Earlier this week, the government said it would table an amendment to its Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, making a ban on smartphones "a clear legal requirement for schools". Speaking to BBC News, a number of schools in Cambridgeshire, including The Keys Academies Trust, expressed their support for ministers' plans, although parents gave mixed reactions. Nosheen Anwar, who has three children, described the plans as "a really important step", while mother-of-two Kimberly Lavery said "it's sort of taking too much freedom away from children". Several parents, who wished to remain anonymous, said they did not support a complete ban, and that pupils should be allowed to carry phones while walking to and from school for safety reasons. By Shariqua Ahmed.

The Times' view, which represents the opinions of the paper's editorial board, argues that the ban on smartphones in schools is a good move. "This U-turn is welcome," the anonymous writer says, adding: "Laws send messages, and this is a way of telling society, and the tech companies in particular, that the government takes this problem­ ­seriously. Children and parents deserve no less."

Children born on or after 1 January 2009 will be banned for life from buying cigarettes after both the House of Commons and the House of Lords settled on a final draft of the legislation for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is designed to stop people aged 17 or younger from ever taking up smoking. The bill will also give ministers new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including packaging and flavours. Health minister Baroness Merron told peers the bill would "create a smoke-free generation". The Times references a recent study that found children who vape are more likely to become smokers and be diagnosed with asthma. By Herbie Russell.

In a blog to mark Earth Day 2026, Dr Saba Lodhi, a science and chemistry teacher at Halcyon London International School, explains how a holistic approach to climate action is embedded within the fabric of the school. "Schools have a responsibility to help shift the narrative from despair to action, to connect with nature, and to embed sustainable approaches to climate education," she writes.

Writing in Tes, CEO of QUEST Trust Marc Doyle outlines why his trust redesigned its special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision, moving away from having one SENCo for each school to a framework that allows knowledge to be shared more widely. On the benefits of such a change, he says "pupils with complex needs who might otherwise have struggled are now able to access lessons and thrive", and concludes: "We know from experience that one SENCo per school is no longer enough."

Executives from three social media companies denied their platforms are inherently addictive to children and young people when questioned yesterday by the cross-party Commons Education Select Committee. Representatives from Meta, Roblox and TikTok were quizzed about the impact of screen time and social media on children. Laura Higgins, senior director of community safety and civility at Roblox, said there is "no evidence directly that says games are addictive by nature." An executive from Snapchat failed to attend and was told by chair Helen Hayes that the committee would use its powers to summon a witness if they did not cooperate and agree to appear at a meeting next week. By Sally Weale, The Guardian. 

BBC News features a video illustrating how children as young as five are using social media. One child explains she has been using YouTube since the age of four, while another says he spends around an hour and a half a day on social media. Several children raise concerns including exposure to inappropriate content, online bullying, and contact from strangers and scammers, although one says she uses social media for revision.

Introducing VAT on independent school fees has cost the Scottish economy £60 million and 900 jobs, according to a new report by Biggar Economics for the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS). It warned that the tax policy would impact public finances, effectively outweighing any fiscal gains. In the first year of the policy, researchers found pupil numbers in Scotland’s independent schools had fallen by nine per cent, including a 13 per cent decline in pupils joining at the beginning of primary school and a 15 per cent drop in those joining at the start of secondary education. During the 2025-26 financial year, the report said that while £58 million raised in VAT from the sector in Scotland is likely to exceed the cost of educating pupils who have left, resulting in a £10 million net gain to the public purse, this is expected to turn into a deficit in 2026-27. Commenting on the findings, which "expose the harsh reality" of VAT on fees, SCIS chief executive Lorraine Davidson warned: "In just over a decade, the unintended consequences will cost the public almost £200 million per year. It is time to have a grown-up debate and admit that VAT on fees is damaging Scottish education and the economy." SCIS said the report also suggested that if the downward trend was not reversed, the value of the sector would fall by £227 million by 2030, costing 3,610 jobs. By Helen Puttick, The Times.

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