Ofsted
Outstanding schools which have not been inspected for at least three years will be told if they can expect an inspection in next six months by January 2025 or September 2025 (previously they were only told to expect a visit any time before August 2025)
Schools will continue to be told of a inspection only one day in advance.
Schools downgraded because of eg safeguarding concerns will be re inspected within three months to give them a chance to address problem and improve their grade.
Ofsted has promised to speed up the complaints process.
Headteachers will no longer have to keep secret the draft results of the inspection.
Outstanding schools that have not been inspected for a long time will be invited to face to face seminars with Ofsted to tell them what to expect.
Additional mental health funding to support an extra 500 head teachers by March 2024.
SLEEP TRAINING
Evidence on sleep training is a mess because measuring babies sleep is not easy, much relies on parents self reporting which can lack objectivity.
Some parents with babies who had sleep problems were given extra sleep training.
Some parents were encouraged to let the baby cry it out ( not responding to their cries and waiting until they fall asleep or to wait a certain duration before checking on them) However letting babies cry it out will increase levels of cortisol to potentially dangerous levels,
Best advice is for parents to read up on techniques and try different strategies to see which work.
EXTENDED NURTURE FOR A YEAR OR MORE CAN LEAD TO A GRADES AT GCSE
A study by the University of Oxford found that children breastfed for over twelve months were three times more likely to achieve an A or A* grade in GCSE Maths and English.
For the study researchers followed nearly 5000 young people in the Millenium Cohort Study.
DISPOSABLE VAPE BAN
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is urging ministers to outlaw single use products after an unprecedented rise in schoolchildren using them.
Figures from NHS Digital show that one in five 15 year olds used e-cigarettes in 2021 and research from Action on Smoking found that experimental use of e-cigarettes among 11-17 year olds this year had gone up by 50% from 7.7% in 2022 to 11.6%.
Youth vaping is fast becoming an epidemic among children according to a paediatric respiratory consultant.
A new Government crackdown on vape marketing will prevent the unacceptable targeting of children and young people with a pledge to close the loophole which allows retailers to give free samples to children in England.
SCAM EXAM PAPERS
A level and GCSE pupils have been duped into paying hundreds of pounds to buy fake exam papers on social media.
Prices paid were from £500- £900 per paper.
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