ISC Daily News Summary

A project supported by Schools Week and the Nuffield Foundation tracked anxiety among teachers and headteachers using the TeacherTapp app and has found there have been 'major knock-on effects' to the mental health of staff as a result of the COVID pandemic. By John Jerrim, professor of education and social statistics at University College London's Institute of Education.

Nightline, the student-run helpline, has said there has been a significant increase in callers seeking help with their mental health, with data suggesting the numbers for 2021-22 were 30 per cent higher than the previous year. University students are reportedly calling to discuss financial concerns as well as stress and anxiety. By Rachel Hall, The Guardian.

The National Education Union (NEU) has announced that a formal ballot of more than 4,000 staff in 77 sixth form colleges has received a ‘yes’ vote of 88.5 per cent. The response meets the threshold required to make strike action legal, meaning some sixth form college teachers may walk out over pay later this month. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

Figures from the Department for Education (DfE), obtained after a freedom of information request, have revealed that 65 days is currently the average time a child 'deprived of their liberty for their own protection' has to wait for a secure placement. The DfE has said that £259 million is being invested in safe homes up to 2025, while campaign groups have warned of a “national child protection emergency” in England. By Louise Tickle, The Guardian.

A poll by YouGov of a representative sample of MPs has suggested two-thirds would support immediately extending free school meals to all families who receive universal credit. Nine of the UK’s major supermarkets have co-signed a letter to Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, calling for ministers to commit to expanding eligibility for free school meals. By Andy Gregory, The Independent.

The YouGov poll also showed that almost half of MPs (46 per cent) supported the possibility of extending free school meals to all primary school children without means testing. By Rhodri Morgan, Tes.

A survey of over 11,500 parents by the campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed has found that one third cannot afford another child because of the cost of childcare. Campaigners have called on the Government to allocate more funding to early years provision in this week’s Autumn Statement. By Rachel Mortimer, The Telegraph.

Disadvantaged girls from 25 schools in the South West are to be taken to a location near GCHQ in Cheltenham as part of EmPowerCyber events, where they will be shown how to create phishing emails and crack passwords. The move comes in response to figures which show that women account for only 11 per cent of the global cyber workforce and just eight per cent in the UK. By Will Humphries, The Times.

Writing in Tes, Andrew Moorhouse outlines the practical steps his schools are taking to save money and offers advice on operational efficiency to help staff prepare for the future. Andrew Moorhouse is CEO of The Primary First Trust.