Statistics show that on average every 20 minutes a parent dies in the UK; this leaving 46,300 children in the UK bereaved of a parent before the age of 18. This will allow children to feel comfortable settling back into school after suffering a loss of a loved one. Teachers to be trained to support the grieving child so they can slowly adjust back into the education system. Many children do not get the support that they need during this time of their lives which could lead onto more problems later in life; a study in the UK showed that 41% of Young Offenders had experienced a bereavement. They are a part of the 78% of 11 - 16 year olds that have been bereaved of a close relative or friend.

All children deserve to grow up free from fear and abuse. Too many children are suffering sexual abuse and their parents are unable to protect them.

SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE PAY AND CONDITIONS OF OUR SUPPORT STAFF

By September 2025, most working families with children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare support from the Government, which is vital support when the average nursery place is an unaffordable £14,000 per year.  But thousands of children are locked out of most of this support right now - forcing parents to give up work, denying children vital opportunities to develop and pushing families into poverty - all because of their parents’ immigration status. Even if children are British citizens, they are still locked out - it’s completely unfair. This Government are stopping parents from standing on their own two feet by depriving them of access to vital services, leaving families struggling even more during the cost-of-living crisis. Every child, no matter their race, class or immigration status, has the right to a fair start in life. Yasmin’s story -  Yasmin’s first-born son didn’t get the chance to go to nursery because of nothing more than the fine print on her visa. The Government’s exclusionary rules locked Yasmin and her son out of this support. However, her daughter did get the chance because by the time she was old enough, Yasmin could benefit from government support with the costs.  The impacts on her son have been long-lasting. His teachers have told Yasmin how he struggles more to make friends and interact with his peers than her daughter because he was robbed of this vital early years support. No child should be deprived of opportunities that are so important to their start in life, and no family should be forced into poverty because of government action.

Private schools are classed as charities despite being run as businesses. Schools like Eton - who charge an eye-watering £45k fee - can get tax breaks of up to 80%. But Labour have promised to scrap these and use the funds to improve state schools instead of boosting private profits. If Labour were to get into Government at the next election, they would tax private schools as businesses. It would be the first step in levelling the playing field and ensuring that no matter what your background, you get the same start. But already opposition is mounting from these schools and the elites that support them. A huge petition to all political parties showing them how popular the plans are could stop them listening to the private schools and pledge to end the tax breaks.

We need to ensure the deal - which is ready to go - gets signed. Horizon allows scientists to work on protecting bees and build upon work from the Covid vaccine to protect us from future health emergencies. If we want a better future, this type of research is vital. 15 Nobel Prize winners and scientists across the UK are asking the Prime Minister to sign the deal. If he rejects it, that compromises the future of science in Britain. That’s why we need to put pressure on Rishi Sunak to put pen to paper.

According to research, young people with additional needs are significantly more likely to experience barriers to accessing education. In fact, a study by the National Autistic Society found that 63% of children with autism are not in the kind of school that their parents believe would best support them. Schools and other educational institutions need to be designed and equipped to provide an inclusive environment for all students. For example, schools can ensure that classrooms are accessible to students with physical disabilities, and that teaching materials are presented in a way that is accessible to students with learning difficulties. In addition, there needs to be greater support for teachers and other education professionals to ensure that they have the training and resources they need to support young people with additional needs. This can include providing training on how to work with students with specific needs, and ensuring that teachers have access to appropriate resources and materials. There also needs to be greater awareness and understanding of the needs of young people with additional needs within society as a whole. This means challenging stereotypes and promoting positive attitudes towards people with additional needs. For example, campaigns can be launched to raise awareness of the challenges faced by young people with additional needs, and to promote the benefits of inclusion. Finally, there needs to be greater investment in education for young people with additional needs. This includes investing in appropriate resources and facilities, and ensuring that funding is available to support the needs of these young people. By investing in education for young people with additional needs, we can help to ensure that they are not deprived of an education, and that they have the opportunity to reach their full potential. It is important to address the issue of inclusion within the education system, as young people with additional needs are often deprived of an education due to a lack of resources and support. By promoting inclusion, we can help to ensure that all young people have access to the education they need to reach their full potential. People should join our campaign because it is an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of young people with additional needs. By working together, we can raise awareness of the challenges faced by these young people, and promote positive attitudes towards inclusion. We can also lobby for greater investment in education for young people with additional needs, and work to ensure that schools and other educational institutions are designed and equipped to provide an inclusive environment for all students. Joining our campaign is an opportunity to be part of a movement for change, and to make a positive impact on the lives of young people with additional needs. By working together, we can help to create a more inclusive education system, and a brighter future for all young people.

The proposed staff restructure would drastically impair the world-class educational experience currently provided by Leeds Conservatoire thanks to the personalized academic structure and expert leadership. As a student body, we are aware that you are currently exploring various options to tackle the increasing strain upon the conservatoire’s finances. We understand that the scale of the current pressure is not something to be taken lightly and that action must happen. However, we are aware that one option being explored involves serious staff restructuring within the conservatoire. We have seen that there will be nine jobs at risk of redundancy across both schools; this will massively impair the educational experience of the students of all pathways. The prospect of the programme leader and curriculum manager being made redundant for the jazz would be greatly concerning for the future of our education at Leeds Conservatoire. This same concern goes for all other at-risk pathways. Not only do these course leaders set and manage the well-designed curriculums, but they also offer educational and professional guidance whilst remaining approachable and visible members of staff. We are concerned about how the personalized education currently offered at Leeds Conservatoire would be maintained under this staff restructure. While a ‘Head of Music and Education’ may be able to manage the admin work of the jazz, classical, film, and junior courses, they will not be able to provide the same curriculum level and quality for the individual pathways, and will not be available to provide educational help and guidance to students. This will undoubtedly lead to less competitive degrees compared to other institutions, decreasing our future employability. We are also concerned about the lack of detail currently being shared with students. Whilst we acknowledge that the finances and business of the conservatoire are private and complex, we feel that proposed changes of this magnitude should involve student voices — as ultimately it is us, the students, that will be the most affected. Section 4 of our 2022/23 Terms and Conditions states that ‘where a change is more significant, student consultation will take place before any changes are made that will impact current students.’ As a cross-pathway student body, we do not believe that this is currently being upheld. We understand that the issues you are facing are not simple or easy, but we feel that restructuring the staff in the currently proposed way would negatively affect all students at Leeds Conservatoire and hinder its largest selling point that helps it to be a world-class college and that other options need to be explored with the inclusion of the student voice in an open dialogue. We want to understand why this action is necessary, what will be done to mitigate any effect on our education, and why other options open to the institution are not viable.

School uniform in our local area costs anywhere from £100-£200. This is highly unreasonable, especially considering the current cost of living crisis. Many families are struggling to fund their child's uniform as most schools have strict policies on jumpers, blazers, bags and PE kits which makes it difficult to accumulate for as each item of clothing is expensive. To solve this problem, my group has come up with an idea to help families who need support. This involves encouraging students who have outgrown/no longer need their uniform to donate it to their school which will go towards the new year 7s and any other years who need it. Another way to help ease the stress of uniform costs would be to simply lower the price tag. Around £30 for a school jumper is outrageous when you could buy a similar one from a clothing shop for a lot cheaper. Many families are already struggling in the current cost of living crisis and school uniform prices are only adding more stress. It is important to help this problem because people shouldn't have to worry about whether they can afford their child to have clothing or not. The government website also states that it is important for schools to have a way for their school uniform to be available to everyone. Things need to change.

School support staff have suffered more than a decade of pay cuts and are some of the most undervalued workers in society. Added to this, support staff at Ash Field Academy have been significantly underpaid when compared with comparable roles in LA maintained schools. They need a pay rise at least in line with inflation.

If the vehicle entrance goes ahead, it will be meters from the very youngest children at Chestnuts school, leading to increased pollution and disruption to them every day, as they play in their playground, as well as an even busier road to cross on the way to and from school. Despite deputations from children, parents and governors from the school to the council, the plans for the vehicle entrance were still signed off. The school was not consulted properly on the plans, which, as a major stakeholder, they should have been. A vehicle entrance in this position poses a serious risk on an already busy road to child safety and health. The creation of a new vehicle entrance here is in direct opposition to Haringey council's Climate Change Action plan, which 'targets a borough-wide reduction on carbon emissions which will improve living standards for all residents'. In addition, the planned vehicle entrance is in the same location as a planned zebra crossing which has now been put off indefinitely, after years of being promised by the council to make a particularly treacherous crossing safer. There is already a vehicle entrance into the development that can be used for vehicle access, a second one is not needed.

The Bee Team has been an important part of Heron Hill school for many years. Please sign this in support of the wonderful work they do in the hope that something can be done.