This week’s Friday Feature focuses on St Albans School, which recently welcomed more than 400 children from schools across Hertfordshire to come and watch a performance of Little Terror, an interactive family opera designed to help children explore emotions, confidence and inner strength through music and storytelling.

Performed twice by the English Touring Opera, the production was composed by the school’s choral director and composer, Noah Mosley, and brought together pupils from St Albans School alongside children from a range of local primary and preparatory schools.

The performances formed part of the school’s partnership and outreach programme, which aims to widen access to high-quality creative experiences. The opera follows Alex, a young child navigating fears and self-belief, with an imaginative story that encourages resilience and emotional understanding. Commenting on the initiative, Rob Varley, director of music at St Albans School, described it as "a wonderful celebration of creativity, courage and imagination", adding: "It was a joy to see so many children from different schools come together to enjoy opera in such a fun and accessible way."

Teachers praised the initiative for inspiring pupils and introducing many to opera for the first time, with children leaving energised, confident and eager for more.

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As Children’s Mental Health Week comes to a close, head of Fairfield Prep School Andrew Earnshaw reflects on the important role nature and creative activities play in supporting young people’s wellbeing. Mr Earnshaw writes: "By normalising conversations around feelings and mental health from an early age, we help children develop the emotional literacy and resilience they will need as they grow."

In our last blog of the week, James Jones, head of Sidcot School, explains how an innovative partnership with a local soft play company is encouraging children to explore their curiosity away from screens. "Importantly, this partnership aims to help a generation of young people find ways to avoid becoming addicted to screens before the habit begins and give them the skills they need for their future", he says.

Primary school pupils will be allowed to change their gender at school, new government guidance has said. Published yesterday, the delayed document confirms that teachers must consult parents and proceed with "caution" when dealing with a pupil’s request to transition socially. Criticising the guidance, women's rights group Sex Matters said it would encourage "a dangerous fairy tale" and put children at risk. Baroness Cass, whose review warned that children who thought they were transgender should not be rushed into treatment they could later regret, has backed the guidance saying it ensured "proper accountability" for teachers. By Camilla Turner and Daniel Martin, The Telegraph. An article entitled This gives teachers confidence to support gender-questioning children, written by Lady Cass, follows the news story.

iNews summarises the guidance for parents and schools, which includes the protection of single-sex spaces. By Connie Dimsdale.

Exam stress at age 15 can increase the risk of depression and self-harm into early adulthood, researchers at University College London have found. The team examined data from nearly 5,000 young people born in 1991 and 1992 taking part in a broader ongoing study of children. Published in the Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, the study also also found that for every extra point of academic pressure reported as 15-year-olds, the likelihood of depression and self-harm by the age of 16 was 25 per cent and eight per cent higher respectively. This effect continued into their early 20s. By Anna Bawden, The Guardian. 

The gap in attainment between disadvantaged students and their peers in A-level exams has narrowed, new data from the Department for Education (DfE) has revealed. The 2024-25 16-18 performance data also shows the average A-level grade has remained at B-, while the average point score has improved slightly. Tes highlights some of the key findings within the data. By Kyle Tormey.

Writing in Schools Week, Tom Rees, chair of the DfE's expert advisory group on inclusion, says the government's reform of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system presents "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a truly inclusive education system which breaks down barriers to success for every child". Urging ministers to "seize this moment", he adds: "This is about children; it’s about how we treat the most vulnerable and it’s about the sort of society we want to become."

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