Daily roundup 2 February: Fire safety, internet groomers and autistic children

Government is jeopardising fire safety in schools, as they are being built without fire sprinklers, the National Education Union and the Fire Brigades Union have said. Writing to Education Secretary Damian Hinds, the assistant general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union Andy Dark has raised concerns over the "low-risk" schools that have been built without fire sprinklers, including the Selsey Academy in West Sussex, which burned down in 2016.


Children as young as three are at risk from internet groomers, the NSPCC has said. The Telegraph reports that the NSPCC has said that, due to the government ignoring advice about social media and mobile games, children can still be targeted by abusers, as there are hidden communication features which give strangers the ability to contact them.


Autistic children should no longer be held back at school, The National Autistic Society has said. Huffington Post reports that chief executives, Mark Lever and Jolanta Lasota have written an open letter to Education Secretary Damian Hinds to ensure that the 120,000 school-aged children on the autism spectrum are no longer held back. The letter, which had 20,000 signatures, was in response to concerns about education for autistic children in a report last November.


Three in four parents do not believe that the internet is a safe place for children, according to a report. The Daily Mail reports that less than a quarter of parents with children aged six to 12 believe that it is safe for their children to go online without adult supervision, a report from Beano.com has found. When asked who should be taking responsibility, 64 per cent said that internet platforms, such as Google, should be leaders.


Almost £1m has been paid to parents in lieu of the tax-free childcare they should have received. The BBC reports that under the flagship government scheme, Revenue & Customs tops up what parents put in by 20 per cent, up to £2,000 per child per year. However, due to glitches on the HMRC website, thousands have been unable to set up accounts in order to access the money they had paid into them, and have been paid a total of £966,666 in lieu.


York could become home to a "centre for excellence" for disabled children and their families. York Press reports that the executive member for children and young people, Suzie Mercer, has said that the plans are part of a wider vision to help children and young people in York stay in their homes, with their health, care and education needs being met.