Safeguarding Bulletin - 4 February 2026
The Department for Education's announcement on new SEND training courses for all teaching staff
The recent announcement of funding for a SEND teacher training programme promoted a lot of debate, both on our Facebook page and offline. We asked Sara Alston (of SEA Inclusion and Safeguarding) to give us her thoughts.
Free Webinar: Prevention, necessity and proportionality - the implications of the new guidance on restrictive interventions
Discuss the implications of the new guidance for restrictive interventions, including use of reasonable force in schools in England. Click the button to sign up:
Book now: 10 March 2026 4pm - 5pm
Do you want to know more about how children can be harmed online, how we might identify that harm is taking place and how to respond?
The continued adoption of technology in more and more parts of our lives, coupled with the increasingly younger age at which children are exposed to internet-connected devices means that the risk of online harm occurring continues to rise. This course is designed to raise awareness and knowledge of online harm as well as information about what to do next.
In conjunction with the Marie Collins Foundation, we have E-Learning available for just £2.99+VAT per user if you are a member, or £10.00 +VAT for non-members.
What can be done to improve things for children with SEND?
Diversity in children’s strengths and needs is an inherent part of human development – yet schools policy and wider social policy have consistently failed to recognise and plan for this reality. This has been true since the Warnock Report of 1978 and the Education Act 1981 which integrated disabled children into mainstream schools. But over the past decade and a half, the consequences of this gap between policy and need have intensified.
Read the Education Policy Institute's analysis
Have your say...
The Government has launched a call for evidence to inform new guidance on screen use and digital engagement for children under five. The consultation invites parents, early years practitioners, professionals, and researchers to share their experiences and perspectives on how young children use screens, apps and digital media.
The evidence will assess the benefits and harms of screen use in early childhood, when and how screens are being used by young children and how families, carers and early years settings support safe and healthy digital habits.
Respondents are asked for insight into patterns of screen use, what children watch/play and how often, the impact on language, social and emotional development, how early years settings currently manage screen use and what advice or guidance would be helpful for parents and practitioners.
Responses to the call for evidence will help the Government shape and underpin future policy, advice and early years practice.
The Call for Evidence closes at 11:59pm on 16 February 2026.
Weaponized loneliness: Understanding a hybrid threat to young people globally
A new report looks at the online network known as “the Com.”
The Com does not have one central point, but is spread across many societies. This research, published by Resolver, an online risk consultancy, looks at how this system evolves, with there being significant levels of grooming, exploitation and control along with encouragement for young people to self-harm and end their lives. The report looks at case studies and how victims can be perpetrators and vice versa.
Teacher wellbeing and retention: a call for urgent action
Education Support’s latest research shows that teacher wellbeing is at its lowest level since 2019. When wellbeing suffers, retention suffers too — with 1 in 4 education staff actively seeking to change or leave their job due to pressures on their mental health and wellbeing.
Education Support is calling on the Government to take urgent action on teacher retention. Add your voice by writing a letter to your MP and help build a healthier, more sustainable education workforce. For school leaders ready to take immediate action on staff retention, Education Support has also put together Cultures that care: a retention toolkit for schools. This free, evidence-based toolkit brings together practical actions schools leaders can take to create cultures where staff feel supported, stay longer and thrive.
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