The UK government has issued new guidance on how much time children below the age of five should spend on screens. The guidance has been developed with input from parents and an expert panel led by Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza and Professor Russell Viner, a paediatrician and specialist in children’s health. It recommends that children under two should avoid screen time altogether, except for shared activities that encourage interaction such as video calls….
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Young people transitioning from child to adult healthcare services often face significant gaps in care and support. Too old for children’s healthcare but not yet ready for adult systems, it can be an intimidating transition that makes young people feel particularly vulnerable. To address this challenge, digital learning company Desq has partnered with South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Acute Federation and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust in the UK to deliver targeted training for professionals working with young…
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The Youth Justice Board (YJB) has published a new Evidence and Insights Pack examining harmful sexual behaviour, misogyny and violence carried out by children across England and Wales. The report shows proven sexual offences by children rose by 47% in 2023–24, followed by a further 6% increase in the latest year (the YJB notes however this may partly reflect improved reporting and detection). The research also highlights the widespread experiences of sexual harassment and image-based…
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New research from the National Literacy Trust has found that socioeconomic pressures, alongside gaps in confidence and knowledge, are contributing to a decline in parents’ engagement with activities that support early literacy. In a survey of 3,000 parents of 0–5 year olds, fewer than half said they read daily with their children (45.9%), just over half played daily (51.6%), and while chatting daily remains most common (70.2%), all three activities have fallen sharply since 2019 (22%). Key…
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The UK government has launched what it describes as a “landmark” and highly ambitious three-month public consultation to shape future policies on children’s digital wellbeing. It is seeking views from parents, carers, young people, academics and professionals who work with children on how to better protect them across social media, gaming platforms and AI chatbots. Building on the Online Safety Act 2023, the consultation will examine how technology affects children’s daily lives and aims to…
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Posts gamifying school violence have appeared on young people’s social media accounts across London this week. Accounts promoting ‘school wars’ have been created on Snapchat and TikTok, encouraging secondary school pupils to fight each other, sometimes with the aid of weapons. This is an issue the Metropolitan Police Service are investigating thoroughly. Speaking about the issue, Commander Neerav Patel says his department has been in contact with platforms to take the accounts down. He also…
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Researchers from King’s College and UCL, UK, have studied the associations between autistic and ADHD traits in childhood to later eating behaviours in adolescence. The study made use of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, using data from 7,572 respondents living in the Southwest of England. Neurodiverse traits were recorded by parents when their child was aged 7, focusing on autism and ADHD. Parents were also asked to complete a survey to access…
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Bridgit Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, says schools should be phone-free for the entire day – there are to be no exceptions for research or calculator usage amongst pupils. This statement comes after the Department for Education published guidance for local authorities, academies, and further education providers, and the House of Lords has now backed that. In the report, the advice to schools states that pupils are not to use their devices at any point, including during…
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Advice to parents on screentime for babies and toddlers is set to change in the UK. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson is in support of new guidance, which coincides with research linking screentime to language delays in children under two. “Parents, teachers and nursery workers talk about children arriving at nursery and school and finding it harder to hold conversations, focus, or engage in learning”. A study of 4,758 parents found children with high levels of screentime, nearing…
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What is the experience of young people with special educational needs (SEN) who attend school in England? Researchers drew on findings from a 2021-2022 Office for National Statistics study to answer this question. Participants included 62 young people aged 11-16, each of whom had either a SEN diagnosis, or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). They were educated at mainstream schools, pupil referral units, special schools, or elective home education. To understand the provision they…
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