Schools Week have provided a useful summary of what's in the Chancellor's autumn budget for education. Here is the link.
Category: General
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).
The Well Check
Youth Support Trust's Well Schools provides a free-to-access self-review tool and get a tailored development plan to help you on your journey to becoming a Well School. You can access it, and other resources, on their website, here.
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) Annual Report
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) Annual Report looks at the state of education in England, with a focus on the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. EPI’s 2025 Annual Report considers the attainment of vulnerable groups of students at the ages of 5, 11, 16 and by 18. The report analyses attainment gaps based … Continue reading The Education Policy Institute (EPI) Annual Report
National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
Baroness Casey's audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) ('grooming gangs') was published on 16 June. The scale, nature and characteristics of group-based CSEA are discussed with descripition of the drivers of this type of offending, including the role of ethnicity and culture, plus the response to group-based CSEA at local and national … Continue reading National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
How does the Spending Review affect education?
The BBC have produced a summary of the impacts of the recent government spending review, including how education is affected. You can find their summary here.
Forthcoming governor training from Derbyshire Services for Schools
Here are the upcoming training opportunities from Derbsyhire Services for Schools (S4S) - these are all courses that are either specifically aimed at governors, or where governors might find them useful. The Safer Recruitment courses are all in-person events and offered at different venues. AI Compliance (2 Jun 2025 15:30 - 17:00, online) School Complaints … Continue reading Forthcoming governor training from Derbyshire Services for Schools