Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 15/04/24.
News: Revealed: hundreds of vulnerable children sent to illegal and unregulated care homes in England – The Observer in the Guardian Online
13 April 2024, Tom Wall. Observer investigation finds that private companies made £105m despite not being registered with Ofsted:
Article: Early years providers sceptical Ofsted’s new complaints process will be fairer – Nursery World
11 April 2024, Katy Morton. In response to the news that the inspectorate has updated its complaints procedure to handle providers’ concerns more ‘fairly, thoroughly and efficiently’, providers have expressed their disbelief that anything will change while Ofsted still handles complaints internally:
News: Children living near Sure Start centres did better at GCSEs, study suggests – BBC News Online
9 April 2024, Nathan Standley. Children from low-income families who grew up near a Sure Start centre did better than their peers at GCSEs, says the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS):
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-68763942
News: Cass review set to confirm shift in NHS care for children with gender dysphoria – Guardian Online
9 April 2024, Amelia Gentleman. Findings are due to be published from review by consultant paediatrician that has already had significant impact:
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/09/cass-review-nhs-children-gender-dysphoria
News: Rise in school sexism down to phones, says union – BBC News Online
5 April 2024, Branwen Jeffreys & Hazel Shearing. Sexism is on the rise in schools because of harmful content on children’s phones, according to the National Education Union’s (NEU) general secretary. Daniel Kebede said boys watched “aggressive and violent pornography” and influencer content that “completely distorts their view of women”. And he called for an inquiry to “really challenge” social-media companies:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-68731795
News: NHS cannot meet autism or ADHD demand, report says – BBC News Online
4 April 2024, Aurelia Crew and Jemma Crew. The extraordinary rise in demand for autism assessments and ADHD treatments in England has overtaken the NHS’s capacity to meet it, a think tank says. Since 2019, there has been a five-fold rise in people waiting to see an autism specialist and a 51% increase in prescriptions for ADHD medication, according to the Nuffield Trust:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68725973
News: Labour commits to full Tory childcare expansion plan – BBC News Online
3 April 2024, Jennifer McKiernan. Labour will back the childcare expansion plan being rolled out by the government if it wins the next general election. Shadow education minister Bridget Phillipson has said Labour will not remove any entitlements promised to families “in the future”:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68723552
News: Government Admits Need for 40,000 More Nursery Staff for Free Childcare Expansion – Business Matters
3 April 2024. The government has acknowledged that an additional 40,000 nursery staff will be required to implement the “massive” expansion of free childcare, following concerns raised by parents and industry experts:
Research briefing: Autism: Overview of policy and services – House of Commons Library
2 April 2024. This briefing provides an overview of policies and services for autistic people in England:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7172/
Open call for evidence: Safeguarding children in schools and colleges – Department for Education
28 March 2024. Views on child safeguarding practice in schools and colleges to inform the Department for Education’s safeguarding in schools and colleges policy. This call for evidence closes at 11:59pm on 20 June 2024:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/safeguarding-children-in-schools-and-colleges