Schools

Researchers say findings are not reason to shy away from restrictions as MPs consider ban in England’s schoolsStrict bans on mobile phones in schools have “close to zero” impact on student learning and show no evidence of improvements in attendance or online bullying, a study has found.Researchers at US universities including Stanford and Duke looked at nearly 1,800 US schools where students’ phones were kept in locked pouches and found little or no differences in outcomes compared with similar schools without strict bans. Continue reading...

Phase Space pilot programme with NHS mental health trust used to calm anxiety around exams, ADHD and home troublesSchools have begun deploying virtual reality to help pupils cope with stress caused by impending exams, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or difficult home lives.All 15 secondary schools in the London borough of Sutton are using VR headsets made by tech firm Phase Space in a pilot in conjunction with the local NHS mental health trust. Continue reading...

NAHT survey says widespread disrepair forcing closure of playgrounds and classrooms, with Send facilities also hitHalf of headteachers say parts of their school are either out of use or unfit for purpose due to leaks, damp, mould, asbestos, ageing boilers and malfunctioning fire doors, according to a new survey by the National Association of Head Teachers(NAHT).Among those who say their schools are suffering, almost three-quarters (73%) say they have toilet blocks that are either closed (8%) or not fit for purpose (65%). Continue reading...

More than 70% have cut down in past year on teaching assistants, who play key role in helping children with SendTwo-fifths of school leaders in England have been forced to cut back on support for children with special educational needs due to a financial crisis “more than a decade in the making”, according to a poll.Seven out of 10 (71%) leaders say they have cut down on teaching assistants (TAs) in the past year, while 49% have reduced support staff. The crisis could escalate as 81% warn of further cuts in the year ahead. Continue reading...

Government amendment to children’s wellbeing and schools bill to replace existing guidance with statutory banA ban on mobile phones in schools in England is to be introduced by the government to ensure that “critical safeguarding legislation” is passed.The government will table an amendment to the children’s wellbeing and schools bill in the House of Lords after the bill was held up by peers on opposition benches. Continue reading...

Former minister leading review into young people and work cites survey showing most teachers decry lack of ‘soft skills’ An “exam-obsessed” school system is leaving young people unprepared for work, Alan Milburn has said, as new polling suggests teachers believe pupils are leaving education without the skills they need for adult life.Milburn, a former cabinet minister under Tony Blair and now leading a government-commissioned review into young people and work, said the system had become overly focused on academic sorting rather than real-world readiness. Continue reading...

Capital’s schools hardest hit in England and Wales by rising housing costs and falling birthrate, with further falls predicted in coming yearsSchools in London continue to be hardest hit by housing costs and the falling birthrate. Further closures and mergers of primary schools are expected after a sharp fall in the number of children entering reception classes in the capital.London’s boroughs will have nearly 3,000 fewer infants aged four enrolling at the start of the next school year in September, according to school place offers announced by local authorities across England. Continue reading...

UK motoring group fined £4.2m for not showing full price of lessons at time of bookingThe AA has been fined £4.2m and ordered to make payments to more than 80,000 learner drivers for not showing the full price of lessons at the time of booking, an illegal practice known as “drip pricing”.The UK competition watchdog, which launched an investigation into the practices employed by the AA Driving School and BSM Driving School last year, said that the AA-owned businesses must repay more than £760,000 as a result. Continue reading...

Home Office will use mapping technology and crime data to identify up to 250 schools in areas of greatest riskSchools across England are to receive dedicated support to prevent knife crime incidents in a hyper-targeted Home Office programme that uses mapping technology to identify areas of risk down to the level of specific groups of streets.Under the £1.2m scheme – part of a series of initiatives launched under a government pledge to halve knife crime within a decade – a maximum of 250 schools will receive help. Continue reading...

Misogynistic abuse of female staff is increasing, leaving teachers feeling ‘traumatised’ and ‘humiliated’Teachers’ leaders have said a “masculinity crisis” is fermenting in schools across the UK, with misogynistic abuse of female staff on the increase, leaving victims “traumatised”, “demeaned” and “humiliated”.Almost a quarter of female teachers who took part in a union survey said they have been the target of misogyny from a pupil over the past 12 months – the highest proportion in the last four years of surveys. Continue reading...

Daniel Kebede tells delegates, government’s education policies fall short as he signals growing support for Greens’ among teachersThe leader of the UK’s biggest education union has torn into the government’s record on schools, accusing Labour of letting down the nation’s children and failing to deliver on its promises for education.Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, was unsparing in his criticism of education secretary Bridget Phillipson’s policies in a speech to delegates at the NEU’s annual conference in Brighton on Thursday. Continue reading...

School food has suffered at the hands of politics and economics for almost 50 yearsAlmost a generation has passed since Jamie Oliver’s four-part Channel 4 documentary series Jamie’s School Dinners exposed the unhealthy reality of the food served to pupils at lunchtime, including – notoriously – fat-heavy, meat-light Turkey Twizzlers. It proved a shaming and effective intervention. His ensuing Feed Me Better campaign led the then prime minister, Tony Blair, to pledge to make school lunches more nutritious and hand schools more money to do that, given the average lunch at that time cost just 45p to make.Problem solved? Unfortunately not. Continue reading...

• On March 25, 2026, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 26-1001, the Housing Options Made Easier (HOME) Act, enabling public schools, colleges, and universities to bypass local zoning rules for building housing within three miles of municipalities or counties over 5,000 population. • Developments can reach three stories or match local height limits, marking the first major 2026 housing law in a Democratic push for affordable stock; Polis also signed Senate Bill 26-001 expanding local tax use and credits for workforce housing. • The bill passed despite all Republicans and two House Democrats opposing it, aiming to address housing shortages through institutional properties.

Only 38% of parents without care plans felt teachers in mainstream schools had the tools to deal with special needsParents of children with special needs in England feel alienated from their schools if they don’t have legal protection, according to the biggest representative survey of its kind.In a finding that will cause consternation among government ministers, the survey of parents found that those of children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) but no education, health and care plan (EHCP) were the least satisfied group in the education system. Continue reading...

Australian Education Union members to rally outside state parliament in dispute over pay and conditionsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastClasses have been halted across Victoria as thousands of striking public school teachers, principals and education support staff prepare to descend on state parliament for a rally over pay and conditions.According to the Australian Education Union’s Victorian president, Justin Mullaly, up to 500 schools would either be closed or “significantly affected” as a result of the first strike in the state’s public school system in more than 13 years. Continue reading...

The measles outbreak in Colorado tied to two Broomfield schools has grown to 10 cases, including two new confirmed infections and one suspected as of March 12. Public health teams are tracing exposures and urging quarantines. This cluster underscores vulnerabilities in school vaccination coverage amid rising national measles alerts. Officials plan expanded testing and contact tracing to halt further spread.

The measles outbreak linked to two schools in Broomfield, Colorado, has reached up to 10 cases, including two new confirmed infections and one suspected case reported on March 12. Public health officials are investigating exposures and urging vaccinations in the affected communities. This cluster highlights ongoing risks in under-vaccinated school groups amid national resurgence. Contact tracing and quarantine measures are ongoing to contain spread.

A measles outbreak linked to two schools in Broomfield, Colorado has grown to as many as 10 confirmed and suspected cases, with two new confirmed infections and one suspected infection reported on March 12, 2026. The outbreak represents an emerging public health concern in the state as measles continues to spread in pockets across the United States. Health officials are working to identify additional exposures and contain further transmission in the affected school communities.