Almost 10,000 young people living in deprived areas are to be sent letters from students encouraging them to consider going to university, the Department for Education has announced. Students at King’s College London with similar backgrounds will write to some 9,200 high-achieving pupils aged 16 to 18 at schools and colleges with the lowest progression rates to university. A similar initiative previously found that a young person receiving two letters from university students significantly increased the chance of them applying to a Russell Group university. By Jasmine Norden, The Independent.

The Times takes a closer look at the EPI's analysis, which reveals that while primary numbers are falling across England, London dominates the list of areas worst affected. The data shows that 17 per cent of pupils who started Reception in 2012 to 2013 left London by Year 6, rising to 20 per cent for pupils who began Reception in 2017 to 2018. Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Buckinghamshire recorded the largest influxes of pupils from the capital. By Nicola Woolcock and George Willoughby.

Most teachers get little or no help for children from mental health support services, a new survey by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) has warned. It says schools "cannot shoulder the burden" of giving wider support to pupils alone, after seven in 10 teachers said they lack the support they need from key services. The research also found that schools continue to report high levels of additional needs among pupils, although there has been a slight fall since the 2022-23 academic year. The research drew on responses from more than 350 senior leaders and 800 teachers surveyed in the NFER’s Teacher Voice Omnibus Survey. By Jabed Ahmed, Tes.

Writing in Schools Week, education secretary Bridget Phillipson shines a light on the important role played by support staff, "the rarely-heralded workforce that keeps schools going". Outlining their vital part in education and the steps she is taking to recognise their efforts, she adds: "Support staff are central to most schools’ models of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND support), to attendance and behaviour management." 

The government's plans to reform special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in schools are on course for failure without "significant" extra funding, Martin Nicholson, the Barking and Dagenham council official who inspired ministers' plans, has warned. Mr Nicholson said "enormous investment" was needed to "set up a system in our schools where those children with quite complex SEND needs are going to be supported in their local mainstream school". Rob Williams, senior policy advisor at the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), told iNews his union had similar concerns. By Connie Dimsdale. 

Ministerial reforms should ensure that resourced provision units to support young people with speech and language challenges in mainstream schools are available nationally, a report by the Speech and Language UK charity has said. Published today, it warns that too many individuals working with children with speech and language needs have not "been given the training or the tools they need to help", and that teachers are often not trained to identify problems and offer support. By John Roberts, Tes. 

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