News

20 Aug 2008 Huge Success for 'Dragons' Den' Style Projects for Young People Young people taking part in 'Dragons' Den' type panels to fund youth projects have seen their confidence and social skills soar, their behaviour improve and their standing in the community increased, according to a report issued today by Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes.
19 Aug 2008 £4.5 Million for Positive Youth Activities and to Improve Community Relations Young people across the country are to experience adventure, arts, media projects and residential summer camps, thanks to a £4.5 million cash injection, outlined today by the Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes.
15 Aug 2008 August Update on National Curriculum Test Delivery Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, has today written to the Chair of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, Barry Sheerman, to update him on developments in relation to National Curriculum tests.
14 Aug 2008 A Call to Action for the Capital’s Families Organisations from across London are pledging to do more to tackle child poverty in the Capital.
11 Aug 2008 Top Academics & Employers to Develop New Subject Diplomas Partnerships including Oxford academics, British Airways, other leading educational experts and industry leaders will come together to develop the next three Diplomas, in science, languages and humanities, the Government has announced.
11 Aug 2008 From Music Biz Wannabes to Euro-Wombats, Thanks to New Government Languages Campaign A group of youngsters will compete to fulfil their dreams of joining a rock band on a European tour as part of a new £6 million government advertising campaign to encourage young people to carry on studying foreign languages.
8 Aug 2008 Managing Body Appointed to Provide Support and Investment in Youth Third Sector On 7 August 2008 a consortium led by ECOTEC was announced as the successful bidder to act as the managing body for the Government’s £100 million Youth Sector Development Fund (YSDF).
7 Aug 2008 Latest Update on National Curriculum Test Delivery Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, has today written to the Chair of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, Barry Sheerman, to update him on developments in relation to National Curriculum testing and the publication schedule for Key Stage 3 results.
7 Aug 2008 £27.92m Capital Investment to Rebuild Flood Damaged Primary Schools On 6 August 2008, Schools Minister Jim Knight announced £27.92m new capital funding for Hull, East Riding, Worcestershire and Merton - to rebuild new primary schools and prevent future damage after last summer’s unprecedented flooding.
5 Aug 2008 Minister Welcomes Key Stage 2 Results Schools Minister Jim Knight today welcomed the improvements in provisional test results for 11-year-olds.
31 Jul 2008 Video Games consultation As part of the Government’s implementation of the Byron Review recommendations, on children and new media, the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) is asking for your views on the current classification system for video games.
31 Jul 2008 Update on National Curriculum Test Delivery Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, has today written to the Chair of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, Barry Sheerman, to update him on developments in relation to National Curriculum testing and the publication schedule for Key Stage 2 results.
29 Jul 2008 £10m a Year to Train Special Educational Needs Leaders Schools will be funded to train their Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) - the key teaching leader responsible for the learning and support of all children with special educational needs - under plans announced by Schools Minister Andrew Adonis.
29 Jul 2008 More to do to Protect Children’s Psychological Health and Wellbeing There have been notable improvements in how services promote and protect the psychological health and wellbeing of our children and young people, but there is still a great deal more to do, according to the interim report from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Review published today.
28 Jul 2008 Extra Cash and More Summer Schools for Gifted and Talented Pupils Schools Minister Andrew Adonis today announced a package of support to encourage disadvantaged ‘gifted and talented’ pupils to apply for some of the country’s top universities.
21 Jul 2008 Update: National Curriculum Test Delivery Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, has today written to the Chair of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, Barry Sheerman, to update him on developments in relation to National Curriculum testing and the delivery of 2008 Key Stage Two and Three tests.
21 Jul 2008 Capability Review: Delivering on Our Mission to Make this Country the Best Place in the World to Grow Up The Department for Children, Schools and Families is improving in all areas and is in a strong position to deliver on the new challenges set out in the Children’s Plan according to the DCSF Capability Review, published on 17 July 2008 by the Cabinet Office.
18 Jul 2008 Consultation Launched on Stamping out Sexual Exploitation of Children Draft guidance to identify and protect children from sexual exploitation has been launched by Children’s Minister Kevin Brennan and Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker.
16 Jul 2008 Youth Crime Action Plan published A comprehensive, cross-Government Youth Crime Action Plan was launched on 15 July 2008.
18 Jul 2008 Intensive Intervention Projects for Young People - Guidance Launched Minister of State Beverley Hughes has announced that bidding guidance for Intensive Intervention Projects is now available.
16 Jul 2008 Sir Alan Steer's latest review of behaviour in schools The Government has accepted recommendations from the Government’s top behaviour advisor to extend the search powers of schools to include drugs, alcohol and other items and will consult on reforming the complaints process for parents.
15 Jul 2008 £60m Boost to Create Diploma Showpieces Ministers have announced £60 million in capital funding to create showpiece projects across the country to boost teaching of the Diploma.
15 Jul 2008 Ministers Call for Commitments to Tackle Child Poverty in London London’s Child Poverty Ministers Stephen Timms, Beverley Hughes and Jane Kennedy have called for organisations across the capital to recognise their role in tackling child poverty and to pledge to do more.
14 Jul 2008 Dyslexia Website Launched A website for teachers, parents, young people and others with an interest in dyslexia has been launched by Sir Jim Rose as part of his review into how children with dyslexia learn best.
11 Jul 2008 School Lunch Take-up has 'Turned the Corner' - but more to do Secretary of State Ed Balls and Children’s Minister Kevin Brennan have vowed there will be no let-up in the Government’s efforts to cut childhood obesity, as the latest school food take-up figures were published.
11 Jul 2008 Success for Family Intervention Projects New research published by Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children, Young People and Families, shows that Family Intervention Projects (FIPs) are helping to change the lives of some of the most troubled families and providing real life chances for their children.
10 Jul 2008 Promoting Free Early Learning Entitlement to BME Families Between 16 July and 31 August 2008, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) will be running television advertising, aimed at Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) families, promoting the 12 and a half hours of free early learning entitlement available to all 3 and 4-year-olds.
10 Jul 2008 Free Childcare for Thousands More Families Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes has announced local authority allocations to give thousands more families access to free childcare and early years support.
10 Jul 2008 Greater Support for Local Areas to Improve the Lives of Children Children’s Trusts and their partners are set to receive more support to help improve the lives of children and young people, it was announced today.
8 Jul 2008 Government Welcomes Joint Chief Inspectors' Report on Safeguarding The Government has welcomed the joint Chief Inspectors’ report into arrangements for safeguarding children and has committed to responding fully to all the recommendations.
8 Jul 2008 Action to Improve Children's Communication Following Bercow Review The Government has announced a £52 million package to tackle the communication problems that can blight children’s lives.
8 Jul 2008 Family Nurse Partnerships Working The Family Nurse Partnership programme is helping to improve the life chances of vulnerable babies, young children and their families, according to a new independent evaluation report.
7 Jul 2008 More activities for young people this summer Children in 18 disadvantaged areas across the country are to get access to sports, arts and drama, thanks to £265m funding outlined by Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes on Monday 7 July.
4 Jul 2008 National Curriculum Test Delivery Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, has today written to the Chair of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, Barry Sheerman, to inform him that the National Assessment Agency (NAA) expects there to be some delays to the release of Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 national curriculum test results to schools.
3 Jul 2008 Giving Schools a Seat at the Table Ed Balls today launched plans to help give schools a greater say with local agencies in improving children’s wellbeing, in order to help them to drive up school standards.
3 Jul 2008 Calling All Children and Young People: Design Your Own Playarea and Win a Digital Camera! Today sees the launch of a bright and colourful Activity Poster which allows children and young people the opportunity to draw their 'ideal play space' (with a competition prize of a digital camera for the best one), as well as encouraging them to give their views on play and play areas as part of the first ever national consultation on play.
3 Jul 2008 Article by Ed Balls: Supporting the 21st century school Every head teacher I meet wants the very best for the pupils at their school, but they all tell me they can’t do it alone.
1 Jul 2008 Rural Plans to Support the Diploma get £23m Boost Ministers have announced a £23 million cash injection to help rural areas put in place comprehensive plans to ensure all young people can benefit from the exciting new opportunities offered by the Diploma.
30 Jun 2008 First Hundred Young People to Take Part in New Global Fellowship One hundred exceptional school and college leavers from across England have been named and will take part in the Prime Minister’s Global Fellowship, a program created to nurture outstanding talent and enterprise in young people.
30 Jun 2008 EYFS Literacy Goals to be Reviewed Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes has announced that Sir Jim Rose has been asked to review two of the milestones set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) as part of his review of the primary curriculum.
25 Jun 2008 Safeguarding Children - Home Office and DCSF Signal Duty on UK Border Agency to Protect Children On 24 June 2008, the Home Office and the Department for Children, Schools and Families announced their intention for the UK Border Agency to have a legal duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children as part of the forthcoming Immigration Bill, which will be introduced in the next session.
24 Jun 2008 Young People Bear the Olympic Torch of Tolerance Pupils from schools across the country are being encouraged to explore their identity, ask what it means to be British and celebrate diversity as part of the first Who Do We Think We Are? Week to help build community cohesion.
24 Jun 2008 Government Publishes Action Plan to Implement Byron Recommendations The Byron Review Action Plan published today by Children’s Minister Kevin Brennan, will set out key milestones to deliver all of Dr Byron’s recommendations as set out in her report "Safer Children in a Digital World".
24 Jun 2008 Government Outlines New Ways to Lift Children Out of Poverty and Increase Social Mobility A package of new initiatives to help families and end child poverty as part of a renewed drive to increase social mobility was announced by Children’s Secretary Ed Balls, Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Yvette Cooper on 23 June 2008.
20 Jun 2008 Minister Responds to Concerns on Childcare Registration Fees In response to comments from the childcare sector, increases in registration fees for child care providers are to be introduced gradually, and in small increments over the next three years, and a new system of fee banding introduced from September 2008.
20 Jun 2008 Post 16 Participation Rate At Highest Level Ever A record 1.6 million young people aged 16 to 18 – the highest number ever – are now taking part in education, work based learning or training, new Government figures have shown.
19 Jun 2008 Youth Taskforce Roadshows A series of free roadshows are being held in June and July for practitioners to find out more about the Government’s vision for young people, and to hear about practical examples of good practice that can improve outcomes.
18 Jun 2008 Extra Funding for Successful Parenting Services Parenting services for some of the country’s most vulnerable people, including teenage mums and dads, disabled parents and families facing break up, are to get a share of up to £8m, Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes has announced.
18 Jun 2008 New Help for Children with Visual and Hearing Impairments There will be a new drive to improve the experience of children with visual and hearing impairments, Schools Minister Andrew Adonis has announced.
17 Jun 2008 Young people allowed to stay with foster families beyond age of 18 Young people are to be given the chance to stay on in their foster families beyond the age of 18, thanks to a new £5 million Government pilot programme.
16 Jun 2008 Tackling Young Runaways: A Role for Everyone Local Authorities must gather information about young people who run away from home or care to ensure that the right services are in place to help, Minister for Young People Kevin Brennan has said at the launch of the Government’s Young Runaways Action Plan.
13 Jun 2008 Teachers TV Examines Early Years Foundation Stage June sees the launch of a Teachers TV's series dedicated to helping practitioners get under the skin of the new Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) legislation.
12 Jun 2008 New Challenge and Support Projects Areas Announced – Lewisham Successful Visiting Lewisham today to see a number of innovative initiatives and talk to young people, Beverley Hughes Young People’s Minister announced the local areas successful in securing funding for Challenge and Support projects.
10 Jun 2008 Young People Meet Minister to Discuss Children’s Rights Issues On 9 June 2008, Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes welcomed a delegation of young people to the Department of Children, Schools and Families to discuss their views on children’s rights.
5 Jun 2008 Roadshows Announced: Tackling ‘Honour'-based Violence In June and July 2008, the Home Office is running a series of roadshows focused on 'honour'-based violence and forced marriage to develop front-line practitioners’ awareness of the issues, and to stimulate decisive action to protect victims.
4 Jun 2008 £81M to Prepare Teachers for the 14-19 Overhaul On 3 June 2008, Schools Minister Jim Knight announced £81 million of additional funding to prepare teachers to deliver the new Diploma.
4 Jun 2008 Government Responds to Second ISA Consultation On 30 May 2008, the Government published its formal response to the recent consultation on the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) scheme for vetting and barring those who wish to work, either paid or unpaid, with children or vulnerable adults.
3 Jun 2008 Young People and Alcohol – A New Approach Launched in Government Action Plan A comprehensive plan to stop young people drinking in public; help them make the right decisions about alcohol; and provide clear information to parents and young people about the risks of early drinking was announced on 2 June 2008 by Ed Balls, Jacqui Smith and Alan Johnson in the Government’s Youth Alcohol Action Plan.
3 Jun 2008 Joint Birth Registration White Paper Plans to change the law to require dads, as well as mums to be named on the birth certificate are being announced by Secretary of State for Work James Purnell and Children's Secretary Ed Balls in a joint White Paper published on 2 June 2008.
30 May 2008 Guidance on Additional Support for Looked After Children The DCSF has published two pieces of statutory guidance setting out how local authorities should implement personal education allowances and Child Trust Fund account top-up payments for looked after children.
22 May 2008 Radical New Approach to Tackling Poor Behaviour and Teaching Excluded Pupils On 20 May, the Schools Secretary Ed Balls announced plans for a major overhaul of how some of society’s most troubled and challenging young people are educated and how we can tackle poor behaviour at a much earlier stage.
21 May 2008 Balls Puts Quality First as Launch Day for Diploma Nears Former winner of TV’s “The Apprentice” Tim Campbell, education expert Sir Mike Tomlinson and top businessman Sir Alan Jones showed their support for the new Diploma today by joining Ed Balls and Jim Knight on a visit to Hackney Community College.
22 May 2008 Design Your Own Play Space: Ministers Launch Website to Get Kids Views on Play Ministers today launched a fun, interactive website and poster campaign to encourage children to give their views on play and play areas as part of the first ever national consultation on children’s play.
16 May 2008 Childcare pilot projects for families with disabled children Parents with disabled children are to get easier access to childcare, thanks to £35million of Government pilot projects.
16 May 2008 Transforming the lives of disabled children The Government has announced a major package to improve the lives of disabled children and their families.
15 May 2008 Legislative programme to drive up standards in education and improve children's services Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls said today that the Government's Draft Legislative Programme will help to transform the lives of children and families, support parents, drive up standards in underperforming schools, maintain high standards in the exams system, help children, whatever their background, to achieve their full potential and deliver excellence for all.
16 May 2008 Project to Improve the Provision and Status of British Sign Language On 13 May, the DCSF issued a competitive grant specification for a project intended to improve the provision and status of British Sign Language (BSL) for deaf and hearing impaired children and their families.
14 May 2008 Byron Review: Next Steps Kevin Brennan and Vernon Coaker today announced the UK Council for Child Internet Safety will launch in September 2008, six months ahead of the recommended timescale set out by Dr Tanya Byron in her report ‘Safer Children in a Digital World’.
14 May 2008 Ministers Meet Key Players across London to Tackle Child Poverty London’s movers and shakers will meet Work and Pension’s Minister Stephen Timms, and Minister for Children, Young People and Families Beverley Hughes today to set out key priorities for tackling child poverty in the capital.
9 May 2008 Forced marriage: Guidance for LAs and schools Kevin Brennan, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families, has written to remind all schools and LAs of their responsibilities in relation to the important child-protection issue of forced marriage and to alert them to further planned action this year.
8 May 2008 Giving Young People a Voice New advice on how to get young people involved in their school and learn important citizenship skills, for example through ‘buddying’ younger pupils and encouraging them to study or improve behaviour, was published on 7 May 2008.
2 May 2008 Extended Services Week on Teachers TV From 5 - 11 May, Teachers TV will be showing a range of programmes focusing on the provision of extended services at schools.
2 May 2008 New Help for Children who Stammer On 28 April 2008 Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, announced that The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children will receive £340,000 to provide schools across the country with information, advice and training materials on how best to support children and young people who stammer.
23 Apr 2008 Advice Issued for Parents on Teacher Strike The National Union of Teachers is planning strike action on Thursday 24 April. Parents of primary and secondary school children should be aware that some schools may close or partially close.
22 Apr 2008 Parent Know How Showcase Event The Secretary of State, Ed Balls, would like to invite local authorities to the unveiling of Parent Know How on Wednesday 7 May 2008 at the London Studios.
21 Apr 2008 Free National Conference: Schools, Colleges, Children's Services and partners: Delivering for at risk and challenging young people Is your local authority developing closer partnerships with schools through implementation of the targeted youth support reforms? Do you have an interest in improving the lives of the most challenging young people in society? Register for the free national conference - Schools, Colleges, Children's Services and partners: Delivering for at risk and challenging young people.
14 Apr 2008 CAMHS Review launches national call for evidence Jo Davidson, the Chair of the independent Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Review, has launched a national call for evidence to help inform the deliberations of the review team, and ensure that all interested individuals and organisations have an opportunity to contribute to the debate.
10 Apr 2008 Early years programmes on Teachers TV Throughout April, Teachers TV gives you a chance to catch some of its highly acclaimed early years programmes.
9 Apr 2008 Working together to give children a route out of poverty London Child Poverty Ministers Beverley Hughes and Stephen Timms have announced a new working group bringing together councils and businesses across the capital, which will help many more children out of poverty.
7 Apr 2008 Next Steps on Children’s Plan – Developing the Children’s Workforce and Children’s Trusts On 3 April 2008, Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families announced next steps on the Children’s Plan with packages investing in play, youth facilities and children’s workforce, as well as next steps for Children’s Trusts.
7 Apr 2008 Next Steps Towards Improving the Emotional Well-being and Mental Health of Children and Young People The Review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), led by Jo Davidson, Group Director of Children and Young People Services at Gloucestershire County Council and current chair of the 0-7 Group of the Children’s Plan, will be collecting evidence from key stakeholders in the coming months.
4 Apr 2008 Young People to Have a ‘Myplace’ to Call their Own Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children, Young People and Families, today launched myplace – a multi million pound government programme to deliver world class places for young people to go.
3 Apr 2008 Children's Play Investment Increased and Consultation Announced Children across the country are to get an extra 3,500 play areas and 30 local authorities will get £2 million each to build new adventure playgrounds, as part of a £235 million Government investment for children’s play.
31 Mar 2008 Local Authorities to Run Connexions from 1 April As part of their Area Based Grant, local authorities will have the Connexions grant from 1 April, making them responsible for delivery of the Connexions service and enabling them to tailor provision to meet local need.
28 Mar 2008 Review Makes Recommendations to Ensure Children's Safety Online Clinical psychologist, Dr Tanya Byron, has launched her independent report, Safer Children in a Digital World, which sets out an ambitious action plan for Government, industry and families to work together to support children's safety online and to reduce access to adult video games.
26 Mar 2008 Children in Care to Get School Pics and Passports Children in care should get school photos and passports, Ministers said today, as they launched plans designed to give thousands of vulnerable children in care a happy and healthy childhood.
18 Mar 2008 Aiming High for Young People Implementation Plan Published The Aiming high Implementation Plan, setting out arrangements for implementing the 55 commitments in Aiming High for Young People: a Ten Year Strategy for Positive Activities, was published today.
18 Mar 2008 Government Intensifies Drive to Tackle Anti-social Behaviour in Young People A thousand of the most challenging young people will be targeted for intensive, non negotiable intervention in order to prevent future antisocial behaviour, Ed Balls and Beverley Hughes announced today in the Youth Taskforce Action Plan.
10 Mar 2008 Kids Don’t Come With an Instruction Manual - Ed Balls Hosts Children’s Plan Debate On 8 March 2008, Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families announced the detail of a Government parenting programme to help parents get extra help with issues such as bullying, school exclusions and dealing with the impact of divorce.
10 Mar 2008 £27million Funding Boost for Disadvantaged Young People On 5 March 2008, Ed Balls and Beverley Hughes presented disadvantaged and vulnerable young people with a boost as they announced a package of over £27million of funding and business support for five major charities.
10 Mar 2008 Tackling Antisocial Behaviour - £13m to Help Prevent Antisocial Behaviour On 5 March 2008, Ed Balls and Beverley Hughes called for more Individual Support Orders (ISOs) to be given alongside ASBOs to help protect local communities from antisocial behaviour committed by young people.
7 Mar 2008 Independent Living – Delivering on Choice and Control for Disabled People A strategy to transform the lives of disabled people, including extra funding for organisations run by disabled people, was launched by the Government on Monday 3 March 2008.
14 Mar 2008 £6M for Young Leaders The Government has announced an investment of £6m over the three year period 2008-11 to increase high quality opportunities for young people to develop leadership skills and use them to make a difference in society.
28 Feb 2008 Teen Pregnancy Rates Lowest for Over 20 Years Figures published today show the biggest drop for five years in teenage conception rates, confirmation that the Government’s Teenage Pregnancy Strategy is working.
19 Feb 2008 Language GCSE Tests to be Truer to Life Speaking assessments for GCSE modern foreign languages will change to make them a more accurate reflection of pupils’ ability and their capacity to respond to real life situations, Schools Minister Jim Knight announced on 18 February 2008.
21 Feb 2008 Brennan Announces £31 Million for Third Sector On 15 February 2008, Minister for Young People Kevin Brennan committed a £31million funding boost over the next 3 years, through the Children, Young People and Families Grant Programme, benefiting nearly 100 third sector organisations.
18 Feb 2008 Funding Boost for the School Food Revolution £21 million funding for the School Food Trust over the next three years was announced, on 7 February 2008, by Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls.
5 Feb 2008 Staying Safe Action Plan Published The Staying Safe Action Plan, outlining the key commitments the government will be taking forward over the next three years to improve children and young people’s safety, was launched today.
1 Feb 2008 Hughes: More Work to be Done to Tackle Teenage Pregnancy On 29 January 2008, Minister for Children, Young People and Families Beverley Hughes called on all local authorities and Primary Care Trusts to redouble their efforts in reducing teenage pregnancy rates and to drive forward the Government’s Teenage Pregnancy Strategy in their local areas.
28 Jan 2008 Safeguarding Children Week Starts Today on Teachers TV Safeguarding children is at the heart of the Every Child Matters agenda, and this week Teachers TV examines how schools and other agencies can work with children and their families to ensure that the risks to children’s welfare are minimised.
28 Jan 2008 £372 Million Cross-government Health Strategy A new £372 million cross-government strategy to help everyone lead healthier lives was published on 23 January 2008 by the Health Secretary, Alan Johnson and the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls.
22 Jan 2008 New Chief Adviser for London schools The Government has announced the appointment of Sir Mike Tomlinson as the new Chief Adviser for London schools.
22 Jan 2008 Schools and local authorities told to comply with school-admission law Schools Minister, Jim Knight, has urged schools and councils to get their school-admissions policies in line with the mandatory new tougher Schools Admissions Code.
21 Jan 2008 2008 National Year of Reading On 8 January, Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, joined the Prime Minister, children, writers, and reading champions at 10 Downing Street to launch the National Year of Reading.
18 Jan 2008 Appointment of Chair of Youth Justice Board Frances Done CBE was appointed as the Chair of the Youth Justice Board on 15 January 2008, and will take up position from 1 February 2008.
17 Jan 2008 Hughes Seeks Views of Sector on Youth Support Arrangements Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes has launched a “call for evidence” to gather information, advice and views on the current youth sector support arrangements.
16 Jan 2008 Grants for Hygiene and Healthy Eating Initiatives The Food Standards Agency has announced the launch of the 2008/09 grant scheme for local food hygiene and healthy eating initiatives.
17 Jan 2008 Transforming Short Breaks for Families with Disabled Children Education and Care Services Ministers, Andrew Adonis and Ivan Lewis, have announced the list of 21 local areas gaining pathfinder status in transforming short-break services, as well as local-authority short break funding allocations over the 2008-11 period.
11 Jan 2008 All Parents to get Regular Online Reports on their Children's Progress All parents will get regular electronic reports on their children's progress in future - going far beyond the traditional annual school report, Schools Minister Jim Knight announced this week.
11 Jan 2008 More Support for Young Runaways Children’s Secretary Ed Balls and Minister for Young People Kevin Brennan yesterday outlined plans to help prevent an estimated 86,000 children and young people from running away each year.
11 Jan 2008 New 'Think Family' Approach to Help Vulnerable Parents and Children On 10 January, Ed Miliband and Beverley Hughes launched a new approach to local services to improve support for the most disadvantaged families and prevent problems passing down from excluded parents to their children.
9 Jan 2008 Fundamental Review of Primary Curriculum Launched Today A comprehensive independent root and branch review of the primary curriculum to create a smoother transition between early years and school education and help boost standards was launched by Ed Balls today.
8 Jan 2008 Reducing health inequalities in infant mortality On 14 December 2007 the Department of Health published an implementation plan for delivering the recommendations and themes of the Health Inequalities Infant Mortality Public Service Agreement Target Review.
10 Jan 2008 Award-winning "X-IT" Gang Project Praised by Home Secretary An innovative project based in Brixton, South London, which aims to reduce offending behaviour among young people who are directly at risk of joining gangs or who want to leave gangs, was praised by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith during a visit to Lambeth on 19 December
9 Jan 2008 Ed Balls Announces Pilots to Help Children with Dyslexia A new scheme to help children who have dyslexia, identified through the 'Every Child a Reader' programme, was announced by Ed Balls on 5 December 2007.
27 Dec 2007 Review of child and adolescent mental-health services announced Children’s Secretary Ed Balls and Health Secretary Alan Johnson have outlined their plans for a review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
21 Dec 2007 Aiming High for Young People speech by Beverley Hughes Beverley Hughes, the Minister for Children, Young People and Families, has allocated increased funding for positive activities for young people.
14 Jan 2008 Increased funding to help disabled children and young people As part of the Children’s Plan, 53 million pounds of new funding is to be made available to help children, young people and their families.
11 Dec 2007 Children's Plan Outlines World-class Ambitions for all Children Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, today launched the Children's Plan, a ten-year strategy to improve schools and other services.
7 Dec 2007 Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked A new guidance document.
3 Dec 2007 New Home Safety Equipment scheme for vulnerable families A new scheme to provide home safety equipment, targetted at families with lower incomes, will be announced in the coming weeks as part of the Children's Plan.
3 Dec 2007 Consultation on promoting mental well-being of children in primary schools A consultation on draft guidance aimed at promoting the mental well-being of children was launched on Friday 23 November 2007.
26 Nov 2007 Consultation on Childcare Act 2006 Fees and Subsidies The consultation ‘Childcare Act 2006: Future Approach to Fees and Subsidies’ was launched on Wednesday 21 November 2007 and will run until Wednesday 20 February 2008.
26 Nov 2007 Speech about Cyberbullying In an address at the second National Cyberbullying Conference on 22 November 2007, Kevin Brennan, Under-Secretary for Children, Young People and Families spoke of the need to ensure that every child feels – and is - safe and secure when using technology.
23 Nov 2007 Every Primary School to Become a Musical School On 21 November 2007, Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, launched a national campaign to make our primary schools come alive with the sound of music,
23 Nov 2007 A New Child Poverty Team A new team has been set up to drive forward the Government’s commitment to eradicate child poverty in the UK.
20 Nov 2007 New Appointments to Advise Government on Teenage Pregnancy Five new members have been appointed to join the Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group (TP IAG) which is helping to guide and monitor the Government’s strategy for teenage pregnancy.
20 Nov 2007 Ed Balls Announces £3m for Anti-bullying Pilots New pilots to stamp out the scourge of bullying through training pupils to help each other were announced on 15 November 2007.
19 Nov 2007 Youth Taskforce to Launch Action Plan in Spring 2008 Ministers visited Southampton on 14 November 2007 to highlight the work being done by the new Youth Taskforce
15 Nov 2007 Teachers TV Anti-bullying Week Teachers TV Anti-bullying week starts Monday 19 November, and runs until Sunday 25 November 2007.
15 Nov 2007 New Funding to Support Innovative Independent/State School Partnerships Schools Minister Andrew Adonis yesterday announced £4 million of new funding for innovative independent/state school partnerships to encourage progression to university among gifted and talented pupils from deprived communities with a special focus on maths, science and modern foreign languages.
15 Nov 2007 Consultation on Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 A consultation on the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 was launched on 14 November by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Home Office and the Department of Health.
15 Nov 2007 Children and Young Persons Bill 2007 The Children and Young Persons Bill, introduced in the House of Lords on 14 November, fulfils commitments made in the White Paper, Care Matters: Time for Change.
14 Nov 2007 Planned consultation on education for young people in custody Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has announced plans to consult on the role of local authorities in education and training for young people in custody.
14 Nov 2007 Pilot project to help troubled children stay with their families Families and their troubled children who are at risk of being taken into care or custody will receive intensive support from trained professionals to remain together, thanks to a £17.5m pilot project announced today by government Ministers Kevin Brennan, Ivan Lewis and Gillian Merron.
13 Nov 2007 Every Parent Matters – the importance of parental engagement Beverley Hughes, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, has said that improved parental engagement with schools is essential for children’s learning and development.
9 Nov 2007 Cash Boost for Early Years On 7 November 2007, Children’s Minister, Beverley Hughes announced an extension of the entitlement to free nursery education for every three- and four-year-old.
9 Nov 2007 Defining the National Indicator Set - Call for Views The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is calling on all stakeholders to have their say as part of the consultation on local government performance-managed outcomes.
7 Nov 2007 New Children’s Plan Due in December Ed Balls, The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has outlined the Government’s new Children’s Plan, due to be published in December, which aims to drive up standards and increase well-being for children and young people.
6 Nov 2007 Government Sets Out Plans to Raise Education Participation Age In an address to the Fabian Society, Ed Balls, Secretary of State for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, gave details of a new strategy to drive down the numbers of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
5 Nov 2007 SEN Week Starts Today on Teachers TV Teachers TV will be airing a special week of programmes, exploring the different ways of engaging with and including children with special educational needs, from Monday 5 until Sunday 11 November 2007.
1 Nov 2007 Speech about Sharing Knowledge and Expertise In a speech at the Royal Society on 30 October 2007 Kevin Brennan, Under-Secretary for Children, Young People and Families, spoke about how the sharing of knowledge and expertise across professional divisions lies at the heart of transforming our public services.
31 Oct 2007 New Quality Standards for IAG Beverley Hughes, the Minister for Children and Young People, has today launched new Quality Standards for young people’s Information, Advice and Guidance.
30 Oct 2007 Ask Ed Balls a Question Online Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, will be answering your questions in a webchat on Thursday 01 November at 15:00 GMT.
25 Oct 2007 Staying Safe Consultation – last chance to contribute Staying Safe, the Government’s major consultation about children’s and young people’s safety, will be closing at the end of October.
25 Oct 2007 New Guide Published to Support the Transition Process for Disabled Children The new publication, A transition guide for all services: key information for professionals about the transition process for disabled young people, provides an overarching view of all the services that need to work together to ensure appropriate support for disabled children throughout each stage of their life.
25 Oct 2007 Report of the Review of Section 58 Published Today This report, setting out the results of the Review of Section 58 of the Children Act 2004, was released today, 25 October 2007, following an announcement in a written Ministerial Statement.
24 Oct 2007 Help Children have their Say about the Internet and Video games As part of an on-going review commissoned by the Government, Dr Tanya Byron is inviting children and young people to tell her what they think about video games and the internet and how they can be enjoyed safely.
23 Oct 2007 The First Annual Report from the New Ofsted The first annual report from the new Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, was published on 17 October 2007.
22 Oct 2007 New Training Programme for Teachers Working with SEN The Inclusion Development Programme (IDP), recently launched by Schools Minister Andrew Adonis, aims to maximise the potential of children with special educational needs by offering a range of support and training materials for teachers.
17 Oct 2007 Provision for Children with Communication difficulties – call for views An independent review of the current provision for children and young people with speech and language difficulties is seeking the opinions and experiences of parents and professionals to help build a comprehensive picture of the national situation.
16 Oct 2007 Prime Minister calls for Action on Childhood Obesity The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, has called upon parents and teachers to help tackle the issue of childhood obesity through diet and sport.
15 Oct 2007 Every Child Matters Week on Teachers.TV Teachers.TV’s Every Child Matters Week starts today, Monday 15th October 2007, and runs until Sunday 21st October 2007.
15 Oct 2007 Invitation to Improve Outcomes for Disabled Children Nears Closing Date The Government’s invitation for expressions of interest from areas wishing to become short break pathfinders closes at 12 noon on 19 October.
15 Oct 2007 Minister calls for more action to build on improvement in early years development Five year olds are starting to show increased levels of achievement, according to figures released today, but children’s minister Beverley Hughes is calling for more to be done.
15 Oct 2007 Increased child maintenance to lift 50,000 children out of poverty Measures announced on 9 October in the Pre-Budget report will allow parents on benefits who receive child maintenance to keep more of the maintenance paid before it affects their benefits.
12 Oct 2007 Guidance published on the National Child Measurement Programme The DCSF and the DH have published non-statutory guidance for schools encouraging them to participate in the 2007/08 National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP).
10 Oct 2007 New investment announced in Comprehensive Spending Review On 9 October 2007 the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review delivered a £200m boost which, together with further funding of £550m available within the existing DCSF settlement, will be used to accelerate the primary capital programme to renew primary school buildings.
10 Oct 2007 New Youth Taskforce established A new DCSF taskforce, headed by Anne Weinstock, will focus on delivering positive outcomes for young people.
9 Oct 2007 The Byron Review - call for evidence An review of the risks to children from internet and video-game material has been launched.
4 Oct 2007 Children to stay in care until 18 The Government today pledged to stamp out the poor practice of asking children to leave care at the age of 16, before they are ready to live independently.
24 Sep 2007 No Place for Bullies An on-line cyberbullying campaign with the message ‘Laugh at it and you’re part of it’ has been launched by Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).
19 Sep 2007 Report published on extending the free entitlement to nursery education for three and four-year-olds A newly published independent report, commissioned by the DCSF, investigates the impact and cost implications of extending the free entitlement.
7 Sep 2007 Time to talk The DCSF has launched a nationwide public consultation to address issues facing children today.
3 Sep 2007 Ofsted Shares Best Practice Findings Ofsted has just released a best practice resource Getting on Well to support early year and childcare providers to deliver outstanding services.
28 Aug 2007 Government Exceeds Extended Schools' Target Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes has recently announced that 7,000 schools are now offering access to extended services.
27 Jul 2007 New youth facilities for every community: Ten Year Youth Strategy published Young people will have access to new and improved youth facilities in every community under plans unveiled in the government’s Ten Year Youth Strategy.
25 Jul 2007 £1bn boost for extended schools Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has announced a massive investment of more than £1bn in the extended schools programme over the next three years.
19 Jul 2007 Strategy launched to improve outcomes for teenage parents Helping young families to cope with the demands of parenthood and reach their full potential is a priority for government, according to a strategy published today.
18 Jul 2007 £456m funding announced for projects supporting the wellbeing of children The new Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls today set out a straightforward yet ambitious mission to drive up school standards and improve the lives of every child in the country. He announced a total of £456 million for projects to support the wellbeing of children and families across the country, and a focus on play which enables children to have healthy, safe and happy childhood.
18 Jul 2007 Consultation launched on helping children and young people stay safe The government wants to support parents in striking the right balance between protecting their children and allowing them to learn and explore safely, according to a new consultation published today by Children’s Minister Ed Balls.
16 Jul 2007 UK report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child published As a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UK Government is required to submit periodic reports setting progress in implementing the convention. This report was submitted on the 15 July 2007.
16 Jul 2007 Guidance on protecting children from trafficking launched for consultation The Department for Children, Schools and Families has issued guidance for consultation on protecting children who may have been trafficked. It explains how to spot the victims of child trafficking and give them the help and long-term support they need to escape the cycle of exploitation and abuse.
11 Jul 2007 Youth Opportunity and Youth Capital Fund year end report published A report reviewing the first year of the Youth Opportunity Fund and Youth Capital Fund has now been published.
28 Jun 2007 Changes in government Three new departments have been set up by the prime minister. They replace the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Trade and Industry.
25 Jun 2007 Evaluation of full-service extended schools published A new report published today shows that full-service extended schools have a positive impact on the attainment of their pupils, particularly for those facing difficulties.
22 Jun 2007 Consultation launched on barring policy and processes The government has launched a consultation today on the processes for barring people who should not work with children and vulnerable adults. This is part of the next stage in introducing the toughest ever vetting and barring scheme.
21 Jun 2007 Care Matters White Paper launched Big business will offer children in care private tutors, apprenticeships and management training as part of a radical package of measures announced today by the Education Secretary, Alan Johnson.
21 May 2007 Guidance published on governance of children’s centres and extended schools The DfES have now published guidance to help Sure Start children's centre managers, extended schools, local authorities and other children's trust partners work together to reach solutions that work best locally.
21 May 2007 £340m funding announced in disabled children’s review The disabled children’s review has been published today by Economic Secretary, Ed Balls and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Schools, Lord Andrew Adonis.
18 May 2007 New guidance on abuse linked to a belief in spirit possession This guidance provides advice to practitioners and managers to help them identify and deal with abuse that may be linked to a belief in spirit possession. The guidance is aimed at all agencies working with children.
9 May 2007 Consultation launched on community cohesion The Department for Education and Skills has launched a consultation on draft guidance for schools on the duty to promote community cohesion.
30 Apr 2007 Independent barring board chair appointed The creation of the new vetting and barring scheme took an important step forward today with the appointment of Sir Roger Singleton as chair of the new Independent Barring Board.
25 Apr 2007 New academy for parenting practitioners A consortium of leading charities and a top London university have won a £30m grant to provide a new academy for parenting practitioners.
17 Apr 2007 Next steps for children in care Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, has announced that the government will publish a white paper later in the year to take forward its ambitious plans for children in care.
12 Apr 2007 Sure Start Children's Centres pass the million mark One million children and their families can now have a better start in life thanks to the government’s Sure Start Children’s Centres.
29 Mar 2007 Review of children and young people’s policy published The Department for Education and Skills and the Treasury have today launched their final report for the joint review of children and young people’s policy.
29 Mar 2007 Children's Workforce Strategy Update - Spring 2007 launched This update reports on the progress made towards achieving our vision of a world-class children's workforce.
28 Mar 2007 Social care workforce review: £13m announced to support ICT proposal Parmjit Danda, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, has announced £13 million to support capital investment in mobile ICT infrastructure for the social care workforce.
13 Mar 2007 Early Years Foundation Stage launched The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework has now been published by the DfES. The EYFS is a single framework for the learning, development and care of children in registered settings and schools, from birth to age five.
13 Mar 2007 Statement on the youth opportunity card pilots After careful consideration we no longer intend to run the youth opportunity card pilots.
22 Feb 2007 Statement by Beverley Hughes on the 2005 conception statistics Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children, Young People and Families, has made a response to the publication of the 2005 conception statistics by the Office of National Statistics.
5 Feb 2007 Every Child Matters online publications goes live We have launched a new service which allows you to order many of the most important documents supporting the Every Child Matters programme in hardcopy.
26 Jan 2007 New supplementary guidance on Children and Young People's Plan The DfES has published guidance for officers with responsibility for the production and review of the Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP).
9 Jan 2007 Children and young people’s policy - discussion paper launched A discussion paper covering children and young people’s policy has been launched today as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.
9 Jan 2007 Extended schools: improving access to sexual health advice New guidance has been launched to help schools set up on-site services and referral arrangements.
5 Dec 2006 Sustainable schools consultation - government response The government has published its response to the public consultation on the Sustainable Schools framework.
4 Dec 2006 Sure Start children’s centre practice guidance launched To support the work developing the role of children's centres, new guidance has been published for local authorities and their partners, which brings together evidence and best practice on reaching the families most in need.
29 Nov 2006 DfES aims to further widen access to higher education A review commissioned by higher education minister Bill Rammell into outreach activities by higher education institutions was launched today at a ‘Widening Participation’ symposium.
28 Nov 2006 New manifesto promotes learning outside the classroom The government is putting learning outside the classroom at the heart of the curriculum and young people’s personal development with a new £2.7m package for schools.
24 Nov 2006 Read Beverley Hughes’ webchat, and post questions on Respect for Louise Casey The 10 Downing Street website hosted a webchat with the children's minister. Next up is the Respect agenda.
22 Nov 2006 Online survey on rights for children and young people goes live The government has launched an online survey for children and young people about their rights.
14 Nov 2006 Dhanda welcomes improved recruitment guidance for schools and colleges Safe and responsible recruitment of teachers and other staff working in schools and colleges was strengthened further today as the DfES published new consolidated recruitment guidance.
13 Nov 2006 Extended schools and children’s centres discussion paper launched A paper has been launched for discussion about the governance and management of extended schools and Sure Start children’s centres. The paper considers the key issues, principles and practice, which have emerged during the first phase of the roll-out of children’s centres and extended schools.
9 Nov 2006 Extended schools hotseat: 15 November GovernorNet will be hosting a hotseat on the development of extended services in and around schools.
9 Nov 2006 Local authorities and primary care trusts invited to trial health-led parenting support The Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health are inviting local authorities and primary care trusts to make joint applications to become demonstration sites to test an intensive home visiting parenting support programme.
2 Nov 2006 New leaflet shows how extended schools benefit health services A brief guide featuring case studies has been produced to explain how extended schools can help health professionals achieve their targets on issues such as teenage pregnancy, immunisation and childhood obesity.
31 Oct 2006 Daycare Trust Partners in Excellence finalists announced The list of finalists for the Daycare Trust's annual awards for excellence in early years and childcare services have been published on their website.
23 Oct 2006 Parenting support guidance and online database of programmes launched The DfES has published guidance to support local authorities and children’s trusts in their development of parenting support. The publication coincides with the launch of an online database of parenting programmes.
20 Oct 2006 Review of the social care workforce final report published The review of the social care workforce, Options for Excellence, has now pulled together its findings in a report, which suggests reforms for the short and the long term, with a clear vision for the workforce of 2020.
16 Oct 2006 Consultation launched on childcare disqualification regulations Children’s minister Parmjit Dhanda today published draft regulations for consultation which will mean that individuals cautioned, as well as convicted, for sexual offences against children will automatically be entered on List 99 and barred from working in schools and other education settings.
10 Oct 2006 Put your questions on extended schools and children's centres to the Children's Minister On Thursday 12 October, 4.30-5.30pm, Beverley Hughes will be on the Guardian Education website, answering your questions on extended schools and children's centres.
9 Oct 2006 Green paper boosts prospects for children in care The government has published its green paper for children in care, highlighting the issues affecting this uniquely vulnerable group and setting out what needs to be done to improve outcomes for looked-after children.
3 Oct 2006 Sustainable schools Year of Action launched The government is encouraging schools and communities to become more sustainable. The academic year 2007-08 is a Year of Action for sustainable schools and communities.
3 Oct 2006 Family Learning Week: support from private and voluntary sector Family Learning Week is 7-15 October and thousands of schools across the country will host family activities to help families find the confidence, ideas and skills to support each other’s learning at home and for life.
29 Sep 2006 Responsibility for supporting ‘integrated working’ implementation moves to Children’s Workforce De