Did you see this excellent guidance (which I contributed to!) on Preventing and Responding to Racist Bullying from the Anti-Bullying Alliance? It's a comprehensive guide, created in response to requests from schools who say they need clarity & support. anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/sites/defaul...

I was delighted to appear on the Tiny Chair Podcast in June, talking safeguarding in Early Years. We discussed a range of topics, from KCSIE updates to Safer Sleep changes, from the grey area of physical touch to building an environment of trust for staff. youtu.be/0lqiQIJunwU?...

Ann Marie Christian, safeguarding, and the things we normalise | Tiny Chair Podcast

Safeguarding expert Ann Marie Christian joins Matt and Julia for a frank conversation about keeping children safe in Early Years settings. With over 30 years of experience as a social worker, LADO,…

youtu.be

Children who use social media from a young age appear to perform worse in tests, says an Italian study. Those who opened social media accounts later scored higher; part of the reason for this may be that constant checking for updates is a big distraction. www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

Children using social media at younger age appear to do worse in school tests

Pupils who open accounts aged 11 to 12 score lower in some subjects than those who wait a few years, study finds

theguardian.com

Did you see the article I wrote for Nursery Management Today magazine in June? I looked at how the Early Yrs sector can enhance Safer Recruitment practices after recent safeguarding reforms came in. Nursery-age children are some of the most vulnerable. nmt-magazine.co.uk/feature/find...

Find the right people | Nursery Management Today

Safeguarding and child protection consultant and trainer Ann-Marie Christian focuses on enhancing safer recruitment practices in the early years following recent safeguarding reforms

nmt-magazine.co.uk

I was recommended this excellent article on Benedict's Law, detailing the shortcomings of statutory guidance for supporting pupils with medical conditions in schools & looking at how Benedict's parents' campaign has changed the landscape going forward. www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/benedicts-la...

Benedict’s Law and the implications for schools | Belonging Effect

Early action will help to protect vulnerable pupils, demonstrate proactivity and give staff confidence in managing allergic emergencies.

thebelongingeffect.co.uk

A new report by the Centre for Young Lives exposes the scale of challenges facing those trying to tackle the number of children in crisis; poverty, housing issues and missed school continue to affect young lives - and it is still worsening for many. www.centreforyounglives.org.uk/news-centre/...

New report exposes the scale of childhood crisis facing Andy Burnham and warns “incremental change will no longer cut it” | Centre for Young Lives | Press Release

Published:

centreforyounglives.org.uk

Last week I attended the TRIBAL Empower conference at Sheffield Hallam University. I was kept busy with two presentations; Safeguarding on day 1 and Beyond the DBS Check on Day 2. The whole event was enjoyable and informative - I really enjoyed connecting with colleagues!

Since online safety laws came into effect 'significant progress' has been made, according to OFSTED. But they say more action is needed from the tech industry - many social media companies have failed to enforce their minimum age requirements effectively. www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safet...

Age checks helping make online experiences safer for UK children, but ‘job not done’ and tech industry must act to strengthen protections

A new report published today by Ofcom reveals that age checks are now being deployed at an unprecedented scale across the pornography, social media, dating and gaming sectors.

ofcom.org.uk

The Dept for Education has produced a free online Early Yrs Safeguarding training pack in collab with @NSPCC. It's designed for EY educators working with children from 0-5 and trains on identifying signs of abuse & creating a positive safeguarding culture. www.gov.uk/government/p...

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework

The standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5.

gov.uk

Schools have been struggling to cope in hot classrooms during heatwaves, with both staff & pupils suffering from nausea, heatstroke & headaches. Behaviour & attention spans have deteriorated as staff say learning on the hottest days is almost impossible. www.theguardian.com/education/20...

‘Children were calling for their mummies’: UK pupils struggle in 40C-plus classrooms

Teachers call for schools to be urgently adapted for hot weather amid reports of nausea, fainting and heatstroke

theguardian.com

New statutory guidance concerning allergy safety in schools has been published. The guidance lays out what schools must do to support pupils with allergies. There are also templates so schools can create a safety policy and individual healthcare plans. www.gov.uk/government/p...

Allergy safety in schools

Statutory guidance about the support that pupils with allergies must receive in schools.

gov.uk

My Designated Safeguarding Lead course is coming up in October. There are two versions: 👉The 1.5 day course is for newly-appointed DSLs. 👉The one day renewal course for experienced DSLs provides the latest training to revive your passion for the role. annmariechristian.com/book-now/

Schools are concerned that a plan to end a scheme that provides sports funding for primary schools may result in an increase in both mental health issues and obesity. The 2012 Olympic legacy sports grants is currently paid directly to primary schools. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

School obesity concerns over new PE funding plan

Some teachers criticise a scheme to change funding models for PE in primary schools.

bbc.co.uk

The NSPCC has updated its briefing on the EYFS statutory framework, as it includes both new & updated info on sleeping arrangements, concerns about children's welfare & safety, suitable people & screen use. This comes into effect from 1 Sept, so read now! learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-res...

Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework: summary of the safeguarding and welfare requirements | NSPCC Learning

Key changes and updates to Section 3 of the EYFS framework that early years providers in England need to know for September 2026.

learning.nspcc.org.uk

As school break up for the summer, families across the country face crises of unaffordable childcare and high cost of living. Without the 'school safety net', parents are concerned about paying for childcare costs, activities over the summer & their bills. www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/news...

Low-income families facing an ‘urgent crisis’ as ‘school safety net' ends for summer - Nursery World

As schools across England and Wales prepare to break-up for summer, new research warns thousands of families face a ‘looming crisis of unaffordable childcare...

nurseryworld.co.uk

Research has found YouTube still recommends eating disorder videos to teenagers, a year after rules were introduced to curb harmful online content. They found that while the situation had improved, 1 in 10 videos still showed 'thinspiration' or similar. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

YouTube still recommending eating disorder videos, researchers claim

The site is continuing to recommend harmful videos despite new rules meant to better protect teenagers in the UK, a study finds.

bbc.co.uk

The @IWFhotline has created a resource for parents & carers to help prevent AI child sexual abuse imagery. There are things that can be done to help protect children, including understanding how AI can be misused, why it's important and what steps to take. www.iwf.org.uk/resources/ai...

AI Child Sexual Abuse Imagery: Parent Safety Guide

Learn how AI is misused to change photos & videos into child sexual abuse. Get practical privacy steps from IWF and NCA to keep your children safe online.

iwf.org.uk

Lots of updates in Sept 26 KCSIE. They include: ➡️No Annex A - ALL staff must now read Part 1 in full. Updates on: ➡️Mobile phones ➡️AI ➡️Gender-questioning children ➡️Misogyny ➡️Emotional abuse ➡️Child-on-child abuse ➡️Early help expansion Read carefully! www.gov.uk/government/p...

Working together to safeguard children 2026: summary of changes

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

gov.uk

This article focuses on the health and wellbeing of early years practitioners. If you spend your days helping children understand their feelings and supporting them to regulate themselves around peers, it's important to look after your own wellbeing. www.teachearlyyears.com/positive-rel...

Emotional regulation – Why practitioner wellbeing matters | Positive Relationships | Teach Early Years

Teach Early Years magazine is the leading B2B title for early years teachers, practitioners and providers, offering expert advice on educating the 0–5s and operating a sustainable childcare business.

teachearlyyears.com

Life-saving allergy pens will be stored in every school in England from Sept, following a campaign by parents of a child who died after drinking cow's milk. Schools will need to train all staff, have an allergy policy & create individual healthcare plans. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Benedict's Law to overhaul school allergy training

Benedict Blythe died after an accidental exposure to an allergen at school in 2021.

bbc.co.uk

My popular Designated Safeguarding Lead courses are running in October 2026. There's a 1.5-day course for DSLs who are new to the role & a 1-day course for DSLs with over 2 years experience who need their training renewed. DM me or find out more in link. annmariechristian.com/book-now/

My article in Nursery Management Today discusses safer recruitment practices in Early Years, following safeguarding reform. Recruitment processes are under increased scrutiny by OFSTED; having the right people in place is crucial for children's safety. nmt-magazine.co.uk/magazines/ma...

May - June 2026 | Nursery Management Today

Stay up to date with all our events, awards and publications.

nmt-magazine.co.uk

To celebrate 40 years of Childline, and to raise awareness of the service amongst young people, the NSPCC has produced two activity packs. With posters, bunting and an online scavenger hunt, this is an excellent way to keep children of all ages occupied. learning.nspcc.org.uk/news/2026/ju...

Childline 40 | Activity Pack | NSPCC Learning

This summer we're asking children and young people to get creative and help us celebrate an incredible milestone: Childline turning 40. Download your activity pack to get started.

learning.nspcc.org.uk

I'm extremely proud to have contributed to the latest issue of the Safeguarding & Child Protection Association Journal. To read my article, you have to be a member of SACPA, or create an account to purchase a copy. There are also many other great articles! issuu.com/store/publis...

I was guest speaker at a panel debate for Nursery World in March. We discussed strengthening safeguarding in EY settings; in response to a number of recent high-profile cases, what are the best actions to take, ensuring we protect both children & staff? www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/mana...

How to strengthen safeguarding in early years settings - Nursery World

The panel debate at the Nursery World Exchange in Cambridgeshire in March focused on how to strengthen safeguarding in early years settings, with guest speak...

nurseryworld.co.uk

The Centre for Young Lives has created a report looking at the culture of 'looksmaxxing'; they found a "rampant online ecosystem" of influencers, coaches and brands that monetise anxiety, insecurity & isolation whilst spreading bigotry & misogyny. www.centreforyounglives.org.uk/news-centre/...

Toxic “looksmaxxing” social media trend is pushing boys towards extreme body obsession, misogyny, and self-harm, Centre for Young Lives report warns | Centre for Young Lives | Press Release

Published: A new report from the Centre for Young Lives thinktank published today (Thursday June 25th) warns that the fast-growing online trend known as “looksmaxxing” is driving some boys and young…

centreforyounglives.org.uk

I recently wrote an article - published in Nursery Management Today - on safer recruitment processes in the EY sector. There have been several high-profile cases and some recent safeguarding reforms; my article explains why prevention is priority in EYFS. nmt-magazine.co.uk/feature/find...

Find the right people | Nursery Management Today

Safeguarding and child protection consultant and trainer Ann-Marie Christian focuses on enhancing safer recruitment practices in the early years following recent safeguarding reforms

nmt-magazine.co.uk

The "unprecedented" Welfare Requirements Notice issued by OFSTED to Bright Horizons nursery group offers important lessons to the wider sector around safeguarding, leadership and governance & highlights concerns across the sector. (registration required) www.nurseryworld.co.uk/content/news...

Bright Horizons' legal notice from Ofsted is an 'important lesson' for the sector about safeguarding, say experts - Nursery World

Bright Horizons' legal notice from Ofsted addresses a range of 'familiar' concerns within the sector and offers ‘important lessons’ about safeguarding, revea...

nurseryworld.co.uk

I contributed to new guidance "Preventing and Responding to Racist Bullying" published by the Anti-Bullying Alliance in response to growing concern about racism & bullying within schools & wider society. Clear, informative and decisive, it's free to all. anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/aba-our-work...

A UNISON report says child protection social workers are more likely to face abuse when they carry out visits on their own. Child protection visits are among the areas where social workers are increasingly carrying out potentially challenging visits alone. www.cypnow.co.uk/content/news...

Child protection social workers 'facing abuse on solo home visits' - CYP Now

Child protection cases are among those most commonly handled through solo home visits, despite social workers reporting rising levels of abuse and harassment...

cypnow.co.uk