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Children's News Feed

Automatically curated from DfE announcements, education news, and sector updates.

Children's Commissioner Warns Falling Strip Search Numbers Mask Safeguarding Failures

Almost a third of children subjected to police strip searches have been searched before, raising serious concerns about missed opportunities to safeguard vulnerable children. New data from the Children's Commissioner reveals persistent ethnic disparities despite an overall drop in the practice between 2018 and 2024.

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Schools Apr 21, 2026

Phones to be banned in schools by law in England under government plans

Education minister Jacqui Smith said the move would create "a clear legal requirement for schools".

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Schools Apr 21, 2026

Mobile phones to be banned in schools by law under new government plans

The government has announced plans to introduce a legal requirement for schools in England to ban mobile phones. Education Minister Jacqui Smith confirmed the move would create a clear statutory duty for headteachers and governing bodies to prohibit mobile device use on school premises.

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Safeguarding 3 months ago

Children's Commissioner Warns Falling Strip Search Numbers Mask Safeguarding Failures

Read Summary

Schools 3 months ago

Phones to be banned in schools by law in England under government plans

Education minister Jacqui Smith said the move would create "a clear legal requirement for schools".

Read Summary

Schools 3 months ago

Mobile phones to be banned in schools by law under new government plans

Read Summary

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Policy Apr 20, 2026

'Huge relief' as students given loans 'in error' get repayment reprieve

Approximately 22,000 weekend students had been told their courses were never eligible for student finance.

Policy Apr 20, 2026

Thousands of Students Granted Loan Repayment Reprieve After Administrative Error

Approximately 22,000 weekend students have been granted relief from student loan repayments after discovering their courses were wrongly classified as ineligible for finance. The error caused significant distress to part-time learners who faced unexpected demands to return funds.

Policy Apr 19, 2026

New university free speech complaints system to come into force this year

Universities could face fines of £500,000 or 2% of their income if they are found to have failed to protect free speech.

Policy Apr 19, 2026

Universities face £500,000 fines under new free speech complaints system

A new complaints system for university free speech will launch this year, with institutions facing penalties of up to £500,000 or two per cent of their income for failing to protect lawful expression on campus. The measures represent a significant shift in higher education regulation.

Schools Apr 19, 2026

School Food Standards Overhaul: Why Ministers Must Avoid Quick Fixes on Childhood Obesity

The Department for Education has announced updated school food standards for the first time in thirteen years, marking a significant shift in nutritional policy. However, The Guardian editorial warns that while higher standards are welcome, tackling childhood obesity requires sustained commitment rather than "grab-and-go" solutions.

Skills & Employment Apr 19, 2026

Fee hikes, big bonuses, then bosses exit: the curious case of City & Guilds privatisation

Sale of vocational training brand and million-pound executive pay deals now subject to Charity Commission inquiryWhen electrician Charlie Butler was contacted by City & Guilds last autumn, he received a shock.He had branched out to launch a new company schooling future sparkies in Essex, offerin...

Schools Apr 17, 2026

‘No cheeseburgers … they would go bankrupt’: pupils reject plan to cut fatty foods from lunch menus

Though welcomed by chefs and campaigners, many schools say the government’s plan to remove ‘grab and go’ options from the menu is a step too farIt is lunchtime at Richard Challoner school, a Catholic comprehensive for boys in New Malden, south-west London. The familiar smell of school lunch is begin...

Safeguarding Apr 16, 2026

Things can't go on like this with online safety, Starmer tells tech bosses

It comes as the government continues to consult on whether to ban under-16s from social media in the UK.

Social Care Apr 16, 2026

Children's Commissioner Data Reveals Scale of Childhoods Spent in Unsuitable B&Bs

New data from the Children's Commissioner for England reveals that tens of thousands of children are spending significant portions of their childhoods in unsuitable bed and breakfast accommodation. The research highlights cramped conditions, lack of privacy, and children sharing facilities with strangers, prompting urgent calls for policy action to end this practice.

Schools Apr 16, 2026

The city where primary school places come with a toilet-training guide

Teachers say more children are starting school without skills like basic communication and potty training.

Education Apr 15, 2026

Nine universities start legal action over student loan error row

About 22,000 students in England were told they were given loans by mistake and must immediately pay the money back.

Social Care Apr 13, 2026

Statement from the Children’s Commissioner in response to Southport inquiry’s key findings

The Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza responds to findings from the first phase of the Southport inquiry, released today by Sir Adrian Fulford. “The findings from today’s inquiry into the terrible events in Southport in summer 2024 are a bleak reminder why the way children’s s...

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