Children are being prescribed anti-depressants when they don't need them, according to the government's mental health for schools champion, Natasha Devon. The Daily Mail reports that Devon said many children often just need peers to stop bullying them rather than medication.
Parents will have their status in the family downgraded by the Scottish government’s controversial “state guardian” plan, it has been claimed. The Telegraph reports that campaigners said documents about the scheme suggested that children should regard a “named person” as the “head gardener” while mothers and fathers are merely “gardeners”.
More than a third of children in year 6 were obese or overweight in 2014/15, according to data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre. The data also highlights that children in the most deprived areas are twice as likely to be obese as children in the least deprived areas.
Labour's shadow childcare minister has urged parents in Lincoln who are angry over government proposals for new SAT exams and proposals to turn all schools into academies not to take their children out of school on strike. The Lincolnite reports that Sharon Hodgson said that while she had sympathy for the parents, she did not believe that taking their children out of school in protest was the right answer.
An NHS-run nursery in Sheffield has been rated "inadequate" by Ofsted. The Sheffield Telegraph reports that the nursery was failing on leadership, teaching, children's welfare and pre-school development. The Sheffield Telegraph reports that the nursery was given the lowest mark for all four areas of inspection and has been urged to improve standards.
The families of two severely disabled children are taking legal action against West Berkshire Council, claiming budget cuts are "unlawful". The Newbury Today reports that the legal action is on the basis that funding cuts to short break services of £345,000 for disabled children breach regulations.
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