Education | LocalGov


Urgent need for teacher training amidst schools crisis 29/04/2025 The Government should provide £260m to fund a new 'national entitlement' to teacher training to help raise school standards, think tank says.
Council to pay family nearly £8k after education failure 03/04/2025 Oxfordshire County Council has agreed to pay £7,900 in compensation after council failures led to a child missing out on four terms of education.
Pupil violence costs South East councils £65k 02/04/2025 Councils in the South East paid £64,555 in compensation to staff injured during school violence from 2019/20 to 2023/24, an investigation has revealed.
Schools for pupils with SEND short by 8k places 28/03/2025 Department for Education figures have revealed that the shortage of places in special schools for secondary pupils in England worsened by 25% in 2023/24.
SEND deficits ‘ticking’ clock, CCN warns 20/03/2025 Council leaders have warned ‘unmanageable’ special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) deficits risk bankrupting half of England’s largest councils.
School absences up two-thirds since before pandemic 18/03/2025 Absences and suspensions from school are two-thirds higher than before the pandemic, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
New animation raises air quality awareness 17/03/2025 BCP Council is raising awareness of the dangers of air pollution among children across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole using the power of animation.
Call for higher education providers to better support care experienced 06/03/2025 Higher education providers have been urged to work closely with local authorities to ensure people who have experienced children's social care are supported.
Tameside children waiting too long for care reviews 27/02/2025 Tameside Council is taking too long to review children’s education, health and care (EHC) plans, an investigation has found.
Children in prison failed by ‘multiple services’ 27/02/2025 Children in prison have been failed by ‘multiple services’ and youth custody worsens their disadvantages, according to the Children’s Commissioner.
Report reveals SEND ‘blind spots’ 11/02/2025 Research into the provision of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support in England has highlighted ‘inequalities’ and ‘blind spots.’
Council pays family £2,600 over missed education 04/02/2025 Wokingham Borough Council has been ordered to pay a mother £2,600 after it failed to meet her son’s special educational needs.
Council chiefs welcome Ofsted’s focus on inclusion 03/02/2025 Local authority leaders have welcomed Ofsted’s greater focus on inclusion as part of the proposed overhaul of how schools are inspected.
‘More work to do’, councillor responds to SEND petition 29/01/2025 Nottinghamshire County Council’s cabinet member for education and SEND, Cllr Ben Bradle, has acknowledged there is ‘more to do’ on SEND provision.
Parents take council to court over SEN funding 29/01/2025 Two sets of parents are taking Devon County Council to High court, arguing the council has agreed to make cuts to special educational needs (SEN) services.
Somerset fails to act on Ombudsman recommendations 22/01/2025 Somerset Council has been criticised for failing to act on an ombudsman’s recommendations to meet a young person’s needs.
Council bureaucracy meant child missed months of school 22/01/2025 A child went months without education because of Trafford Council’s unnecessary delays, an investigation has found.
Number of school children receiving SEN support surges 40% 21/01/2025 The number of British school children receiving support for special educational needs (SEN) has surged by 40% since 2016-2017, a new study has revealed.
Special educational needs statutory override is 'abomination' 10/01/2025 Accountancy alone will not be enough to end the ‘abomination' of statutory overrides for special educational needs (SEN) budgets, a minister has said.
Council takes steps to tackle toilet training crisis 08/01/2025 Teachers in the Welsh county of Blaenau Gwent will no longer change pupils who have wet or soiled themselves, according to the local authority.
Schools face ‘death by a thousand cuts’, union says 08/01/2025 Headteachers have warned that schools and colleges will be forced to make cuts if costs continue to outstrip the growth in school funding.
Landmark Bill to introduce ‘children not in school’ registers 17/12/2024 Council chiefs welcome Bill that could bring in new registers to identify children who are not in school but say it should go further to ensure child safety.
Newcastle to auto-enrol pupils for free school meals 10/12/2024 Eligible families in Newcastle will be automatically signed up to receive free school meals, the city council has announced.
Councils' SEND deficits ‘could reach absurd levels’ 09/12/2024 Local authority deficits for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision ‘could easily reach absurd levels’ without widespread reform, a think-tank has warned.
Devon proposes £21,000 charge for school exclusions 09/12/2024 Devon County Council has put forward plans to charge schools £21,000 for every child they exclude.
Children eligible for free school meals twice as likely to be absent 03/12/2024 A think-tank has warned that the costs of going to school are a barrier to regular attendance for some children from low-income families.
Summer riots linked to ‘torn social fabric’ 03/12/2024 The majority of towns that saw rioting over the summer after the stabbing attack in Southport have a ‘torn social fabric’, a charitable trust has said.
Cambs in bid to rescue £49m funding deal 26/11/2024 Cambridgeshire County Council has drawn up a new special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) strategy after failing to meet the terms of a funding agreement with the Government.
MPs sound alarm on SEND deficits 20/11/2024 Deficits in SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) budgets are among the top concerns for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Youth club closures led to more crime, report finds 12/11/2024 Youth club closures between 2010 and 2019 led to higher rates of crime and worse educational outcomes, a report has found.
Biggest barrier to inclusive education is lack of funding, report finds 05/11/2024 Schools in the capital must become ‘genuinely inclusive’ to improve outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a new report has argued.
More than £1bn to be invested in ‘crumbling’ schools 28/10/2024 The Government has confirmed that £1.4bn will be allocated in the Budget to rebuild ‘crumbling’ schools.
NAO: Councils face bankruptcy due to SEND deficits 24/10/2024 Two-fifths of councils will face the threat of bankruptcy if more is not done to tackle the £4.6bn special educational needs (SEN) deficit, watchdog warns.
Education Secretary announces review of 44 free schools 23/10/2024 Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced a review of the funding awarded by the previous Government to open 44 new free schools.
School attendance scheme gets £15m boost 10/10/2024 The Government is set to spend £15m expanding an attendance mentoring scheme to 10,000 more children in England.
Lack of support leaves two-fifths of parents to teach their disabled child 03/10/2024 Some 200,000 children are being failed by England’s special educational needs system as their parents fight to get the right support, according to new research.
Council drops all-Gaelic school plan 26/09/2024 Argyll and Bute councillors have decided to drop plans for a Gaelic language and culture school following a close-run public consultation.
Labour pledges £15m to support 300 new nurseries 26/09/2024 Three hundred nurseries will be opened by next September to help address the rising demand for childcare, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announces.
Council SEND spending up 70% 16/09/2024 Local authority spending on children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has risen from £6.9bn to £12bn since 2018/19, new analysis reveals.
‘Shocking lack of urgency’ to trace children missing from education 10/09/2024 More than 11,500 children in England went missing from education within a year, the children’s commissioner has found.
Glasgow faces legal action over education cuts 15/08/2024 Parents have begun legal action over ‘drastic cuts’ to education services in Glasgow City Council’s budget.
Landmark report finds SEND system ‘broken’ 25/07/2024 Major reforms introduced a decade ago have failed to improve educational outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a report has found.
$Skills England to fix ‘fractured’ skills landscape image$ Skills England to fix ‘fractured’ skills landscape 22/07/2024 A new body will tackle the ‘fractured’ skills landscape across England, the Prime Minister and education secretary have announced.
Six tips to improve public services in the UK 15/07/2024 From social care and schools to bins and the criminal justice system, public services touch the lives of everyone. Here are six tips for improving them.
Council offers to brief Farage on SEND pressures 09/07/2024 Essex CC has offered to brief Nigel Farage MP on special educational needs and disabilities issues after the Reform UK leader criticised the council.
Councils face £1bn SEND shortfall 18/06/2024 Local authorities in England are facing a critical shortfall of almost £1bn in special needs budgets this year, new research has found.
Councils looking after record 576k children with SEND 13/06/2024 Local authorities are looking after record numbers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), council chiefs warn.
Autism care plans in North Yorkshire rise by almost 400% 31/05/2024 The number of children and young people in North Yorkshire who have autism as a primary need on their care plan has risen by 387% since 2015.
Hull rolls out tool to tackle school absence 24/05/2024 Hull City Council is providing schools with an early intervention tool aimed to boosting pupil attendance.
Safeguarding panel calls for register of home-educated children 15/05/2024 An expert child safeguarding panel has joined calls for a statutory register of children who are electively home educated.
What do safety valve agreements mean for children with SEND? 14/05/2024 Catriona Moore, policy manager at SEND legal advice charity IPSEA, looks at the impact of safety valve agreements on local SEND provision.
SEND experience in Bury has been ‘poor for too long’ 09/05/2024 Ofsted has found ‘widespread and/or systemic failings’, its lowest rating, in Bury’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision.
£101m boost for new music hubs 08/05/2024 A ‘new generation’ of music hubs will receive £101m to provide music education to young people across England.
Schools in disrepair due to funding ‘failure’, union warns 29/04/2024 More than four-fifths of headteachers (83%) have said they do not have enough money to maintain their school buildings.
Two-fifths of children face barriers to education 26/04/2024 Millions of pupils are struggling to learn because of unstable family environments, mental health challenges and poor attendance, a major children’s charity has warned.
Council rejects MP’s ‘inaccurate’ funding claim 26/04/2024 Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins has accused Derbyshire County Council of leaving unspent millions of pounds for school spaces for children with special needs.
What is a metro mayor? 25/04/2024 A metro mayor is directly elected by local people to oversee a region’s combined authority.
Council pays family £8k over failure to educate child 25/04/2024 Suffolk County Council left a young girl with special educational needs with no education for a year and a half, an ombudsman has found.
One-word Ofsted judgements to be retained 25/04/2024 The controversial one-word Ofsted judgements for schools are here to stay despite criticism after the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry.
Teacher vacancies rise in almost nine in 10 local authorities 19/04/2024 Teacher vacancies have increased in 86% of English local authority areas since 2010, according to analysis by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
Increasing number of Coventry children not in school 17/04/2024 A growing number of children in Coventry are not going to primary school due to their parents' reluctance to accept places that have been offered.
Academy trusts have higher staff turnover than council schools 16/04/2024 Multi-academy trusts (MATs) have ‘higher’ annual turnover of classroom teachers at secondary level than council-maintained schools, according to a new study.
Schools face losing over £1bn, think tank warns 11/04/2024 A decline in the number of school-age children could lead to schools losing over £1bn in funding by 2030, education experts warn.
IFS: £2.5bn Sure Start delivered ‘substantial benefits’ 09/04/2024 Children eligible for free school meals who grew up near a Sure Start centre performed up to three grades better at GCSEs than those further away, IFS finds.
Essex council agrees to rethink alternative education changes 04/04/2024 Essex CC agrees to investigate why changes to its alternative education provision for children who are unable to attend school have not improved the service.
Union criticises Government’s ‘shameful’ SEND support 04/04/2024 Teachers and support staff are ‘losing faith’ in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system due to inadequate resources, a union has warned.
Bristol SEND services get £54m bailout 25/03/2024 Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services in Bristol are to receive a nearly £54m bailout, the Government has confirmed.
Young carers penalised by unfair ‘21 hour rule’ 18/03/2024 Young carers who are dependent on Government support are unfairly penalised by the benefits system, a coalition of civil society organisations says.
Budget: Boost for preventative services 06/03/2024 Funding for preventative services has been announced as part of the Spring Budget in an attempt to relieve local government’s demand pressures.
Absence fines without tackling causes 'will not work' 29/02/2024 Plans to boost school attendance do not address the wider factors that contribute to persistent absence, a think-tank and council bosses have warned.
Over 10,000 children missing from education system 22/02/2024 Local authorities in England have no idea what has happened to over 10,000 children who have left state education.
Sharp increase in home schooling, survey shows 16/02/2024 A survey of councils in the south of England shows a sharp rise in the number of children being educated at home.
School leaders call for Ofsted exemption due to RAAC 07/02/2024 School leaders have called for all schools impacted by the dangerous concrete scandal to be exempt from Ofsted inspections until they are ‘fully operational’.
New £4.9m bonus scheme amid childcare expansion concerns 02/02/2024 The Government has launched a recruitment drive ahead of its free childcare expansion, but a major early years organisation has warned it will do little to boost staff numbers before rollout.
Children with SEND impacted by psychologist shortage 31/01/2024 The lives of children with SEND are being negatively affected by the shortage of educational psychologists, the local government ombudsman has warned.
Divided education system ‘unsustainable’, think tank warns 30/01/2024 An education system divided between academies and council-maintained schools has become ‘undesirable and unsustainable’, according to an education think tank.
Schools face ‘impossible choices’ as demand drops 29/01/2024 Falling demand for school places across London will have major implications for the future of education provision in the capital, a new report says.
North Northants fined £1,500 after girl misses school 26/01/2024 The leader of North Northamptonshire Council has apologised to the family of a girl who missed part of her education because of her health.
Devon and Torbay devolution deal announced 25/01/2024 Devon County Council and Torbay Council are set to enter a level 2 devolution deal with the Government.
Pupils leaving RAAC schools, heads warn 25/01/2024 Students are increasingly being taken out of schools that are affected by a crumbly form of concrete, headteachers have warned.
Council concerned about Dyson’s £6m school donation 23/01/2024 Wiltshire Council has raised concerns about the impact of a £6m donation to a local school by billionaire inventor Sir James Dyson.
Schools blunder to cost council £60m 18/01/2024 A report has found that Renfrewshire Council, whose ‘gross incompetence’ left a community short of hundreds of school places, has again failed to be transparent with residents on school provision.
New £1.5m package to support school leaders launched 15/01/2024 The Government has announced a new £1.5m package to help support the mental health and wellbeing of school and college leaders.
Council slammed over complaints response 11/01/2024 A watchdog has been ‘compelled’ to publicly highlight Bury Council’s failures after the authority took too long to remedy complaints.
Labour outlines plans to boost attendance 09/01/2024 Local authorities would be required to keep a register of all children not in school under a Labour government, the shadow education secretary announced today.
Nine million adults lack essential skills 03/01/2024 Nine million adults lack essential skills with skill level disparities within local areas far exceeding those between local and combined authorities.
Half of teachers work with homeless children 22/12/2023 The ‘nightmare of child homelessness’ is damaging children’s education as they suffer exhaustion, hunger and poor mental health, Shelter has warned.
Unions call for school inspections to be suspended 21/12/2023 School inspections must be suspended until Ofsted implements recommendations to reform the system following the death of head teacher Ruth Perry, unions say.
Oxfordshire publishes SEND ‘action plan’ 19/12/2023 Oxfordshire County Council has published an ‘action plan’ for improving care for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
£450k to kick-start library transformation 30/11/2023 A Manchester library has been awarded £453,964 to transform its Grade II Listed building and preserve its historic collections.
'Critical' to maintain progress, Dundee told 30/11/2023 A finance watchdog has said Dundee City Council is ‘well-run’ but ‘long-standing difficulties remain’ to be tackled in its improvement journey.
Blackpool Council welcomes new £65m campus plan 29/11/2023 A plan for a multi-million-pound campus in Blackpool has been submitted, in what the council has described as a ‘game changing’ addition to the town centre.
Plan for schools needs local government ‘at its heart’ 29/11/2023 England’s children’s services chiefs have set out a future vision to fix an ‘incoherent and fragmented’ education system.
School support staff paying for pupils’ essentials 24/11/2023 The cost-of-living crisis is forcing school support staff to use their own money to help pay for pupils’ food and clothing, union reveals.
MPs slam ‘beyond unacceptable’ condition of schools 20/11/2023 Thousands of children are learning in potentially unsafe buildings, with MPs ‘extremely concerned’ about the Department for Education’s understanding of the risks, a new report says.
Councils hit by improvement notices 20/11/2023 Oldham MBC and Oxfordshire CC have received improvement notices for their services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Public support more focus on poor health causes 02/10/2023 The Government should invest more in public health to address the roots of poor health, according to a poll for the charity Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).
One in 20 children sleeping on the floor, survey finds 29/09/2023 More than a million British children may be sleeping on the floor or having to share beds, a children’s charity has found.
MPs call for SEND support to tackle school absences 27/09/2023 MPs have called for more support for pupils with special educational needs (SEND) to tackle school absences and a consistent approach to the issuing of fines.
Unions call for £4bn investment in school estate 26/09/2023 In response to the RAAC crisis, trade unions have written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging him to invest £4.4bn per year to improve the school estate.