JS Group’s Post

the formative years of a person should be the main priority #undervaluedECEs #undervaluedECTs

GW4 welcomes the commitment in the 2024 Autumn Budget to support R&D with investment rising to record levels of £20.4bn in 25/26, an increasing budget for DSIT of £13.9bn and the launch of a Missions Fund. Whilst we await the detail, we are relieved that initial indications are that the government has listened the sector and protected core R&D funding as set out in Campaign for Science and Engineering's open letter ahead of the budget. We also welcome the £1.8bn commitment to the expansion of government funded childcare, but urge the government to go further and take into account our recommendations for the government to extend its childcare support schemes to postgraduates. We particularly welcome the recognition from the Chancellor that, if supported, R&D can drive economic growth. The South West England and South Wales region is uniquely placed to support the UK Government’s growth agenda and boost economic growth. Several of the announcements were made to support sectors where our region and universities have particular strengths (including life sciences, aerospace and hydrogen). Read our full response: https://lnkd.in/exnUB4gp

Facing enrollment crisis losses in #HigherEd? Learn how to navigate and minimize them with expert strategies and insights shared in this comprehensive article by Ellucian Don't miss out on actionable tips to safeguard your institution's enrollment stability: https://ow.ly/2WKw50QMP9W

CCC and Community Early Learning Australia have created a Federal Budget plan to ensure every child can benefit from high-quality education and care, no matter where they live or how much their parents earn. This includes: 📍 A government-funded 25% pay increase to educators and teachers through multi‑employer bargaining 📍 Creating new community-managed services where they are needed most 📍 Ensuring all children can access quality early education and care 📍 Funding inclusion support services that reflect what's actually needed by children and families. We know community-based services will be central to delivering the full benefits of the Federal Government's early education reforms for children and families. We are putting our members' issues front and centre with decision-makers in the lead-up to the 2024 Federal Budget, particularly on strengthening support for inclusion, OSHC and expanding community-managed services. 📎 https://lnkd.in/gWTUji-c

England’s special educational needs (SEN) system is not delivering for children and young people. It is financially unsustainable and in urgent need of reform. https://lnkd.in/dVkmNYyX Despite increased annual investment the special educational needs system has not delivered better outcomes for children with SEN, and local authorities are still facing serious financial risk. Our latest report found that local authorities dedicated schools grant deficits could reach £4.6 billion by March 2026. This leaves two-fifths of local authorities at risk of issuing a section 114 notice, meaning they could effectively be bankrupt once the accounting arrangement protecting their reserves ends. The Department for Education (DfE) committed to improving the system in the Improvement Plan 2023 created by the previous government. There is no evidence these will fully address challenges facing the system. We recommend government: • urgently share plans with local authorities facing financial risk after March 2026 • considers whole system reform • decides how current investment can be better spent • develops a vision and long-term plan for inclusivity across mainstream education Report director, Emma Willson, provides an overview 👇 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dVkmNYyX

The UK National Audit Office's recent report on support for children and young people with special educational needs underscores a reality we’re all too familiar with, that the current system is broken and requires urgent reform. These challenges, however, have also sparked ingenuity and created an unwavering desire across the education sector to do the very best possible, despite the system. The reports key recommendations – emphasising inclusive education in mainstream schools, improving coordination between local authorities, schools, and health services, and prioritizing early identification and intervention – are at the core of BeyondAutism Fast Responder®. The service, which provides rapid intervention and inclusive support in mainstream schools, is a cost-effective model with proven positive outcomes. Where the report identifies a lack of confidence among families, we prioritise a whole team approach, centring family voices in every step of the process. At BeyondAutism, we’re offering the opportunity for systemic change, making budgets stretch further with positive outcomes for many more autistic children and their families. While the ‘broken system’ narrative may feel like a broken record, our commitment to leading autism education is stronger than ever. Join us in making a difference. Get involved. Talk to us. Donate today. https://lnkd.in/eQ9Xm3xD

#DidYouKnow the 1918 Education Act raised the school leaving age from 12 to 14? It abolished all fees in primary schools and widened the provision of medical inspection, nursery, and special needs education. Nearly 60% of the financial burden of education was transferred from local authorities to Central Government to foster a greater sense of professionalism among teachers by raising salaries and pensions. The ‘Fisher Act’ was one of the first steps in Education reform which opened access to disadvantaged children and heavily influenced the more well-renowned 1944 Education Act. #socialmobilityhistory #socialmobility

Today an open letter was hand-delivered to the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP on how the current SEND system is not built fit for purpose and is unable to meet the demands of children and young people to access a meaningful and relevant educational experience. The letter calls for the Secretary of State to raise awareness of the broken bolt-on approach to the SEND system amongst colleagues within the Department for Education and Treasury, and to carry out a full review of the whole education system and curriculum to address the inconsistencies faced by children and young people with additional needs. Over the years there has been a series of well-intended developments, policies, and practices introduced which have combined to result in a fragmented system. The impact of these unintended consequences together with chronic underfunding continues to disadvantage children and young people who need something additional or different to access education. The SEND system needs to be repositioned within the wider education system so that it is no longer viewed as a ‘bolt-on’ or afterthought. Rather, those children and young people who need something additional and/or different to access education must be considered as central to all educational policy. This letter was written by the Association of Educational Psychologists and signed by Thomas Pocklington Trust and others within the SEND sector. We as an organisation continue to campaign for blind and partially sighted children and young people to access an equitable and inclusive education. enabling blind and partially sighted children and young people to thrive and meet their aspirations equally as their peers.  #SendRevolution 

Choosing the best education savings plan for your child's future, which one is right for you? With rising education and living costs, Canadian parents want all the options to secure their child’s financial future. But which one is right for you? In our latest article, Michael Lampel dives into the key differences between the Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP), the Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), and Child Plan™: - RESP: government-matched contributions, but limited in flexibility and accessibility. - TFSA: tax-free growth, accessible at 18, but lacks government grants. - ChildPlan™: lifetime tax-free growth, flexible for any life goal, and provides insurance protection. 👉 Read the article and discover the best education savings plan for your child's future: https://lnkd.in/epXhExrM  #EducationSavings #ChildPlan #RESP #TFSA #FinancialPlanning #CanadianParents #FuturePlanning

New DfE figures out today show a sharp rise in parent-paid fees for early years places between 2023 and 2024. On average fees increased by: - £6.05 to £6.60 for under-twos (a 9.1% increase)  - £6.07 to 6.56 for two-year-olds (an 8.1% increase)  - £5.90 to £6.30 for three- and four-year-olds (a 6.8% increase) Commenting, Alliance CEO Neil Leitch said: "At a time when government has rightly identified the need to ensure that all children have access to a quality early education as a policy priority, ministers simply must do more to ensure that early years places are affordable – and of course, this is especially critical given that those on the lowest incomes are the most likely to be excluded from the funded entitlement offers, most of which are aimed specifically at 'working families'." For the full story visit: bit.ly/4fdBx3U