Schools to offer ear, eye and dental checks
Children and young people in England with special educational needs are to be offered NHS eyesight, dental and ear checks in their schools from next year.
GCSE post-pandemic support to continue
The education secretary has said GCSE students should continue to be given formula and equation sheets to help in their exams.
EdCity community inclusion project launched by schools
Ark Schools collaborates with Hammersmith and Fulham council to turn a playground into a new community
Attendance research commission launches
ImpactEd, in partnership with schools, charities and other organisations, launches a “high level research commission” to look at pupil engagement and attendance.
Concerns over lack of places for childcare extension
Primary schools may not have enough space or staff to deliver the 100,000 new nursery places in England promised by the government, early childhood experts have warned.
Research
Translating neuroscience to early childhood education:
A scoping review of neuroscience-based professional learning for early childhood educators
[Walsh et al. 2024]
This paper by Walshe et al (2024) investigates how neuroscience concepts are being translated into educational practices for early childhood educators (ECEC).
It highlights the critical importance of early childhood as a period for brain development, which can influence lifelong learning, behaviour, and wellbeing. To explore how neuroscience is being integrated into educational practice, the authors conducted a scoping review of both scientific and grey literature. The aim was to assess the characteristics and approaches of professional development programs that help educators apply neuroscience in early childhood settings.
The discussion highlights the diversity of the programs reviewed, which aim to upskill the early childhood education workforce in neuroscience-informed practices.
Walsh et al emphasise the need for high-quality professional learning that effectively translates neuroscience to benefit early childhood education.
The study concludes that international interest in using neuroscience to support early childhood development is growing, but successful translation into practice requires well-designed professional development programs for educators.
Free school meals in Yorkshire and the Humber
[Child Poverty Action Group & The Food Foundation, 2024]
This research briefing looks at free school meals (FSMs) in Yorkshire and the Humber, including new statistics on the number of children in poverty in each local authority missing out on this entitlement.
70,000 school-age children in poverty in Yorkshire and the Humber do not qualify for FSMs.
Analysis shows that every local authority (LA) across the region has at least 1,000 children in poverty who miss out, and this rises to as many as 14,000 in some LAs.
Across Yorkshire and the Humber, schools and LAs are helping to register eligible pupils and extend provision to more families. This is making a difference to the numbers of children benefiting from FSMs.
Children and young people from Halifax Academy in West Yorkshire explain why they want to see more children accessing FSMs.
CPAG and The Food Foundation encourage LAs and Metro Mayors to do all they can to increase the number of children benefitting from FSMs, but recognise the different and difficult environments they operate in.
The paper also outlines recommendations for government and policy makers.
Tees Valley Education will continue to work alongside organisations such as the North East Child Poverty Commission, BiteBack and CPAG et al to further champion the need for these policies to be addressed at scale.
An evidence-based approach to supporting children in the preschool years
Child of the North 2024 Campaign (Report 9)
[COTN, N8 Research Partnership, CfYL et al, 2024]
The ninth report in a year-long series – produced jointly by Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives – that seeks to deliver a country that works for all children and young people, makes a series of proposals to tackle the high number of children starting school not ‘school ready’, and the crisis in early years and childcare provision – particularly in disadvantaged areas.
The report, An evidence-based approach to supporting children in the preschool years, sets out how high quality early years settings play a crucial role in supporting successful development in young children, including their language, social, emotional, and physical skills, and behaviour.
In 2022/23, a third of children were not considered school ready, with 45% of children receiving Free School Meals not school ready.
The percentage of school ready children varies across the country, from just 59% school readiness in Manchester to 84% in London.
Children who are not school ready are around three times more likely to be NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) by the ages of 16-17.
The report contains a plethora of research and best practice links.
Like our previous reports, the paper provides actionable recommendations for policy makers and those supporting children throughout the preschool years.
Remember, you can sign up for updates about future research reports here.
Ultra-processed food intake in toddlerhood and mid-childhood in the UK:
Cross sectional and longitudinal perspectives
[Conway et al, 2024]
A recent study led by UCL researchers reveals that nearly half (47%) of toddlers' caloric intake in the UK comes from ultra-processed foods (UPFs), rising to 59% by the age of seven.
The most common UPFs for toddlers were flavoured yoghurts and wholegrain cereals, while older children favoured sweet cereals, white bread, and puddings.
The study, analysing data from 2,591 children, highlights that high consumption of UPFs is linked to increased intake of sugar and salt, which exceeds recommended levels.
Conway et al (2024) noted that early consumption of UPFs can shape long-term eating habits, with toddlers who ate more UPFs likely to continue doing so at age seven. They also raised concerns that UPFs may reduce children's exposure to the natural flavours of whole foods, hindering the development of healthy eating habits. The study calls for policies to limit UPF marketing to children and encourage healthier eating through subsidies for fresh, minimally processed foods.
The findings stress the challenge parents face in feeding children healthily, given the affordability and marketing of highly processed foods that often contain hidden sugars and salts.
The impact of Chatta
[Shine, 2024]
Freda, a six-year-old from a low-income family, faced significant challenges, including emotional trauma and delayed communication, language, and social development.
Starting at St Anne's Catholic Primary School in Liverpool, Freda's language was severely limited. However, her school introduced Chatta, an interactive audio-visual tool designed to support language development, as part of a SHINE-funded project.
Chatta, an award-winning tool which links images with language, has been described by an early years leader at one of the participating schools as “the most exciting thing I’ve seen in education for 20 years”.
The two-year project, funded by a £97,000 grant from SHINE, aims to support pupil progress in vocabulary use, and oral composition and remove barriers to writing. It also aims to close gaps in attainment for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
(Source: https://shinetrust.org.uk)
Find out more about Chatta and the fantastic work that they are doing across communities here,
Leading a culture where disadvantaged students can thrive
[Fraser et al, 2024]
This blog from Fraser et al (2024) at Manchester Community Academy explores how the school helped to embed a whole-school approach to both understanding and tackling barriers to learning caused by disadvantage.
The blog outlines the school's approach to supporting disadvantaged students, focusing on challenging negative stereotypes, creating structured environments, prioritising teaching and pastoral care, offering personal development opportunities, and maintaining a relentless drive for improvement.
It concludes with a message about fostering pride in one's background while striving for future achievements.
The blog is also helpful for challenging myths and misconceptions that can exist around disadvantage and educational inequality. It explores how the school helped to challenge these and ensure a collective understanding of what inequality really means in terms of the day-to-day reality for students in the community.
Opportunities
Evaluating the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme
Primary school responses needed!
The School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds is conducting an evaluation of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS), which provides a free daily portion of fruit or vegetables to children in reception and Key Stage 1 at state primary schools.
This study, in collaboration with key stakeholders, aims to assess whether the SFVS promotes healthier eating habits in children and will explore whether the scheme should be continued in its current form, modified, or discontinued.
The School of Food Science and Nutrition invites your participation in co-designing this project, including the development of materials such as surveys and creative methods.
Your input will help ensure that the research asks the right questions and that data collection methods are robust, easy to understand, and simple to implement.
Please take a moment to answer the brief questions to support the design of a co-design workshop with key stakeholders.
The Firefly Project
A guiding light through grief for children and young people
We are delighted to be working alongside The Firefly Project team as part of our work with Fair Education Alliance and PLACE.
The Firefly Project aims to tackle the taboos that prevent us from talking about loss and open up the conversation by bringing proactive grief education to the classroom.
The project team offer a proactive approach to grief for schools, universities and in the community through fully-funded workshops that combine grief education with social emotional learning and 21st Century skill development.
You can find out more about the work of the team how they support schools and organisations by clicking on the image below