State schools are charging parents up to £1.80 per day simply to let their children eat their own packed lunches at school. The charges – which are taking place in both primary and secondary schools in the UK – are being justified because schools say they need to pay for cleaning and supervision costs. These costs are already factored in to the price of a school lunch. Read more
A new strategy to transform the life chances of those children who spend up to 18 months in care waiting to be adopted has been unveiled by Nicky Morgan. The announcement comes just months after a landmark intervention by the Prime Minister, where he announced new measures to double the number of children placed with their adoptive family sooner – halving the time they spend in care. Read more
Councils opposed to government plans to force all schools to become academies have raised concerns about what has been described by some as a land grab reminiscent of ‘the dissolution of the monasteries’. The new plans will see all school land transferred directly to the education secretary, Nicky Morgan, who will then grant leases to academy trusts. Read more
Aside from visiting a former pupil in a young offender institution, Dame Sally Coates had never been in a prison before when she was asked by the justice secretary, Michael Gove, to undertake a review of prison education. Her review will recommend the creation of a graduate scheme along the lines of the Teach First programme. Read more
Considering returning to work after having children? There are many factors to think about: is there childcare available that suits your working hours? Can you afford the fees? The Government has recognised there are many stumbling blocks in the path of parents who want to return to work, which is why in 2015, they announced a new Childcare Bill with the aim of making childcare more flexible and affordable. But what exactly is the new offer, who will be eligible and when can you claim it? Read more
For Marta Drew and her family, it was a difficult decision, but the right one. Eight years ago, she says, her seven-year-old son had been complaining about school. “Christopher, who was a bright, curious little boy, started saying things like ‘I hate learning’ and ‘learning is boring’. So I started reading up about home education.” Read more
The case of a young couple in Norway whose five children were taken away by the state has fuelled mounting concern within the country and abroad over its child protection practices. Protesters around the world – and leading Norwegian professionals – say social workers are often too quick to separate children from their families, with too little justification, particularly when parents are immigrants. Read more