ISC Daily News Summary

Writing in Schools Week, Liberal Democrat MP Adam Dance explains why he is proposing universal screening for neurodivergent traits in primary schools, with statutory guidance on training for teachers. "The purpose is not to create a new layer of bureaucracy or to hand out diagnoses. It is to give teachers a light-touch, observation-based tool to help them recognise needs earlier and adjust their teaching accordingly", he says. 

Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) say they have been left stranded after transport arrangements were not in place for the new school term. Speaking to BBC News, Gemma said that despite submitting a request in plenty of time, the service is still not ready for her daughter, who has ADHD and autism and is entitled to taxi travel under an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Sharing her frustration, the mother from Oxfordshire added: "It's just been an absolute battle from the very beginning." By Dave Gilyeat.

Banning smartphones from classrooms significantly boosts grades, according to a landmark study by the University of Pennsylvania. The study, which involved almost 17,000 students in India, found that those required to hand in their phones before lessons not only achieved higher academic results but also came to support the ban. Welcoming the research, Josh MacAlister, the new children and families minister, said they show smartphone bans have had a "positive impact". A live poll invites readers to vote on whether mobile phones should be banned from classrooms. By Rhys Blakely, The Times. 

School absences "significantly contribute" to children's mental ill health, according to research backed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Involving more than 1 million school-age children in England, the study found the relationship between absence and mental health was "a two-way street", with lengthy periods of absence increasing the likelihood of later hospital treatment. It also found children with pre-existing mental health conditions tended to miss more school. By Richard Adams, The Guardian. 

The UK's first "super-university", spanning an entire region, is to be created through the merger of the universities of Kent and Greenwich, the BBC understands. Under the proposed name of London and South East University Group, the combined institution will have a single vice-chancellor from the academic year commencing in autumn 2026. The merger will be watched with interest by other universities considering ways to collaborate to stabilise their finances. Commenting on the merger, a government spokesperson said: "This collaboration shows how strong partnerships in higher education can help enable delivery of world-class teaching and research whilst maintaining the best interests of students." By Branwen Jeffreys.