Education
London in skills devolution call
The capital has called on the Government to further devolve powers over skills funding.
The true value of showing your support
Cllr Izzi Seccombe outlines the benefits of a new recruitment and development scheme to help those in Warwickshire with special educational needs and disabilities gain entry to the workforce.
A flexible plan for every sick child
North Yorkshire CC is proposing to adopt a virtual school approach and more options for learning for those who can’t attend school because of medical needs. Jane le Sage explains the thinking behind the strategy.
Is this a sustainable first step away from austerity?
Andrew Burns says the Spending Round sent a strong positive signal, but short- and medium-term questions remain over funding – and the macroeconomic climate does little to put services back on a sustainable long-term path.
Putting young people at the centre of today’s and tomorrow’s care
Richard Betts discusses how local authorities are transforming data and information flow through interoperability to deliver more joined-up care for children and families
Review for SEND support
The Government has announced a major review into the support offered to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Brexit guidance 'inadequate'
Guidance provided by the Government in relation to the potential impact of a no-deal Brexit on children’s services and education is ‘inadequate,’ a think-tank has claimed.
The Prime Minister must fix the Special Educational Needs funding system
The system of ‘misaligned incentives’ for Special Educational Needs, with local government as the ‘funder of last resort’ is fundamentally flawed, says Robert Pollock.
One in five fail to keep schools deficit below 1%
One in five councils with education responsibilities have failed to keep their dedicated schools grant (DSG) deficit below 1% of the total, The MJ can reveal.
Moray warned time is running out
Audit Scotland has told a council that it has 'limited time' to curb spending before its reserves run out.
Children's services, adult social care top list of complaints
Most complaints about councils received by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) in 2018/19 concerned education, children’s services and adult social care.
Winning approach to summer learning loss
Michael Barrett outlines how Kent CC’s Rob Comber (above) faced off nine other candidates in the 10th year of the LG Challenge to become the overall winner – with a summer programme proposal to tackle the educational impact of child poverty
A challenging story of ‘care and neglect’
Tom Stannard says there is much to support in the Augar review for local government in terms of fixing a broken policy and funding system for further education (FE) and higher education (HE), but there is a ‘risk it goes the way of the adult social care Green Paper in the Spending Review and suffers multiple delays and dilutions’
We need to invest in community action to deliver on environmental promises
Graham Duxbury says Michael Gove’s recent speech on the Environment Bill missed out the education, infrastructure and peer pressure that’s needed to make change happen.
Kent warned over SEND deficit
Members of Kent CC have been warned that the high needs budget deficit will exceed Government limits within a year.
EXCLUSIVE: England’s top 10 councils for children with high needs revealed
England’s 10 best performing councils for children with high needs have been identified by IMPOWER, and are revealed by The MJ today.
Treasurers warn of SEND funding crisis
Council treasurers have issued a stark warning over Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) funding, claiming councils are facing a snowballing ‘crisis’ which shows ‘no sign of slowing down’.
The Armed Forces Covenant
The Armed Forces Covenant Team are at LGA ‘19 – here they discuss their important work.
Chief executives least likely to be privately educated
Council chief executives are among the least likely to have been privately educated compared to those working in government, media and sport, a new report has found.
Funding pledged for Scottish councils to tackle period poverty
Councils in Scotland will receive £2m in funding to continue provision of free sanitary products in schools.