Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 01/09/23.
News: ‘Not a single person held to account’: Families demand action against those who caused baby deaths at NHS trust – The Independent Online
1 September 2023, Alexander Butler. Families affected by maternity care failings at a major NHS hospital trust have demanded that those responsible for the death and harm of hundreds of babies and mothers be held accountable:
Link: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/nhs-trust-baby-deaths-nottingham-b2402861.html
News: One in four teachers gave food to hungry pupils in England last term, survey finds – Guardian Online
31 August 2023, Sally Weale. Headteachers say it is ‘unsustainable’ to expect schools to keep stepping in to support desperate families:
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/31/teachers-gave-food-hungry-pupils-england-survey
Article: David Johnston confirmed as new children’s minister – Nursery World
31 August 2023. David Johnston has been confirmed as the new children’s minister by the Department for Education, replacing Claire Coutinho:
Link: https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/david-johnston-confirmed-as-new-children-s-minister
Policy Paper: Get Active: a strategy for the future of sport and physical activity – Department for Culture, Media and Sport
30 August 2023. Building a healthier nation by tackling high levels of inactivity, and making sure that the sport and physical activity sector thrives for future generations:
Article: Call for childcare staff to be paid a minimum of £15 per hour to reverse recruitment crisis – Nursery World
29 August 2023, Katy Morton. The TUC is calling for a ‘comprehensive’ strategy for the care workforce in England as new analysis shows every region in England is struggling to recruit early years staff:
Research briefing: Food poverty: Households, food banks and free school meals – House of Commons Library
24 August 2023. This paper provides statistics on household food insecurity, food bank usage and free school meals in the UK, and tracks the impact of rising living costs:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9209/
Comment: GCSE results show us a nation of overwhelmed, vulnerable children. Where is the support? – Guardian Online
24 August 2023, Gaby Hinsliff. Covid-19, social media, the tyranny of tests – the problems are known, yet politicians fail to draw the threads together:
Comment: A letter has laid bare the scale of poverty in Britain – but will Rishi Sunak be moved? Guardian Online
24 August 2023, Polly Toynbee. Life’s essentials cost £120 a week, far above what benefits provide. The cash is there, but tax cuts may be higher on the prime minister’s agenda:
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/24/benefits-poverty-cost-of-living
News: 2k extra fully funded places announced on BPN early years SENCo programme – FE News
23 August 2023, Nick Bannister. The Department for Education confirmed 2,000 extra places on the accredited Level 3 qualification this week. The places will be available until August 2024, with priority given to SENCos in areas currently under-represented in the training uptake, including the north east and north west of England:
News: Cuts to PE hours should be immediate national concern, say charity – BBC News Online
22 August 2023, Dan Roan. Cuts to the number of hours England’s secondary school pupils spend doing physical education and sport “should be a matter of immediate national concern”, the Youth Sport Trust says:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66577367
News: Tories under fire after dramatic fall in school sport in England – Guardian Online
20 August 2023, Toby Helm. New figures undermine Rishi Sunak’s claims to boost PE ahead of Women’s World Cup final:
News: Local Government Association report explores early years nutrition – Nursery Management Today
17 August 2023. A new report commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) shines a light on the importance of early years nutrition and the relationship between councils and settings across England:
Link: https://nmt-magazine.co.uk/local-government-association-report/
News: Number of children in mental health crisis at record high in England – Guardian Online
15 August 2023, Anna Bawden. NHS data reveals more than 3,500 urgent referrals of under-18s in May, three times higher than same month in 2019:
Research briefing: Children and young people’s mental health policy – House of Commons Library
15 August 2023. House of Commons Library briefing on children and young people’s mental health policy:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7196/