- Concerns raised over potential education funding cuts
- IICSA set to publish final report
- Teacher strikes 'increasingly likely'
- Draft guidelines for young transgender people accessing hormone therapies
- Exam boards increase fees for next year
- Interviews for Oxbridge to remain online despite lockdowns ending
- Addressing a 'lost generation' of swimmers
- Making healthy eating a priority
Concerns raised over potential education funding cuts
FundingThe head of the NASUWT has said deeper cuts would cause “immeasurable damage to children’s learning”, in light of the new chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, saying that all government departments will have to find more efficiencies than they had planned. By Mark Townsend and Michael Savage, The Observer. The impact of potential budget cuts is also considered by Schools Week. By John Dickens.
IICSA set to publish final report
Child welfareThe Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) will publish its final report on Thursday 20 October. According to The Sunday Times, the inquiry is expected to support mandatory reporting, meaning anyone working with children would have a duty to report suspected abuse. By Sian Griffiths.
The Times includes a comment piece from Sean O'Neill on the issue, in which he argues that it must be mandatory for people in specific positions to report cases of abuse.
Teacher strikes 'increasingly likely'
General educationThe National Education Union (NEU) and NASUWT have both announced they will be balloting members for industrial action over pay, making the possibility of teacher strikes more likely. By Callum Mason, Tes. Teachers have rejected a five per cent pay rise offer, according to BBC News. By Alice Evans.
The new pay rates for teachers and school leaders are published in full in Schools Week, after the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed pay scales for 2022-23. By Freddie Whittaker.
Draft guidelines for young transgender people accessing hormone therapies
Child welfareNew draft guidelines from the NHS have suggested that young transgender people could be referred to safeguarding agencies if they access puberty blockers and hormone therapies on the private market after being told by a public health professional they should not be taking them. However, the draft does not clarify what safeguarding measures would be involved. By Alexandra Topping, The Guardian.
Exam boards increase fees for next year
ExaminationsExam boards Edexcel and OCR have raised their fees for all 2023 exams by six per cent, while AQA has increased its prices by between five and 17 per cent, amid condemnation from academy leaders. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.
Interviews for Oxbridge to remain online despite lockdowns ending
Higher educationThe Telegraph reports that Oxbridge interviews will continue to be held online, even though COVID lockdowns have ended. Only Trinity College, Cambridge is set to return to in-person interviews this year for UK pupils. By Louisa Clarence-Smith.
Addressing a 'lost generation' of swimmers
Child welfareA report by Swim England has suggested that more than a million extra children are expected to leave primary school unable to swim as a result of the COVID pandemic, giving rise to the popularity of temporary, pop-up swimming pools to help address the issue and avoid a 'lost generation' of swimmers. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.
Making healthy eating a priority
Child welfareThe Guardian includes a feature on the work of Chefs in Schools, a charity encouraging schools to 'intrigue, excite and therefore educate' pupils about where their food comes from and the importance of healthy eating. By Amelia Hill.
In an interview with The Independent, Camilla Kingdon, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, has warned that that the cost of living crisis is forcing struggling families to turn to unhealthy food and has called on the Government to act. By Rebecca Thomas.