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Bridget Phillipson wants all teachers in mainstream schools to be SEND trained
Bridget Phillipson wants all teachers in mainstream schools to be SEND trained

Daily Mirror

time5 minutes ago

  • Politics
  • Daily Mirror

Bridget Phillipson wants all teachers in mainstream schools to be SEND trained

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson warned that the current special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is 'too adversarial' and 'too bureaucratic' Bridget Phillipson has said she wants all teachers in mainstream education to have special educational needs and disabilities training. The Education Secretary said 'brilliant' work was already happening in this area that shows what can be delivered on a 'bigger scale'. She wants training to be improved in mainstream schools so teachers can support students at the 'earliest possible point'. ‌ Asked by The Mirror whether she wants all teachers to have been trained in SEND provision, Ms Phillipson said: 'Absolutely. From this September, training around SEND will be a big part of initial teacher training. ‌ 'But alongside that, we know that there is the need to provide more training and support for our teachers and support staff already working in our schools.' She pointed to the partnerships for inclusion of neurodiversity in schools (PINS) programme, which brings specialist health and education professionals into mainstream primary schools to help shape whole-school SEND provision. READ MORE: Tech libraries with reading pens and speech tools to assist children with SEND ‌ The programme seeks to upskill school staff so they can provide early interventions to kids who might be showing signs of needing extra support. Ms Phillipson said such programmes were doing 'really brilliant work that I think demonstrates the kind of change we can deliver on a bigger scale'. Around 1,650 schools were part of a local PINS project during the 2024 to 2025 financial year, with the programme to be expanded over the next year. The Government plans to publish a white paper in the autumn detailing reforms to the SEND system. But it is shaping up to be a fresh battle between the Prime Minister and backbenchers, with fears raised that Education, Health and Care plans (EHCP) might be scrapped. An EHCP is a legally binding document for children and young people aged up to 25 which sets out the support a child is entitled to. ‌ While Ms Phillipson stopped short of backing EHCPS, she told The Mirror she will make sure parents 'continue to retain legal rights, to make sure that all children get access to the support that they need'. She said: 'The reform that I am determined to deliver will be a better system for children. We know that too many parents wait far too long to get the support that their children need. It's too adversarial, it's too bureaucratic. ‌ "This is about how we better support children at the earliest possible point. We're investing more in the system to make that happen through more training for staff, particularly around neurodiversity. "We're putting more support into schools to create the places that are needed and to make the changes within mainstream schools to deliver a brilliant education for all of our children.' She added: 'But what matters most to me at the moment is listening to parents, to campaigners, to disability rights groups and teachers to make sure that any change that we bring forward is rooted in the challenges that they see at the moment, but also how we can deliver a much better system for children.'

Medicaid expansion gathers signatures in efforts to drive change
Medicaid expansion gathers signatures in efforts to drive change

Yahoo

time6 minutes ago

  • Health
  • Yahoo

Medicaid expansion gathers signatures in efforts to drive change

Efforts are in progress to expand Medicaid coverage within the state, with lawmakers working to gather enough signatures to place the measure on the ballot for next November. The proposed expansion aims to provide coverage to people who earn at or below 138 percent of the national poverty line. As of Friday, nearly 63,000 signatures have been collected, but over 880,000 signatures are still needed to qualify for the ballot. The effort to expand Medicaid aims to increase healthcare access for low-income individuals by covering those at or below 138% of the poverty line, addressing current system gaps. While nearly 63,000 signatures have been collected, the campaign needs over 880,000 for the ballot. It involves mobilizing volunteers and community engagement to promote Medicaid expansion. If successful, the Medicaid expansion could greatly improve healthcare access for thousands of residents, offering vital coverage to those who need it most. Lawmakers keep pushing ahead with the signature collection effort, aiming to reach the necessary threshold for ballot inclusion. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

Blake Lively Wins Ruling That Her Deposition in Justin Baldoni Case Will Be Held on Her Turf
Blake Lively Wins Ruling That Her Deposition in Justin Baldoni Case Will Be Held on Her Turf

Yahoo

time6 minutes ago

  • Entertainment
  • Yahoo

Blake Lively Wins Ruling That Her Deposition in Justin Baldoni Case Will Be Held on Her Turf

Blake Lively won a judge's ruling on Monday setting her deposition on her home turf, after her attorneys raised concerns that Justin Baldoni's lawyers were trying to turn it into a media spectacle. Lively is set to be deposed on Thursday in her sexual harassment and retaliation suit against Baldoni, her director and co-star in 'It Ends With Us.' More from Variety Justin Baldoni Can Seek Messages Between Taylor Swift and Blake Lively, Judge Rules Blake Lively Moves to Block Justin Baldoni From Obtaining Taylor Swift Communications Marvel Won't Have to Turn Over 'Highly Confidential' Documents About Development of Ryan Reynolds' Nicepool After Judge Tosses Justin Baldoni's Defamation Case Baldoni's side wanted to hold the deposition at the Park Avenue offices of Meister Seelig & Fein, one the firms working on his case. But in a motion last week, Lively's team objected to that location, saying that Baldoni's lawyers were setting up a media ambush, in which Lively would be besieged by paparazzi on her way in and out. They also expressed concern that Baldoni's team would invite social media influencers to sit in on the deposition, which is supposed to be a confidential proceeding. Lively's team asked Judge Lewis Liman to order the deposition to be held at an alternate location — which was kept redacted in the public version of the motion. They also asked the judge to order Baldoni's side to turn over a list of everyone who will be present. In a brief order on Monday, Liman granted the request. He directed Baldoni's lawyers to turn over a list of attendees by noon on Tuesday, and also directed that the deposition be held at the place of Lively's choosing. Lively's team was also directed to make accommodations for Baldoni's lawyers to print and copy documents. Baldoni's lead lawyer, Bryan Freedman, previously told People that he wanted to hold Lively's deposition in public, suggesting in a rhetorical flourish that it be conducted at Madison Square Garden. 'Hold the deposition at MSG, sell tickets or stream it, and donate every dollar to organizations helping victims of domestic abuse,' Freedman told the outlet. Lively's side argued that such commentary showed that Freedman could not be trusted to keep things professional if the deposition were held on his turf. Mitchell Schuster, one of Baldoni's lawyers, argued that concern was unsupported, and that it would be inconvenient for them to hold the deposition at some other location. Best of Variety Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week

122 Chinese illegal immigrants deported by Trump admin amid national security concern
122 Chinese illegal immigrants deported by Trump admin amid national security concern

American Military News

time7 minutes ago

  • Politics
  • American Military News

122 Chinese illegal immigrants deported by Trump admin amid national security concern

A border security expert recently warned that the surge in Chinese illegal immigrants who entered the United States under former President Joe Biden's administration presents a national security concern. The warning comes after President Donald Trump's administration deported 122 illegal immigrants to China last month. Heritage Foundation Border Security and Immigration Center Director Lora Ries told Fox News that the increase in Chinese nationals illegally entering the United States under the Biden administration is 'absolutely' a concern regarding national security. The House Committee on Homeland Security previously reported that more than 23,376 Chinese nationals were encountered at the southern border and 24,214 were apprehended in Fiscal Year 2024. The committee also reported that encounters with Chinese nationals at the border increased by more than 8,000 percent in March of 2024 compared to March of 2021. 'The numbers rose rapidly during the Biden administration. I mean, pre-Biden, Customs and Border Protection would see about 1,000 Chinese nationals a month nationwide, whether that was at the ports of entry or between ports of entry,' Ries said. 'And, during Biden's four years, that rose rapidly to 2,000, up to 7,000 a month. It even hit over 8,000 one month in December of 2023. And most of these were between the ports of entry.' READ MORE: Illegal immigrants arrested in new military zone to be processed by CBP, official says Ries added, 'Given the many tactics that the Chinese Communist Party uses against the U.S. — whether that is sending fentanyl precursor ingredients to Mexico to be smuggled into the U.S., killing hundreds of thousands of Americans, COVID-19 from Wuhan, spy balloons, buying farmland near military bases — we have to assume that the CCP took advantage of the open border during Biden's years and sent many Chinese nationals with mal-intent.' U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced last month that the Trump administration deported 122 illegal immigrants to China on June 3 on a 'special high risk charter flight.' ICE officials confirmed that some of the illegal immigrants were convicted of human smuggling, rape, murder, drug trafficking, and bribery. 'Through our interagency partnerships and coordination across ICE field offices, we have successfully removed these individuals, many who were convicted of egregious crimes,' ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Acting Field Office Director Josh Johnson said in a press release. 'This operation not only enhances the public safety of our communities across the U.S. but also strengthens national security.'

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