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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 Development Council From 1 October the CWDC takes over responsibility from the DfES for implementation of integrated working.
19 Sep 2006 Extended schools show improved performance as target is exceeded Schools providing extended services can expect improvements in performance, an evaluation published today has found.
13 Sep 2006 Adding value: adult learning and extended services A new publication from the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education explores the role of adult learning in the development of extended services.
13 Sep 2006 Accelerating progress towards teenage pregnancy targets The government has published a strategy document to accelerate progress towards the 2010 target to halve the under-18 conception rate.
4 Sep 2006 Johnson announces package to improve school meals and fight obesity A new multi-million pound package of measures to embed the school food revolution for the long term and help tackle childhood obesity was announced today by Education Secretary Alan Johnson.
14 Aug 2006 Philip Lawrence Awards: submit your nominations The Philip Lawrence Awards recognise outstanding contributions by groups of young people aged 11 to 20 in their local community.
11 Aug 2006 Comprehensive Spending Review 2007: call for evidence As part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, HM Treasury and the DfES are assessing the policy actions required to secure continued improvements in outcomes for children and young people.
4 Aug 2006 Every Child Matters Week on Teachers' TV from Monday 7 August The channel is showing seven days of extensive programming on how the legislation is being used to support young people across the country.
2 Aug 2006 Guidance available for children's social services complaints procedures Ministers have today issued guidance to accompany the new regulations on handling complaints for local authorities and voluntary organisations providing accommodation.
27 Jul 2006 National minimum allowance for foster carers launched Children’s Minister Parmjit Dhanda announced today that a national minimum allowance for foster carers will be introduced in England for the first time.
24 Jul 2006 Children's Commissioner publishes annual report The Office of the Children’s Commissioner has published its first annual report, highlighting its key work and achievements.
20 Jul 2006 New guidance on teenage pregnancy strategies The government has published guidance to help local authorities and primary case trusts target their strategies on young people at greatest risk of early pregnancy.
19 Jul 2006 DfES Capability Review published The DfES has been involved in the first stage of a cross-government programme to assess the capability of government departments to deliver on long-term aims.
12 Jul 2006 eCAF funding now available Central funding has now been made available to assist local authorities in the e-enablement of CAF. The deadline for applications is 2 August 2006.
10 Jul 2006 Guidance launched on planning for a flu pandemic The DfES has now produced guidance documents to help children’s services, including schools and childcare settings, to plan for a human flu pandemic. The DfES has been working with several other departments and external partners, as part of the government’s coordinated efforts to prepare and plan for a human flu pandemic.
7 Jul 2006 New regulations for children’s social services complaints procedures Ministers have today issued new regulations on handling representations and complaints for local authorities and voluntary organisations providing accommodation.
27 Jun 2006 Disability Discrimination Act in schools and early years - new resource The DfES has launched a new resource to help schools, local authorities and early years settings understand their duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
27 Jun 2006 Parenting support booklet for schools launched The DfES has produced a new booklet for schools on the core parenting support offer, as part of the extended schools agenda.
21 Jun 2006 Connexions Card to wind down The government has announced the phasing out of the Connexions Card, as new strategies for youth opportunities move forward.
20 Jun 2006 Announcement on school staff checks Education Secretary Alan Johnson today announced new measures to tighten record keeping in schools and colleges following a government commissioned report from Ofsted.
14 Jun 2006 Review of Early Support materials - have your say All of the Early Support programme materials are being reviewed and developed in 2006-07, in response to comments from those who have been using them over the last two years.
14 Jun 2006 Guidance launched on planning and funding extended schools The new guidance will help schools plan and fund their extended services in ways that will best support children, young people and their families.
13 Jun 2006 Governors' Week on Teachers' TV - featuring key ECM programmes 12-16 June is Governors' Week on Teachers' TV, with a range of programmes addressing the Every Child Matters agenda.
9 Jun 2006 eCAF explanatory document set published Documents detailing the common standards and implementation guidance for the e-enablement of the Common Assessment Framework are now available.
26 May 2006 Young Volunteer Challenge evaluation findings published The findings from the main evaluation of the Young Volunteer Challenge (YVC) pilot programme have been published.
5 May 2006 Consultation launched on Early Years Foundation Stage The government is now consulting on the draft Early Years Foundation Stage, which covers care, learning and development for children in all early years settings.
7 Apr 2006 Slow speed of website Over recent weeks the website has been experiencing very slow speeds during the middle of the day, due to a high number of users.
6 Apr 2006 Key guidance launched on integrated working and safeguarding children Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children, Young People and Families, has announced the publication of key guidance to support the implementation of the Every Child Matters: Change for Children programme.
20 Mar 2006 Final report of the Rose Review published Education Secretary Ruth Kelly today welcomed the final report of the Rose Review of the Teaching of Early Reading, which sets out clearly how children should be taught to read.
17 Mar 2006 March DfES update for local authorities available The latest DfES monthly newsletter for local authorities has been issued.
8 Mar 2006 Next steps announced following consultation on Youth Green Paper The government has published Youth Matters: Next Steps, the response to the consultation on the Youth Green Paper. The document sets out the government’s plan for implementing the vision it set out in Youth Matters for making improvements to services for young people, and its commitment to empower young people to make choices and influence decisions about facilities and services locally.
6 Mar 2006 Joint Planning and Commissioning Framework launched Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children, Young People and Families and Care Services Minister Liam Byrne, have announced the publication of the new 'Joint Planning and Commissioning Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services'.
1 Mar 2006 Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill published Tough sanctions, including penalties of up to five years in prison and fines of up to £5,000, will be extended to a wider group of employers as part of new legislation to establish a centralised vetting system for people working with children and vulnerable adults.
28 Feb 2006 Government introduces Education and Inspections Bill The new bill sets out radical reforms needed to further drive up standards in our schools, especially in deprived areas.
17 Feb 2006 Latest DfES monthly update for local authorities available The February issue of the DfES monthly newsletter for local authorities is now available.
13 Feb 2006 Government response to Children’s Workforce Strategy consultation published The government has published its response to the consultation on the children’s workforce strategy.
3 Feb 2006 New chair and young people's representatives to advise on teenage pregnancy Children’s Minister Maria Eagle has announced the appointment of a new chair and two young people's representatives to the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy.
1 Feb 2006 Temporary problems accessing the website We are aware that users may be experiencing delays on the website and we would like to apologise for this.
31 Jan 2006 Consultation launched on minimum allowance for foster carers Children’s Minister Maria Eagle has launched a consultation on proposals for a national minimum fostering allowance.
27 Jan 2006 Options for Excellence: review of the social care workforce Brand new roles in social care could be created as part of a government review of the social care workforce called Options for Excellence.
25 Jan 2006 ECM week on Teachers' TV from 30 January Teachers' TV is showing a week of programmes exploring the Every Child Matters reform agenda.
19 Jan 2006 Statement by Ruth Kelly on safeguarding vulnerable groups The Secretary of State for Education and Skills delivered the following statement in Parliament today.
18 Jan 2006 Questionnaire launched on the multi-agency working toolkits We have now produced an online questionnaire for users to send us their views on the multi-agency toolkits. We want to know if you feel they are achieving their aim in helping managers and practitioners who are starting to work in multi-agency services.
30 Dec 2005 Adoption and Children Act comes into force The Adoption and Children Act 2002 legislation is fully implemented from today.
23 Dec 2005 Guidance published on local safeguarding children boards Guidance on local safeguarding children boards (LSCBs) has now been published, covering their role and function, including their relationship to other children's trust arrangements.
21 Dec 2005 Revision to timetable for CYPF Grant announcements The Children, Young People and Families Grant has received more than double the number of applications anticipated, and this has meant we have had to make some changes to the assessment process.
14 Dec 2005 14-19 Education and Skills Implementation Plan launched The Secretary of State for Education and Skills has published an implementation plan setting out what the 14-19 White Paper will mean in practice.
13 Dec 2005 Government announces new arrangements for inspection to give a better deal to children and learners Education Secretary Ruth Kelly today announced changes to the inspection arrangements for services relating to children, young people and adult learners.
13 Dec 2005 The Early Years Foundation Stage - direction of travel paper To fulfil the requirements of the ten-year childcare strategy, the DfES has now published a direction of travel paper setting out its vision for the new framework.
9 Dec 2005 Pre-budget report: support for parents and children On 5 December the Treasury published its 2005 pre-budget report, with some key announcements for children, young people and families.
8 Dec 2005 Government announcement on information sharing index Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes today confirmed how the government would implement an important Lord Laming recommendation for improving children’s welfare and wellbeing, while ensuring strong safeguards on access to information about children.
7 Dec 2005 CWDC launches toolkit to help develop local children’s workforce strategies The Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) today launched a web-based toolkit to help local authorities and their local partners create and implement effective children’s services workforce strategies.
5 Dec 2005 Announcement on local authority children's services funding for 2006-08 The government has set out the main aspects of the local government finance settlement for 2006-07 and 2007-08 relevant to the funding provided for children's services.
30 Nov 2005 Kelly sets out next steps for continued success of Sure Start Education Secretary Ruth Kelly today praised the success of Sure Start and outlined the next steps to maximise its impact across the country.
15 Nov 2005 Problems with speed of website We are working to address technical issues that are causing delays on the website.
9 Nov 2005 Childcare Bill introduced to Parliament The Childcare Bill is the first ever piece of legislation specifically on early years and childcare and will enshrine in law parents' legitimate expectation of accessible high-quality childcare and services for children under five and their families.
3 Nov 2005 Schools White Paper means better outcomes for every child The new white paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All: More Choice for Parents and Pupils, sets out the government’s plans to radically improve the school system.
2 Nov 2005 Adoption e-learning training tool launched To support the implementation of the Adoption and Children Act 2002, the DfES have produced a comprehensive e-learning tool. The e-learning tool is being hosted on an external website until the end of December 2005.
2 Nov 2005 Children's Minister: forthcoming Childcare Bill will be cornerstone of childcare vision The Children’s Minister, Beverley Hughes, has announced further details to the proposed Childcare Bill following a consultation on the plans.
27 Oct 2005 New web portal supports participation of young people in decision making Participation Works is an online gateway, launched to improve the way practitioners, organisations, policy makers and young people access and share information about involving children and young people in decision making.
21 Oct 2005 School behaviour group publishes report An independent group set up to advise the government on improving behaviour in schools has today published its report.
17 Oct 2005 Early Support programme vital when planning services for disabled young children Early Support is the central government mechanism for achieving better coordinated family-focused services for very young disabled children and their families.
3 Oct 2005 Ofsted publishes new special needs study On 28 September, Ofsted's Early Years Directorate published the results of a study of 42 childcare settings. "Removing Barriers: a 'can do' attitude" looks at how the private and voluntary childcare sectors cater for young children with special needs.
3 Oct 2005 Events launched to support consultation on information sharing As part of the consultation process for new cross government guidance on Information Sharing, the DfES are organising four consultation events for practitioners working with children and young people.
3 Oct 2005 Bookstart to reach even more babies and young children Bookstart, the first national books for babies programme in the world, is launching two new Bookstart packs of free books Bookstart+ for toddlers and My Bookstart Treasure Chest for three year olds on 3 October - the first day of National Children’s Book Week.
29 Sep 2005 National evaluation of children's trusts phase 1 report published The independent report “Realising Children’s Trust Arrangements” marks the first year of the three year evaluation by the University of East Anglia, in partnership with the National Children’s Bureau.
29 Sep 2005 New research available on extended schools Two new research reports about the progress of extended schools have been published today, 29 September 2005.
28 Sep 2005 Download an updated version of the Outcomes Framework The Department for Education and Skills has published an updated version of the Outcomes Framework, which outlines the aims and measures of progress for the Every Child Matters: Change for Children programme.
21 Sep 2005 Adoption training: programme of briefing workshops now available We have now published a schedule with relevant contact details for all workshop briefing events supporting the implementation of the Adoption and Children Act 2002.
16 Sep 2005 Voluntary and community sector funding streamlined A streamlined funding programme that brings together five former DfES grant schemes goes live today for voluntary organisations working with children, young people and families.