In today’s newsletter: Rising living costs, shrinking early years services and soaring screen use are reshaping what teachers encounter on the first day of school, with consequences felt across the system
Good morning. Teaching four- and five-year-olds has always involved patience, care and flexibility. What many reception teachers say they did not sign up for was spending large chunks of the school day managing toileting, feeding and basic self-care because growing numbers of children are arriving without those skills in place.
New data points to a widening gap in England and Wales between what parents believe “school ready” means and what classrooms are actually experiencing – with consequences not just for teachers, but for every child in the room. And the long shadow of coalition-era austerity cuts to local services and Sure Start is exacerbating the problem in more deprived areas.
Iran | The US has announced plans to hold multi-day military exercises in the Middle East as it deploys what Donald Trump has called an “armada” led by the USS Abraham Lincoln to the region as part of a tense standoff with Iran.
UK politics | The Labour party’s civil war over the Gorton and Denton byelection has intensified after Andy Burnham accused Downing Street sources of lying about his decision to apply to stand in the Manchester seat.
Minneapolis | Gregory Bovino, the border patrol commander who has become the public face of the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, was expected to leave the city as the Trump administration scales back the federal presence there after a second fatal shooting by officers.
UK news | Two red flood warnings – meaning danger to life – are in force for rivers in south-west England as Storm Chandra brings heavy rain and strong winds to many areas of the UK.
US news | Antibiotic use in US meat production spiked 16% in 2024, representing the highest increase since the government began tracking data, a new federal report shows. Continue reading…
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