youth Sport Trust’s annual Girls Active Survey has found that girls with multiple characteristics of inequality are being left behind in PE and school sport. The survey reveals that girls with two or more characteristics of inequality, such as being from a low-income family, a non-majority ethnicity, or having Special Educational … Continue reading Additional inequalities holding more girls back from sport
Double Disadvantage?
"Double Disadvantage?" is the title of a new report from the Sutton Trust focussing on support for children with SEND. It concludes that The number of children with SEND is growing. Since 2014, the rate of growth has been faster for children not eligible for free school meals (FSM) in many categories of SEND, with … Continue reading Double Disadvantage?
What is the effect of the two-child limit on children’s school readiness?
A new report from The Institute for Fiscal Studies looks at the impact of the so-called "two-child limit" on child benefits. It shows that despite the average loss in benefit income for the child from the policy was an average of £10,200 over the first five years of the third or subsequent child’s life, there … Continue reading What is the effect of the two-child limit on children’s school readiness?
Edurio Parent Experience Report 2025
Edurio have published their new Parent Experience Report for 2025. It brings together feedback from more than 72,000 parents in the 2024/2025 academic year. It offers a three-year perspective on how communication, engagement, and trust in schools have shifted over time. You can download it from their website here (required fee registration).
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