One in three children do not play outdoors after school and a fifth do not at the weekend, according to research from the University of Exeter. The study found that outdoor play has a positive effect on children's social-emotional skills, and identified different patterns of outdoor play based on ethnicity. Dr Mark Ferguson, the report's lead author, said: "There’s established evidence showing outdoor play has declined by a lot, which is worrying because it is linked to various health issues, including obesity, anxiety and depression. We need to take proactive steps to encourage outdoor activities and ensure children lead healthy and active lives." By Sally Weale, The Guardian. 

According to research by the Good Schools Guide (GSG), only 31 per cent of parents used Ofsted reports to help choose their child's current school, and this figure fell to 21 per cent for Gen Z parents. Sixteen per cent had used social media, rising to 29 per cent of Gen Z parents. The poll of 2,000 parents also found that 46 per cent wanted more guidance when choosing a school, while 43 per cent called for clearer, more reliable information. Speaking to The Times, Melanie Sanderson, managing editor of the GSG, said: "We know time-pressured parents are crying out for more help to choose the right school, but it's hardly surprising they are turned off by dry and regulatory-based Ofsted reports... We'd urge parents to gather as many trusted sources of information as they can and piece them together like a jigsaw." By Nicola Woolcock. 

A poll of British 16 and 17-year-olds for The Sunday Times sheds light on the challenges they are facing, and the impact of these on their development, education, and social lives. The survey, coupled with an online focus group, explores the repercussions of Covid lockdowns, online pornography, and the proliferation of social media. It also explores how mental ill-health has contributed to poor school attendance, particularly among girls. Commenting on the poll, children's commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza warned: "These findings paint a stark picture, but mirror much of what I've heard from more than a million children: that young people today are ambitious, socially aware and pragmatic, but they feel no one is listening to them." By Caroline Wheeler.   

Almost 30 per cent of all GCSEs taken at independent schools this year resulted in the top grade, according to figures from the Independent Schools Council (ISC). The data, sourced from 230 of its members that chose to share their results, reveals 29.3 per cent of GCSEs in England were graded 9 – one percentage point higher than in 2024. This compares with 5.1 per cent across all schools in England. The Times has published interactive tables featuring the results of 210 of the schools that had at least 20 pupils in their cohort. By Nicola Woolcock and Matilda Davies.

The article initially misrepresented this data, publishing figures based on the percentage of students receiving at least one top grade, rather than the percentage of top grades achieved overall. A correction and apology can be found here. 

Bridget Phillipson called on parents and caregivers "to do more" to address poor attendance and behaviour as she announced measures to support schools in England ahead of the new term. The education secretary unveiled a government programme targeting 800 schools, with an initial 21 schools serving as attendance and behaviour hubs. Struggling schools will be given access to help from headteachers who have successfully tackled these issues in their own environments, and the programme is expected to grow to support a total of 5,000 schools. By Bethan McKernan, The Guardian.

The education secretary has urged parents to "double down" to get their children into classrooms at the start of the new school year, warning of the dangers of poor attendance. Appearing on BBC Breakfast yesterday, she said: "What we know is if children miss a day or two in the first couple of weeks of term, they're more likely to go on to be persistently absent. That means they're more likely not to be going to school on a regular basis, and all the consequences that has for their life chances." By Hazel Shearing, BBC News. 

Teachers estimate that seven minutes of every half-hour of lesson time are lost to classroom disruption, according to the Department for Education, meaning every child is missing the equivalent of 45 days of education a year. "We've inherited a behaviour crisis that is failing pupils, driving teachers to breaking point and robbing children of valuable learning time," warned Ms Phillipson. By Louise Eccles, The Sunday Times. 

Writing for The Telegraph, Ms Phillipson said the education system has "resolutely failed white working-class children", as new figures show white children from poorer families have among the highest absence, suspension and expulsion rates. On the issue of bad behaviour, the education secretary warned that the most ill-disciplined pupils were three times more likely to live a life on sickness benefits, with "profound implications not just for those young people, but for society as a whole". By Nick Gutteridge. 

Children from low-income backgrounds are being "bounced out" of some school subjects because of family finances, a charity has claimed. According to a survey by the Child Action Poverty Group, 23 per cent of secondary school pupils on free school meals said costs had discouraged them from choosing certain subjects, compared to nine per cent of their more affluent peers. Examples of these costs include buying ingredients for cookery classes, trips for fieldwork in geography, or travelling abroad to improve foreign language skills. The Telegraph. 

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