Hero Slinn, head of SEND, and Tim Jones, principal educational psychologist, Buckinghamshire County Council

Service restructure helps Buckinghamshire Council slow rise in SEND cases

Special Educational Needs
Ofsted says its focus is on how children are cared for, with size and structure of providers ‘largely irrelevant’. Picture: JackF/Adobe Stock

Inspections Clinic: Large social care providers

Ofsted
Joint-working initiatives between local authorities, CCGs and schools can strengthen mental health provision. Picture: GraphicRoyalty/Adobe Stock

Commissioning of therapies

Commissioning
Researchers say reversing cuts to Sure Start could be effective as part of a wider approach to reducing childhood obesity. Picture: Adobe Stock

Impact of Cuts to Spending on Children’s Centres on Childhood Obesity

Early Years
Illustration: Design Circle/Adobe Stock

Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) – tackling violence

Families/Parenting
The welfare of the adopted person must be considered. Picture: PheelingsMedia/Adobe Stock

Legal Update: Post-commencement adoptions

Children's rights
Clare Erasmus: “I like to think of myself as a wellbeing warrior – someone fighting to ensure our schools are mentally healthy places”

How I Got Here: Clare Erasmus

Education
The Right Angle offers each pupil taking part in the scheme 12 hours of tuition in English and maths and up to 10 hours of counselling. Picture: The Right Angle

Pupils get the right support to achieve more

Education
A focus on early help and young people’s participation in decisions has contributed to Sunderland’s ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating. Picture: Christopher Tait/Adobe Stock

Sunderland City Council: Local Spotlight

Children's Services
Paul Oginsky: "Fund professional youth workers to support young people to develop healthy relationships."

Call for sector to back common purpose for youth work

Youth Work
Better awareness among education professionals has helped improve identification of children whose learning needs would have previously gone unnoticed. Picture: Bramfield House School

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: Special Report

Education
Under the scheme, eligible children will get two pairs of glasses

Free glasses to boost literacy skills among poor pupils

Education