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Children's News Feed

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

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Safeguarding 2 weeks ago

Children's Commissioner Backs Midnight Curfew to Protect Teenagers Online

Dame Rachel de Souza has called for a midnight social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds, arguing that young people want protection from addictive algorithms and online harms rather than outright bans. The Commissioner emphasised the need to safeguard teenagers from dangerous strangers and explicit content whilst respecting their digital autonomy.

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Humanities Degrees at Risk as Universities Cut 4,000 Academic Posts
Skills & Employment Jul 14, 2026

Humanities Degrees at Risk as Universities Cut 4,000 Academic Posts

Thousands of academic posts in humanities and social sciences are being lost as financially precarious universities cut programmes including languages, classics and theology. The British Academy warns this will create 'education cold spots' and threatens social mobility, with business studies, law and English also facing reductions despite their strategic importance to the workforce.

Nurseries Under Strain: Managing Cashflow Amid Rising Costs and Changing Funding
Policy Jul 14, 2026

Nurseries Under Strain: Managing Cashflow Amid Rising Costs and Changing Funding

Nursery settings across the UK are facing severe financial pressures as operational costs escalate and government funding arrangements shift. With parental expectations for quality care continuing to grow, early years providers must navigate increasingly complex financial waters to maintain sustainable provision.

Safeguarding under-fives from AI image manipulation risks, experts urge
Safeguarding Jul 14, 2026

Safeguarding under-fives from AI image manipulation risks, experts urge

Experts have warned that campaigns addressing the risks posed by AI manipulation of children's images shared online must specifically include families with children under five. Current safeguarding efforts may be overlooking this vulnerable age group, who require particular protection from emerging digital harms.

Research Reveals Widest Attainment Gap Emerges in Early Years
Education Jul 14, 2026

Research Reveals Widest Attainment Gap Emerges in Early Years

New research indicates that the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers is wider during the early years than at any other education phase. The findings emphasise the critical importance of early intervention and support services to address inequality before children begin primary school.

Free school meal pupils face widening attainment gap, report warns
Policy Jul 14, 2026

Free school meal pupils face widening attainment gap, report warns

The Education Policy Institute has warned that pupils eligible for free school meals are falling further behind their peers academically. The report urges the new government to tackle educational inequality with "laser-like focus" to prevent the disadvantage gap from widening further.

Paediatricians warn UK is raising 'unhealthiest generation in decades'
Policy Jul 14, 2026

Paediatricians warn UK is raising 'unhealthiest generation in decades'

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health's latest State of Child Health report reveals that children's health and wellbeing across the UK has declined or stalled over the past decade. Experts warn that the nation is raising one of the unhealthiest generations in recent memory, calling for urgent cross-government action to address the social determinants of health.

DfE updates EYFS framework with new infant sleep safety requirements
Policy Jul 13, 2026

DfE updates EYFS framework with new infant sleep safety requirements

The Department for Education has published an updated Early Years Foundation Stage framework introducing stricter safeguarding requirements for babies under 12 months in childcare settings. The changes mandate that infants must sleep in cots whilst under the care of childminders and in group-based provision, alongside strengthened guidance on screen use.