Interesting links, articles, news and blog posts sent out to members on 16/05/24.
News: Plan to ban sex education for children under nine – BBC News Online
15 May 2024, Becky Morton & Alice Evans. Schools in England will be banned from teaching sex education to children under nine, in new government guidance expected to be published:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-69013002
Press release: £557 million for public buildings to switch to cleaner heating and save on energy bills – Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Lord Callanan
15 May 2024. Schools, pools, and hospitals will be supported to make energy efficient upgrades, and businesses with high energy use will receive funding to help cut bills and emissions:
Research briefing: Childcare workforce in England – House of Commons Library
14 May 2024. A briefing on the childcare workforce in England, looking at workforce size, recruitment and retention, and an overview of recent government policy:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9948/
Research briefing: The impact of smartphones and social media on children – House of Commons Library
13 May 2024. There will be a Westminster Hall debate on the impact of smartphones and social media on children on 14 May 2024 at 9:30am:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2024-0103/
Article: Report provides roadmap for ‘a new era’ of Sure Start – Nursery World
10 May 2024, Catherine Gaunt. Schools and nurseries should be put at the centre of a new updated model for Sure Start, according to a new report by think tank Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives:
Link: https://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/article/report-provides-roadmap-for-a-new-era-of-sure-start
Article: Tech firms face tougher online age checks – Ofcom – BBC News Online
8 May 2024, Tom Singleton & Imran Rahman-Jones. Ofcom has warned social media sites they could be named and shamed – and banned for under-18s – if they fail to comply with new online safety rules:
Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czrx13jj9p3o
Article: Start for Life services – Ofsted and CQC report highlights positives alongside areas for improvement – Nursery World
7 May 2024, Catherine Gaunt. Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission have released research analysing the success of Start for Life services in six areas of England:
Research and analysis: Start for Life services: thematic review – Ofsted and Care Quality Commission
7 May 2024. This report provides recommendations to improve families’ experiences of Start for Life services and how they are provided through the family hub model. The report also highlights examples of good practice that we identified in the 6 local areas visited:
Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/start-for-life-services-thematic-review
Article: Funded twos: 85 per cent have a place, but sector warns figures don’t paint full picture – Nursery World
7 May 2024, Katy Morton. While the latest DfE figures show 85 per cent of eligible two-year-olds have a funded place, the sector continues to warn of ‘severe capacity challenges’:
News: Ofcom accused of ‘excluding’ bereaved parents from online safety consultation – The Observer in the Guardian Online
5 May 2024, Shanti Das. The UK regulator has been criticised by grieving families and internet abuse survivors for failing to engage with them:
Article: School leaders warn of ‘full-blown’ special needs crisis in England – Guardian Online
4 May 2024, Richard Adams. Survey by NAHT union finds funding shortages mean pupils are losing out on vital support:
Research briefing: Funding of childcare providers in England – House of Commons Library
1 May 2024. An overview of funding for childcare providers in England since 2017-18 and Government plans for reform:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8052/
Research briefing: Provisions to support gender-questioning children in schools – House of Commons Library
29 April 2024. This briefing provides an overview of the support in place for gender-questioning children in schools and the recent consultation on new guidance from the Department for Education:
Link: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9078/
Publication: The Mental Health Barriers to School Attendance – The Centre for Mental Health
24 April 2024, Bethan Bottomley and Zainab Shafan-Azhar. This briefing finds that school absences are rising amidst escalating rates of mental health problems among children and young people, with long waiting lists and rejected referrals preventing them from engaging fully with education:
Link: https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/publications/not-in-school/