Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised to respond more quickly to close loopholes in laws aimed at protecting young people online. Reiterating plans to launch a public consultation on children's use of social media, which will seek opinions about restricting their access to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and limiting infinite scrolling features, Sir Keir pledged to "crack down on the addictive elements of social media". The Online Safety Act, made law in 2023, was written before the release of AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, and ministers wish to close loopholes in the legislation so the tech is included. By Zoe Kleinman, Adam Goldsmith and Claire Keenan, BBC News.

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) could lose support via education, health and care plans (EHCPs) from 2030 under major reforms to the sector. iNews understands existing support through EHCPs will be fully protected until 2030, but that between 2030 and 2035 children will be expected to transition to the reformed SEND system. Under new legislation, EHCPs may then become harder to retain and reserved for pupils with the greatest needs. The paper has heard that significant numbers of children will not be moved off EHCPs from 2030, with sources saying only a small proportion of pupils will be transferred onto other statutory plans to begin with. By Connie Dimsdale.

The Department for Education is planning to hire more than 600 additional educational psychologists by the end of the Parliament in an attempt to meet the demand for pupils with SEND. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson is expected to outline SEND reforms in a consultation document to be published alongside the Schools White Paper at the end of this month. The proposals are expected to appear in a green paper, enabling full consultation before decisions are finalised and allowing changes to be phased in gradually. By Richard Vaughan, iNews. 

Writing in The Times, Mike Blakey, chief education and quality officer of Outcomes First Group, calls for swifter action to help solve the SEND crisis. Urging "earlier, faster intervention and support", he says EHCPs "remain vital for children with the most complex needs but they have increasingly become the default mechanism for accessing support", leaving too many waiting for help. To best support children with SEND, he concludes: "They require a system that rewards inclusion, values expertise and ensures support is available long before families reach crisis point."

BBC News explores the issue of SEND reform ahead of the government outlining its plans in the next few weeks. Describing the issue as "fraught with potential pitfalls", the broadcaster says it is "even more crucial for the government that they get this right". By Alex Forsyth.

How other countries approach SEND provision offers valuable lessons for English policymakers, say Loic Menzies, chief research officer and principal investigator at the Centre for Education Systems, and Taylor Hughson, lecturer in education at Victoria University of Wellington. Referencing their own research, they warn that it appears "none of the 14 countries we studied have yet managed to ensure that all pupils with SEND get the support they need". Schools Week.

Ministers have published draft updates to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), the statutory safeguarding guidance for schools, which are now open to consultation. There are often annual changes to KCSIE but if all are instated, this year's would bring more updates than usual. Tes outlines the key details, which include expanded guidelines on abuse and exploitation. By Ellen Peirson-Hagger.

Schools will have to wait until "later in the spring" for guidance on their role in supporting pupils with medical conditions, Helen Hayes, chair of the Commons Education Select Committee, has confirmed. MPs had warned there was an urgent need for updated guidance due to gaps leaving children "exposed", saying ministers should not wait for their SEND reforms to be issued before taking action. Ms Hayes warned that during the committee’s inquiry into the SEND system, MPs heard concerns about "the absence of a framework for delivering clinical healthcare in educational settings". By John Roberts, Tes. 

A significant measles outbreak could see unvaccinated children forced to self-isolate for three weeks, health officials have warned. They fear infection numbers are about to rise sharply as children, who have accounted for most of approximately 100 cases recorded this year, break for the February half term. Advice issued to parents in the infection hotspot of Enfield, North London, said unvaccinated youngsters should be "excluded" for three weeks if they come into contact with an infected person. The UK recently lost its measles elimination status after officials confirmed the disease had been spreading for more than a year. By Michael Searle, The Telegraph.

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