How Is Keir Starmer Getting on with His Pledges to Deliver Change?
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s December 2024 pledge package set measurable milestones for housing, health, living standards, policing, education and clean energy. To date, the government is building just over 200,000 homes a year—well short of the 300,000‑annual rate needed to hit 1.5 million by 2029. Hospital waiting‑time performance has risen to 62.6% of patients seen within 18 weeks, still far from the 92% target. Real disposable income grew 3.1% in 2024‑25 but the OBR projects near‑zero growth thereafter, while police neighbourhood staffing exceeded its first‑year goal but overall force numbers fell, and clean‑power generation sits at 73.3% of electricity, below the 95% 2030 ambition.
Phones to Be Banned in Schools by Law in England Under Government Plans
The UK government will embed a legal ban on student smartphones into the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, turning existing guidance into a statutory requirement. Education minister Baroness Jacqui Smith announced the amendment in the House of Lords, mandating schools...
My Weekly Juggling Act - Being a Teacher to Other Children and a Mum to My Own
Teacher Dena Tickner describes the relentless juggling act of full‑time teaching and motherhood, noting that emotional fatigue and after‑school planning often push her workday to 10:30 pm. A recent NASUWT survey found 70% of teacher‑parents have considered quitting because of family‑work...
University Staff Strike over 'Insulting' Pay Offer
University of Gloucestershire support staff are striking after Unison rejected a 1.4% pay rise, labeling the offer "insulting" and insufficient against rising living costs. Union convenor Joe Sucksmith said members cannot afford basic necessities on the proposed wages. The university...
The Parents Using Play to Stop Children Getting 'Trapped' By Screens
The UK government has issued new guidance limiting screen time for children under five to one hour per day and prohibiting unsupervised screen use for under‑twos. Parents, however, struggle to enforce these limits, prompting community groups like Leeds Dads to...
Schools in Knife Crime Hotspots to Get Specialist Training
The UK government will provide specialist training to about 50 of the 250 schools located in knife‑crime hotspots, backed by a £26 million (≈$33 million) Knife Crime Concentrations Fund. It has also shared new mapping technology with 27 police forces that can...
'Our Teachers Use AI to Mark Mock Exams'
Yorkshire Dales’ Wensleydale School has begun a pilot using artificial intelligence to grade mock exam answers in subjects such as English and history. The AI service costs about £0.45 (≈ $0.56) per extended answer, with the school allocating roughly £600 (≈ $750)...
Joy of Teaching Overshadowed by Pressure and Stress, Warns Head Teacher
Head teacher Steffan Griffiths warned that Wales faces a looming teacher shortage as attrition spikes and recruitment to secondary training programmes remains 56% below target for 2023‑24. He highlighted that many new teachers quit within two years, citing work‑life balance...
School Phone Bans Not Enough to Cut Screen Time Alone, Researchers Say
A University of Birmingham study reveals that strict smartphone bans in secondary schools improve in‑class concentration but do not curb overall screen time, as pupils often shift usage to evenings at home. The research shows restrictive policies can worsen sleep...
Uni Student Among Two Dead in Kent Meningitis Outbreak
An invasive meningitis outbreak at the University of Kent has claimed two lives, including one student, and left eleven others seriously ill. The UK Health Security Agency is notifying roughly 30,000 students, staff and families, and has begun distributing antibiotics...