Autistic Dorset boy left for two years without school
07/07/2022 Dorset Council to reform the way it provides alternative education for children, after a boy with special educational needs missed out on two years of school. |
Children are being ‘robbed of their potential’, Ombudsman warns
07/07/2022 Children are missing out on vital education because some councils are failing to provide them with schooling alternatives, according to a new report. |
Joint £82m investment to speed up rural broadband for schools
01/07/2022 Hundreds of thousands of pupils living in the countryside are set to benefit from better digital connections, the Government has announced. |
Campaigners call for ’20-minute neighbourhoods’ to cut emissions
28/06/2022 All new homes should be within 10 minutes’ walk from shops and schools if the UK is to reduce its carbon emissions, sustainable transport campaigners say. |
Welsh councils launch new armed forces status
27/06/2022 Schools in Wales that go the extra mile to support service children are to be recognised by a new status awarded by their local authority, WLGA announces. |
Welsh council and DVLA join together to recycle IT equipment
21/06/2022 Swansea has become the first council to receive donated laptops from the DVLA as part of a new partnership. |
One in four children persistently absent from school, study reveals
15/06/2022 The Government needs to ensure that councils have enough funding and powers to help ensure that all children are able to access education, council chiefs say. |
Nearly two million pupils eligible for free school meals
10/06/2022 The number of children eligible for free school meals in England has risen again in the past year, new figures have shown. |
Local authorities to bid for funding for 75 new free schools
10/06/2022 Up to 75 new free schools - including sixth forms, specialist schools and alternative provision - will be created across England. |
Mental health support in schools to get £7m boost
12/05/2022 The Department for Education today announced a further £7m for schools and colleges to train a senior mental health lead. |
Queen's Speech: New measures to raise education standards
10/05/2022 Local authorities will have a new duty to provide support to home-schooling families under new measures to reform education. |
Council-maintained schools perform better than academies, report finds
10/05/2022 Schools that stay with their council are more likely to perform better than those that convert to an academy, a new report has found. |
Councils and schools urged to help Ukrainian refugees integrate
05/05/2022 Local authorities and schools have been urged to help Ukrainian children arriving in the UK as refugees to integrate into their adopted communities. |
Commission calls for end to school ‘exclusions culture’
29/04/2022 The rise in the number of exclusions from schools leads to teenagers being put at risk of exploitation and serious violence, new report warns. |
Council apologises after vulnerable boy goes 14 months without education
28/04/2022 Cambridgeshire County Council has apologised after a vulnerable boy was left without education for over a year. |
Ofsted to increase focus on early years education
26/04/2022 The schools watchdog will increase its focus on early years education over the next five years as part of the effort to help children impacted by the pandemic. |
Council awarded £1.3m in damages over leaky roof
07/04/2022 An adjudicator has awarded £1.3m in damages to Wakefield Council following long standing issues with the design of an academy. |
Solar panels to be installed on public buildings in Wales
05/04/2022 Public buildings in Wales are set to have solar panels installed as part of the Welsh government’s efforts to promote community owned renewable energy. |
Councils to be allowed to set up multi-academy trusts
28/03/2022 Local authority leaders have welcomed the Government’s plan to allow councils to set up and run their own multi-academy trusts. |
Fuel prices hit school transport services
25/03/2022 Spiralling fuel costs are impacting school transport services, with councils set to have to pay providers more or face pupils unable to access free transport. |
All schools in England to have high speed internet by 2025
24/03/2022 Every school in England will have access to high speed internet by 2025, the education secretary has announced. |
Around 50% of children not ready to start school
10/03/2022 Almost half of all children are not ready to start school, a national survey has revealed. |
Councils do not know how many children there are in England, survey reveals
09/03/2022 Councils do not know how many children there are in England nor of how many children are not receiving education, says Children’s Commissioner. |
Extra £4.7bn for schools unlikely to cover cost pressures
04/03/2022 Government ‘has little assurance’ the £4.7bn committed to schools in the 2021 spending review will cover the cost pressures that schools are facing, PAC warns. |
Charity warns of lack of accountability in adoption funding
03/03/2022 A charity has urged the Government to improve the use of funds allocated to support adopted children in England’s schools. |
Children still not safe from sexual abuse in schools, inquiry finds
01/03/2022 Children are not as safe as they should be from sexual abuse in residential schools, a damning new report has warned today. |
Storm Eunice forces councils to close services
18/02/2022 Councils across the UK have been forced to suspend public services, close schools and provide emergency help for rough sleepers due to Storm Eunice. |
DfE welcomes improvements in children’s well-being
08/02/2022 Children’s well-being in 2021 saw improvements when compared to the year before, but research suggests there was a decline over the decade before the pandemic. |
Launch of new register for children not in school
03/02/2022 Council leaders have welcomed plans to create a national register of children not in school. |
Move to improve outcomes in 55 education investment areas
01/02/2022 Education investment areas will be set in areas of the country where school outcomes are the weakest as part of the Government's levelling up agenda. |
Severe school absence 'spreading like wildfire' report warns
31/01/2022 Thousands more children have become severely absent from school since the pandemic, with nearly 800 schools missing entire classes of children a think tank has warned. |
New measures to end 'postcode lottery' of school attendance
26/01/2022 All local authorities will be required to issue fines for unauthorised school absences under new measures unveiled by the Government. |
Abused school pupils threaten council with legal action
25/01/2022 Former pupils of a council-run school are considering legal action against Lincolnshire County Council after two former staff members were convicted of abuse. |
School leaders warn of ‘logistical difficulties’ due to COVID absences
05/01/2022 School leaders have warned of ‘logistical difficulties’ after the education secretary recommended combining classes to deal with workforce shortages. |
School leaders warn GCSEs and A-Levels could be at risk
21/12/2021 School leaders are preparing for the possibility that exams and assessments might be disrupted next year as a result of Omicron. |
Former teachers urged to return to ‘protect face-to-face’ education
20/12/2021 The Government is asking former teachers to return to the classroom to sign up from today in anticipation of staff shortages due to Omicron. |
School cuts without precedent in ‘post-war UK history’
17/12/2021 School leaders have welcomed the Government’s confirmation of £4bn of funding but warn this ‘falls well short’ of what schools need to make up for past cuts. |
Schools show improvement despite pandemic, Ofsted finds
13/12/2021 Schools across the UK have shown signs of improvement despite the impact of the pandemic, school inspectors say. |
Spielman: No silver bullet for children's social care
07/12/2021 Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman has warned there is no ‘silver bullet’ to the long-term problems in the children’s social care sector. |
Taskforces to support young people in serious violence 'hotspots'
03/12/2021 The Government is deploying 10 special taskforces to help stop vulnerable young people becoming involved in county lines and criminal activity. |
Experts to help local authorities to reduce pupil absence
26/11/2021 New attendance advisors are set to work with local authorities and multi-academy trusts to reduce pupil absence. |
Majority of schools ‘financially sustainable’ despite pressures
25/11/2021 The financial health of the school system has held up well in recent years despite funding pressures which have led to staffing cuts and changes to special educational needs provision. |
Directors report rise in the number of children receiving home education
24/11/2021 The number of children being home schooled has increased by 7% in the past year, according to new research. |
Ofsted to inspect all schools by summer 2025
17/11/2021 All schools and colleges will be inspected by Ofsted by summer 2025 to determine how education is recovering from the pandemic. |
Government confirms £1m fund to tackle bullying
16/11/2021 Thousands of schools in England are set to benefit from further support and training to help pupils combat bullying, the Government today announced. |
Extending school day is not the 'silver bullet' for education catch up
03/11/2021 Lengthening the school day by 30 minutes would cost £2.7bn a year and there is 'insufficient evidence' it would improve results, a report has said today. |
Three local authorities get extra COVID support
01/11/2021 Extra support is being given to three local authorities in the East of England to help tackle the rise in COVID-19 cases. |
Half a million more disadvantaged children to receive new laptops and tablets
22/10/2021 Up to half a million more disadvantaged children and young people in England will receive new laptops and tablets to provide access education and support. |
More than £13bn needed to make up for lost learning, latest figures show
21/10/2021 A £13.5bn cash injection is needed over the next three years to help pupils recover from lost learning, new analysis has revealed. |
EXCLUSIVE: Employers dig in as they refuse to reopen pay talks
19/10/2021 Council employers have dug in to defend their ‘full and final’ pay offer despite warnings that months of disruption could lie ahead. |
Sunak urged to tackle backlogs in public services or face greater costs
19/10/2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak must swiftly invest in public services hit hardest by the pandemic or face much greater costs down the line, a report has warned. |
Now is the time to support, inspire and empower our youth in addressing climate change
19/10/2021 David Ingham explains why the Pod (Wastebuster’s free school environmental education and campaign programme) and The Energy Saving Trust Foundation have joined forces in the run-up to COP26, to provide free support for schools and their students. |
Schools ‘propping up a failing welfare state’
15/10/2021 A 'failing' welfare system is forcing families to rely on schools for basic needs such as access to food, academics have said in a new report. |
Councils call for £100m investment in school counselling
15/10/2021 The Government has been urged to invest at least £100m per year to make school-based counselling available to all children. |
Unions call for stronger COVID safety measures in schools
11/10/2021 Five education unions are urging local authorities to consider reintroducing safety measures to tackle rising COVID-19 cases in schools. |
Calls to roll out 'no referral’ early support hubs
06/10/2021 Councils are calling for the creation of early support hubs to allow young people to access mental health support without a referral. |
Scottish teachers declare formal dispute over ‘sub-inflationary’ pay offer
01/10/2021 Teachers in Scotland have declared a formal dispute over what they describe as a ‘sub-inflationary’ pay offer. |
County warns fuel crisis hitting school transport services
29/09/2021 School transport services are being affected by the fuel crisis and shortage of drivers, a county council has warned. |
Free 'Glasses in Classes' to boost literacy
23/09/2021 Thousands of children will receive two pairs of free glasses as part of a trial to improve literacy. |
Schools forced to make cuts due to Government’s ‘failure to invest’
08/09/2021 School leaders have warned that school children are suffering from chronic underfunding by the Government. |
Government commits £5m to help councils resettle Afghan refugees
01/09/2021 Local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland will receive £5m to help fund the resettlement of refugees who are fleeing the Taliban. |
SEND children being left behind by council
31/08/2021 Children with special educational needs are being left behind by council services across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, inspectors have found. |
Schools to receive £25m for CO2 monitors
23/08/2021 All state-funded schools are to receive carbon dioxide monitors from September to help tackle COVID-19, the Government has announced. |
Unions call for better ventilation in schools to reduce COVID disruption
17/08/2021 Education unions have written to Gavin Williamson urging the Government to take action to improve ventilation in schools to reduce further COVID disruption. |
Teachers tell Williamson to end ‘fixation’ with banning mobiles
17/08/2021 School and college leaders have called on the education secretary to end what they describe as his ‘fixation’ with banning mobile phones in classrooms. |
Over three million children exposed to ‘dangerous’ levels of air pollution
16/08/2021 More than 3.1 million children across England are going to schools in areas exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) limits on PM2.5, City Hall has revealed. |
COVID-19 measures ‘reduced the risk of infection in school’, data shows
12/08/2021 Special measures put in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections in schools have proven to be effective, new data suggests. |
Second round of schools rebuilding programme announced
19/07/2021 A further 50 schools have been confirmed for the second round of the Prime Minister’s rebuilding programme. |
Free breakfast club for low-income families extended for two years
12/07/2021 Thousands more children in disadvantaged areas in England will benefit from free breakfasts at school, the Government has announced. |
Council leader warns self-isolating pupils risk being ‘left behind’
05/07/2021 The leader of Oldham Council has called on the Government to urgently review the approach to self-isolation to address the increasing number of children missing vital time in school. |
Funding formula has shifted money from most deprived schools, watchdog warns
02/07/2021 Funding for deprived schools has shifted towards more wealthier schools, the public spending watchdog has warned today. |
Ofsted publishes new guidance for confronting sexual abuse
29/06/2021 Ofsted has published updated education inspection handbooks, clarifying how inspectors will assess how schools and colleges confront sexual harassment, abuse and violence among children and young people. |
Nearly 100,000 pupils 'severely absent' from school
28/06/2021 Nearly 100,000 pupils did not return to school full-time when they opened after the first wave of restrictions, a new report has revealed. |
More than a thousand school buildings to share £483m investment
23/06/2021 Schools in the North East and North West will receive the biggest share of funding to improve school buildings. |
Government announces £16m for virtual school heads programme
17/06/2021 The Government today announced that more than £16m is now available to councils to ensure there is a local champion for children with a social worker in every local authority in England. |
Millions of children attend schools with toxic air, campaigners warn
17/06/2021 Millions of children go to schools where air pollution is above World Health Organization (WHO) limits, new data reveals. |
Government announces £220m fund to support children in school holidays
16/06/2021 Parents are being urged to sign up to a Government programme which aims to ensure children have access to healthy food and activities during the school holidays. |
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award gets £3.4m boost
14/06/2021 The Department for Education has announced a £3.4m funding boost for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in order to help more young people access volunteering and extra-curricular learning. |
Sexual harassment ‘normalised’ for children, Ofsted warns
10/06/2021 Sexual harassment, including online sexual abuse, has become ‘normalised’ for children and young people, Ofsted has found. |
Education recovery tsar resigns over lack of funding
03/06/2021 Sir Kevan Collins has resigned as the Government’s education recovery commissioner after warning the support announced ‘falls far short of what is needed’. |
Government publishes next phase of school catch-up plan
02/06/2021 The Government has pledged to provide up to 100 million hours of free tuition for children and young people across England. |
Making marginal gains
25/05/2021 Ian Nicol explains how making a small change can make a significant difference when it comes to reducing carbon emissions. |
Pandemic has increased attendance inequalities in schools, study finds
25/05/2021 Disadvantaged pupils are the least likely to return to school after lockdown, a new study has revealed. |
Schools to lose £118m for poorer pupils, council chiefs warn
21/05/2021 Funding changes this year could see schools in England lose £118m for disadvantaged pupils, council leaders have warned today. |
Construction of £23m council-funded school for SEND students complete
17/05/2021 Somerset CC has announced that construction has finished on Polden Bower School, a brand new £23m council-funded school for students with complex needs. |
Council chiefs call for review of SEND system to be completed ‘urgently’
14/05/2021 Council leaders have called on Government to ‘urgently complete’ its review of the SEND system and to ensure councils have funding to support SEND children. |
Government told to reconsider plans to stop face mask requirement in school
05/05/2021 Scientists have joined with unions, parents and students to urge Government to reconsider plans to stop requiring children to wear face coverings at school. |
One in three head teachers warn funding for poorer pupils is plugging budget gaps
29/04/2021 A third of head teachers are using funding meant to support disadvantaged pupils to plug general budget gaps, a new survey has revealed. |
Schools given 'try before you buy' offer to become academies
28/04/2021 Schools will be given a 'try before you buy' option to encourage them to leave council control and become part of an academy trust, the education secretary announced today. |
Labour outlines plans for 'catch-up' breakfast clubs
28/04/2021 Labour has urged the Government to launch universal catch-up breakfast clubs to help children bounce back from the pandemic. |
Summer schools programme opens for bids
27/04/2021 Schools are being encouraged to bid for a share of £200m to offer summer schools to help children recover lost learning. |
Schools to share £1.8bn for building repairs
27/04/2021 Funding to repair and maintain schools in England has increased by 20% this year to almost £1.8bn. |
Study to track long-term impact of COVID-19 on year 11 students
26/04/2021 A new study to track the pandemic’s long-term effects on year 11 students in England - particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds - has been launched. |
Charity calls for reform of public sector food sourcing standards
21/04/2021 A charity is calling for a major overhaul of public sector food sourcing standards to protect school children and hospital patients from being served a low welfare menu. |
More children worried about pollution near schools
19/04/2021 Nearly half of children in the UK are worried about air pollution near their school - up from 39% in 2018 - a new survey has revealed. |
Children's Laureate calls for £100m ring-fenced school library fund
13/04/2021 Waterstones Children's Laureate has written an open letter to the Prime Minister calling for a £100m yearly ring-fenced fund for primary schools libraries. |
Ofsted to visit schools facing sexual abuse allegations
08/04/2021 Ofsted has announced it will visit a sample of schools and colleges in England where sexual abuse claims have been made. |
Summer school guidance published
31/03/2021 New guidance for secondary schools to help progress plans for summer schools once they return from the Easter break has been published. |
Schools and hospitals face 'serious disruptions' as PFI contracts end
19/03/2021 Vital public assets such as roads, schools and hospitals will face 'serious disruption' if Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts expire without a plan in place, MPs have warned today. |
Seven million children return to school
17/03/2021 Over seven million children were back in schools and colleges last week as part of the first step in the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown. |
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.