Schools in England to get budget for children with special needs as part of Send overhaul

Children to get individual support directly from school instead of via council in attempt to curb spiralling costs

ift.tt

SEND crisis ‘harder to fix’ with schools outside strong MATs

Government inclusion adviser Tom Rees speaks to Tes ahead of the publication of the schools White Paper and SEND reform plans

buff.ly

Maternity pay for teachers in England to rise from 2027-28

First increase in quarter of a century comes as ministers seek to boost school staff retention rates

buff.ly

£5bn council SEND debts to be paid off by government

It comes days after the Local Government Association warned that eight in 10 English councils would face bankruptcy, if they had to honour deficits.

bbc.co.uk

Ministers to slash update approval times for some apprenticeships

DWP said accelerated processes could cut approval times from 18 to three months

buff.ly

Cash-strapped councils’ spending on private special schools soars

Local authorities with the biggest SEND deficits see their spending on places in independent special schools rise by up to 58 per cent, Tes analysis shows

buff.ly

Universities and politicians briefed on China and Russia spy threat

Intelligence chiefs have met with leaders of 70 universities over security threats

buff.ly

Creating a school culture where children want to be

Giving pupils a sense of belonging is key to improving attendance - and we can do this through designing a welcoming school culture, says this trust leader

tes.com

Kent and Greenwich hail ‘key milestone’ as merger terms inked

Greenwich to change name to London and South East University Group before Kent joins as new ‘superuniversity’ takes shape

buff.ly

One in six autistic children have not gone to school since September, study finds

The government is expected to publish its plans to reform the special educational needs and disabilities system in the coming weeks

buff.ly

Lords vote to ban smartphones during school hours

The upper house backed an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill which would prohibit possession of smartphones in schools in England

buff.ly

More research needed for AI tutoring trial, experts say

Experts warn evidence on AI provision 'in its infancy'

buff.ly

‘I realised at a very young age that no one was going to save me’

In our How I Lead series, we ask education leaders to reflect on their careers, their experience and their leadership philosophy. This month we talk to Danielle Lewis-Egonu, CEO of Cygnus Academies…

buff.ly

Parents in England fear losing support for disabled children due to Send reforms

Survey by disability charity finds 45% of parents of children with complex needs ‘worried support will be taken away’

buff.ly

Poorest pupils to be given AI tutors

Bridget Phillipson says tuition would no longer be the preserve of ‘the lucky few’

telegraph.co.uk

Schools in England should be phone-free all day, education secretary says

Bridget Phillipson says pupils should not use mobiles at any point, as Ofsted prepares to inspect compliance

buff.ly

Seven communications tips to reset parent-school relations

New guidance is welcome, but we need to address a root cause sitting beneath policy and process

buff.ly

Without real teeth, Skills England risks drifting off course

Unless ministers give Skills England funding and real employer ownership, it risks being another cautionary tale in our long history of skills churn: John Cope

feweek.co.uk

Opposition parties' skills policies in a changing political landscape

A look at how the main political parties; Reform UK, the Conservatives, the Lib Dems and the Greens, are positioning themselves on FE and skills policies

buff.ly

Call for ministers to settle debate over make-up of MATs

Debate comes as huge trust gives up two special schools and another says some are 'impossible' to take on

buff.ly

New campaign urges Starmer not to diminish legal rights of Send children

Backed by actor Sally Phillips and MPs across parties, group raises concerns about overhaul of provision in England

buff.ly

Parents warned that screen time damages toddlers’ ability to speak

The first-ever state guidance will be published in April

buff.ly

Monthly payments switch mooted as part of student loans shake-up

MP seeks reform to ‘Frankenstein’s monster’ system amid cost-of-living concerns

buff.ly

New GCSE results app to be rolled out nationwide

It follows a pilot where just six per cent of invited schools and colleges took part

buff.ly

DfE to push ahead with MAT inspections

Inspections of academy trusts could be launched in 2027-28 as Labour legislates for a major new role for Ofsted

buff.ly

Universities offer lifetime career support in ‘tough’ UK economy

Graduate employability increasingly seen as ‘university-wide priority’ involving academics and researchers as well as dedicated careers services

buff.ly

Record number of London pupils need Send support

The number of pupils needing Send support has risen by a third in a decade, government data shows.

buff.ly

Employment Rights Act: what does it mean for teachers and schools?

The key legislative changes to employment rights that heads and HR teams need to be aware for the year ahead - and beyond

buff.ly

‘Inconsistency’ fears after REF retreat on environment metrics

Clear guidance needed on how narrative-based submissions will be graded to avoid accusations that judgements are overly subjective, say experts

buff.ly

More than 100 private schools forced to close ‘due to government VAT on fees’

Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, said Labour’s move was "a bridge too far" for many independent schools

buff.ly