Summary

In the news this week: 

• The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published its first annual report

• The Domestic Abuse Bill had its first reading in the House of Commons

• Push for increased Local Authority and SEND funding

• World Book Day 

Children’s social care 

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published its first annual report. ITV News highlighted that it found that more than half of the 538 serious safeguarding notifications of child abuse and neglect were already known to social services. Some 244 of the reports involved children who later died. The Panel noted the consensus on the protective factor of schools and the dangers of Alternative Provision for some vulnerable learners, noted in The Independent. 

The Independent reports that the Local Government Association has called on the government budget to pave the way for a spending review later in the year to provide a long-term, sustainable funding solution for local services. An LGA report warns the funding gap could reach £6.5bn by 2025. 

The Guardian reports that an alliance of headteachers, school governors, councils and unions are writing to the chancellor to secure a further £5.5bn a year to help schools in England to avoid financial difficulties and cuts, with a focus on further provision for pupils with special education needs and disabilities. James McInnes, Devon county council’s cabinet member for children’s services and schools, said: “we need more money, but it’s not only about money, it’s about how [the government’s special education needs reforms] have been working.”

The Domestic Abuse Bill was tabled in the House of Commons this week. Baroness Bertin comments in The Times that this is a welcome piece of legislation that finally puts a definition of domestic abuse into law. However, the government also needs an ambitious plan to tackle the behaviour of the people causing the harm.

Children & Young People Now reports on charities’ reaction to the Bill. Barnardo’s CEO Javed Khan said he is “disappointed that [the Bill] will not help the majority of victims and children who remain in the family home” and urges the government “to strengthen the Domestic Abuse Bill, so it guarantees access to support for all child victims of horrific crime”.

An Express article on kinship care highlights that there are an estimated 200,000 children in the UK living with relatives, half of whom are grandparents who often lack financial and emotional support they need.

The Education Authority in Northern Ireland admitted it is guilty of "significant shortcomings" to its provision of support for pupils with SEN. BBC News notes that 85% of over 1,300 SEN statements examined in an internal audit were not completed within the recommended 26 weeks.

The Guardian features an article about the film ‘System Crasher’ due to be released in the UK on 27th March, and the lessons that can be learnt from the German children’s care system. Educational attainment and employment rates among German care leavers are higher than in the UK and crime rates are significantly lower. 

CYPN reports that the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) with mental health problems has doubled since 2012, according to government figures.

Education 

With World Book Day on Thursday 5th March, The Guardian reports that children today read less frequently than any previous generation. In study conducted by The National Literacy Trust, just 53% of children said they enjoyed reading “very much” or “quite a lot” – the lowest level since 2013.  

Also in The Guardian, literary critic and journalist Alice O’Keefe reminds us that 800 libraries have closed down since 2010, and with attention spans dwindling at an alarming rate, books need all the help they can get. She urged parents to “save pennies on the costume, and invest in a book or two instead.” 

The Times reports on a survey which found that 12% of secondary teachers and 14% of primary teachers thought that using “restorative justice” was effective all or much of the time. 

Writing in The Times, Mercy Muroki calls out Labour’s education policy for failing to champion ambition, saying: “There should be no shame or sense of working-class betrayal associated with ambition and educational success.”

The Independent reports that schools are preparing online resources and homework in the event that the spread of CoronaVirus causes widespread closures. 

A TES exclusive reveals that older teachers are being put under “intense” pressure to leave by being “disproportionately” placed on capability procedures and having pay progression "withheld". The NASUWT teaching union also found teachers are being subject to “excessive” observation and scrutiny.

The Conversation features an article by Catherine Lee, Deputy Dean for Education Anglia Ruskin University, whose research looks at how LGBT teachers feel ahead of the new PHSE curriculum coming into force in September. Lee found that equality policies do not necessarily make them feel any safer within their schools. Worryingly, she notes that protests have shown that LGBT teachers are vulnerable, with the DfE anticipating disruption which includes the public victimisation of teachers through social media or harassment in person. 

Further education 

The Independent reports that one in five people would have been better off financially had they not attended university. Research conducted by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that male graduates enjoy an earnings boost of around £130,000 over the course of their working lives compared to £100,000 for women. There was almost no financial gain for men who study creative arts at university.

The publication’s Eleanor Busby highlights the ‘surprising’ finding that women who secure a place at a prestigious university do not gain a clear financial benefit compared to those who go to a university with lower entry requirements. Men who earn a place at a Russell Group university on average earn nearly £400,000 more over their lifetimes than those who attend a less selective institution. 

In a letter to The Guardian, Goldsmith’s Professor Des Freedman criticised the coverage for not focusing on the fact that four-fifths of students do benefit financially from attending University. He said the coverage reflected a “narrow instrumentalist view of the “value” of higher education that equates it...solely with financial benefit”. 

The Times reports that in the 2020 QS World University Rankings Oxford placed top in eight subjects, including anthropology and pharmacology. The US remains dominant in higher education, coming top in 30 subject tables.

CEO of Universities UK Andrew Jarvis makes the case in The Guardian for taking a new approach to higher education so that universities can drive social mobility. Jarvis says universities can support the government in creating opportunities and growth across the UK but the government needs to help in trialling new funding and regulatory approaches.

Writing in The Times, University of Sheffield’s Vice Chancellor Keon Lambert argues a joined-up approach to innovation can help the government’s “levelling up” agenda. The model includes universities, local enterprise partnerships, local and combined authorities and businesses.

The Guardian reports that British Universities could come under “unprecedented scrutiny” as the government turns its attention to how the sector can deliver on the prime minister’s “levelling up” agenda. A report from Policy Exchange calls for Universities to “act to regain the trust of their staff, their communities and the whole nation”.  

Training/Apprenticeships 

BBC News reports that Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has vowed to put an end to firms using the apprenticeship levy to subsidise MBA courses for "highly paid" managers. Mr Williamson says the levy should benefit the job chances of the "disadvantaged" and has ordered a review of the use of apprenticeship cash for senior leaders.