- NAHT leader: 'There are simply not enough special schools for pupils who need more specialist support'
- Pupils downloading AI apps specifically designed to create naked images, government report warns
- Schools in Scotland 'struggling' to implement mobile phone policies, union says
- Record number of children missed half of school in 2023 summer term, figures show
- Letters: Vaping health risks
NAHT leader: 'There are simply not enough special schools for pupils who need more specialist support'
SENDAround two in three special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools in England were at or over capacity in the last academic year, the Department for Education (DfE) has said. According to DfE data, there were approximately 4,000 more pupils on roll in SEND schools than the reported capacity, prompting concern among union leaders. By Eleanor Busby, Evening Standard.
Pupils downloading AI apps specifically designed to create naked images, government report warns
Artificial intelligence (AI)Pupils are downloading artificial intelligence (AI) apps specifically designed to create naked images and then sharing the pictures with their friends, a report from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has warned. The report, which will advise teachers on how to deal with the issue of pupils sharing such images, has also found that organised crime gangs are using the apps to blackmail young people. By Joe Pinkstone, The Telegraph.
Schools in Scotland 'struggling' to implement mobile phone policies, union says
Scottish educationMobile phones are disrupting lessons on a “scale many parents cannot imagine”, according to the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA). Three quarters of teachers who responded to a survey by the union said pupils' use of mobile phones interrupts most or all of their lessons. A number of schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations are mentioned with reference to their policies on mobile phone usage. By Helen Puttick, The Times.
Record number of children missed half of school in 2023 summer term, figures show
AttendanceA record number of pupils were absent from at least half of school in the summer term last year, new figures from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) have revealed. Almost 160,000 children missed 50 per cent or more of time in class, up 12 per cent on the previous term and over 160 per cent since before the Covid pandemic. By Louisa Clarence-Smith and Ollie Corfe, The Telegraph.
Letters: Vaping health risks
LettersBen Horan, headteacher of Prior Park College, has a letter published in The Times, calling for the government to take action on vaping. Noting the "explosion" in the use of vapes among teenagers in recent years, Mr Horan concludes: "Any MP who fails to support restrictions on vaping is guilty of gambling with the health of a generation."