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• Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) Changes Delayed Until September 2025

  Thursday, February 29, 2024

  The DfE confirmed that previously announced changes to the RBA have been delayed to take effect from September 2025 rather than September 2024. The changes would see children answering questions on touchscreen devices instead of worksheets.

• Children’s Commissioner Report Highlights Children Missing From Education

  Monday, February 26, 2024

  Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has responded to the latest research that has shown over 10,000 pupils have left the Education system to destinations that are “unknown” by LAs. The report has prompted recommendations such as:
  
  - Issuing guidance for schools on how to create internal alternative provision.
  - Providing mental health first aid training for all teachers.
  - Making counsellors available to every school.
  - Updating the early career framework with training on SEND.
  - Ensuring Ofsted looks at how schools deregister pupils as part of safeguarding inspections.
  - Training social workers in ‘educational neglect’.

• Self-injury Awareness Day - 1 March 2024

  Thursday, February 22, 2024

  Self-Injury Awareness Day (SIAD) is a worldwide event held on 1 March. The purpose is to raise awareness, understanding and empathy around self-harm and to encourage parents, families, educators, and healthcare professionals to recognise the signs of self-harm.

• DfE Releases New Guidance on Mobile Phones

  Tuesday, February 20, 2024

  The DfE has published new non-statutory guidance on how to develop, implement and maintain a policy that bans the use of mobile phones in school. The DfE has also published ‘Creating a mobile phone-free school environment’ explaining how to communicate a phone-free policy to parents, and case studies on prohibiting phones. The mobile phone section of the DfE’s guidance on ‘Behaviour in Schools’ was also updated.

• Teachers With Second Jobs Increases

  Monday, February 12, 2024

  A Teacher Tap survey revealed that 42% of teachers are taking second jobs amid cost-of-living pressures.
  
  The Teacher Tapp organisation asks its subscribers each January if they have earned money “outside education in the preceding 12 months”.
  
  This January's survey revealed that one in six teachers are now working second jobs. Between 2019 and 2022, the proportion answering ‘yes’ to working a second job remained at about 12% but this year it increased to 17%.
  
  The survey also revealed that male teachers are more likely to be earning money outside education, with 20% of men compared to 16% of women.

• How to Find and Apply for an Apprenticeship

  Thursday, February 8, 2024

  Apprenticeships are a brilliant option for people of all ages to launch their careers, upskill, or retrain in a huge range of exciting industries. There are thousands of apprenticeship vacancies on offer, with more than 690 high-quality apprenticeships approved for use by employers. An apprenticeship is an excellent training route that gives apprentices high-quality, hands-on training and the chance to put the skills you develop into practice every day in the workplace. You’ll also be paid a wage while you train.

• World Read Aloud Day - 7 February 2024

  Wednesday, February 7, 2024

  Today is World Read Aloud Day, a day founded to celebrate the power of reading aloud to create community, to amplify new stories and to advocate for literacy as a foundational human right.
  
  LitWorld has an activity hub containing lots of free resources for schools to get involved.

• Everything You Need to Know About Apprenticeships in Early Years and How to Find One

  Wednesday, February 7, 2024

  Early years educators play a vital and rewarding role in helping children get the best start for life and preparing them to begin school. There are several routes into a role in early years, including apprenticeships. Becoming an apprentice enables you to earn while you learn – you’ll be paid a salary while gaining the qualifications needed for a career in early years.

• Supporting Children and Young People With Their Mental Health

  Tuesday, February 6, 2024

  Schools and colleges play an important role in promoting and supporting student's mental health and wellbeing by creating safe, calm and supportive learning environments. Student voice is key to having an effective approach to wellbeing and is part of mental health guidance. Involving students in decisions that impact them can benefit their mental health and wellbeing by helping them to feel part of the school, college and wider community. The DfE has published six ways they are promoting this.

• EEF Teacher Workload Trial

  Monday, February 5, 2024

  A new teacher workload trial has been announced by Education Endowment Foundation to assess whether ChatGPT can reduce teacher workload. Schools that are interested can sign up to participate and they will receive a payment for contributing to the research.