Bans on smartphones in schools are "overly simplistic" and are not supported by young people who see them as "punitive" instead of helpful, according to research by University College London. Published shortly after a statutory ban on smartphones in schools in England came into force, making individual schools and trusts legally responsible for being phone-free throughout the day, the study said outright bans were likely to be ineffective and may even have unintended negative consequences for youngsters. The survey of secondary school students, teachers and parents found that while 87 per cent of teachers and 88 per cent of parents were in favour of a complete ban, 75 per cent of pupils disagreed with the policy. By Sally Weale, The Guardian. 

Writing in Schools Week, Dame Rachel de Souza, children's commissioner for England, calls for the new prime minister to tackle the issue of children's mental health "head on". Citing figures from her fifth annual report on children's experiences of mental health services in England, which show referral numbers have almost doubled since 2018-19 and increased by nearly 10 per cent in 2025 alone, she warns: "Today’s figures are stark, but we must not despair. We must act," adding: "We have to stop asking children to prove they are unwell enough to deserve help and instead ask how we can help them to thrive." 

The Telegraph is one of a number of news outlets to follow up on the findings from the Independent Inquiry into White Working-Class Educational Outcomes, commissioned by Star Academies and supported by the Department for Education. It found white working-class children are being failed by the school system, with white British pupils on free school meals being half as likely to pass their English and maths GCSEs as pupils not receiving free meals, which the report said showed a "white working-class disadvantage gap". Among its findings, the inquiry said that white working-class communities and the education system tended to have differing viewpoints about success and the purpose of education, and called for more emphasis on vocational options for students, such as apprenticeships. Commenting on the report, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said it "shines a really important light on what has been an under-discussed area". By Tim Sigsworth.

Headteacher unions have challenged Ofsted over its decision to continue school inspections during last week's record heatwaves. The Association of School and College Leaders and the NAHT school leaders' union have written to the watchdog demanding an explanation for its decision to continue with inspections. Ofsted is yet to respond to the letter, but has sent an acknowledgement, Tes understands. Headteacher Chris Edwards told the paper he was encouraged not to defer an inspection during last week's red alert heat warning, only to have it later paused against his wishes. The experience left him and his staff "broken", he said. By Cerys Turner.

In an article for Tes, safeguarding lead Thomas Michael outlines the terms teachers should be aware of that indicate boys may be consuming harmful manosphere content on social media. He explains that "looksmaxxing" refers to the practice of men and boys attempting to improve their physical traits with the specific goal of making themselves more sexually attractive to the opposite sex, and warns: "Looksmaxxing content can also be a gateway to 'blackpill' communities, which promote hopelessness, extreme misogyny and the idea that your genetics determine everything. At its most dangerous, content may encourage people to attempt suicide – referred to as 'ropemaxxing'." Mr Michael urges teachers to ask leading questions and encourage dialogue when raising concerns, to "help to create a sense of safety and trust that can be built on, and will hopefully give the students the confidence to question their stance".

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