In some good news to kick off your week, the campaign to challenge the risk of reducing rights to family life has smashed past the £30,000 mark. Hitting this target means formal discussions can now begin with a King’s Counsel to start building a robust case for judicial review.
A huge thank you to every single person who has donated or shared the campaign. If you have not yet chipped in, please consider doing so. This legal push affects every single family across the country.
Local authorities are rushing headlong into using artificial intelligence without proper safety nets. A glaring example is the recent announcement that children’s data will be collected in a Gwent-wide AI roll out. They plan to use AI to clean up messy data and create trusted records for action plans. There is no evidence of a controlled pilot programme or human oversight. AI is known to hallucinate and make things up and children should never be guinea pigs for unproven technology.
It is not just social care. The government has also announced the national rollout of PoliceAI to speed up investigations. Meanwhile, they have brought business and civil society leaders together to help build a digital ID system. It is deeply concerning to see this level of surveillance becoming normalised.
To highlight exactly why we do not trust local authorities with our data, we have yet another privacy breach to report. We saw Plymouth council exposing hundreds in a local government email gaffe this past week. Over 400 home-educating families had their personal email addresses shared openly in the ‘cc’ line. The Register reports that this follows an almost identical blunder by the City of York just a week prior.
In Wales, we have seen some interesting developments regarding how councils view the rise in home education. A recent report saw Powys councillors alarmed as home-educated children surge, with the number of home-schooled children tripling since the pandemic.
However looking past the dramatic headlines reveals a surprisingly positive shift. Instead of immediately demonising parents, the council is setting up a multi-agency group to ask why children are unable to cope in the mainstream school environment. They are finally acknowledging that many home educated children are refugees from a broken system. We need more councils to be this brave.
On the flip side, we are still seeing overreach elsewhere. Thankfully, campaigners continue to hold them to account. You can read the recent FOI correspondence between the DfE and Portsmouth which clearly shows the Department for Education reminding the council that education cannot be deemed unsuitable purely because parents do not provide specific examples of work.
There are a few key consultations that need your immediate attention. First is the call for evidence on screen use by children aged 5 to 16. The government is looking at introducing new guidance or potential restrictions. We desperately need families to respond and explain that a blanket approach is harmful. Many neurodivergent children rely on screens for self-regulation, communication tools or socialising in safe spaces online. Please share your personal stories before it closes on 29 June 2026.
We also need eyes on the draft information sharing duty statutory guidance. This stems directly from the legislation we have been fighting and will mandate how local authorities share safeguarding information.
Finally, if you have young adults moving into higher education, please take a look at the proposals regarding assistive software funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance.
Top Stories
Children’s data to be collected in Gwent-wide AI roll out: https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/26186650.childrens-data-collected-gwent-wide-ai-roll/
Crowdfunder: Challenge the risk of reducing rights to family life: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/challenge-the-risk-of-reducing
AI & technology in children’s social care (status: awaiting government response): Call for evidence - Department for Education - Citizen Space: https://consult.education.gov.uk/childrens-social-care-ai-strategy-team/ai-tech-in-children-s-social-care-systems-call-for/
PoliceAI to speed up investigations and fight crime - GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/policeai-to-speed-up-investigations-and-fight-crime
Business and civil society leaders brought together to help build digital ID system that works for the public - GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/business-and-civil-society-leaders-brought-together-to-help-build-digital-id-system-that-works-for-the-public
Powys councillors alarmed as home-educated children surge | County Times: https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/26176557.powys-councillors-alarmed-home-educated-children-surge/
Number of Powys home-schooled children trebles since 2022 - BBC News: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czx5g0qxkypo
Plymouth council exposes hundreds in latest local government email gaffe - The Register: https://www.theregister.com/security/2026/06/12/plymouth-council-exposes-hundreds-in-latest-local-government-email-gaffe/5254707
DfE Correspondence Portsmouth: https://edyourself.org/dfe-correspondence-portsmouth/
New guidance on screen use for children aged 5–16 - GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/newguidance-on-screen-use-for-children-aged-5-16
Screen use by children aged 5 to 16 - call for evidence: https://consult.education.gov.uk/screen-time-policy-team/screen-use-by-children-aged-5-to-16-cal/supporting_documents/screen-use-by-children-aged-5-to-16-call-for-evidencepdf
Information sharing duty statutory guidance - GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/information-sharing-duty-statutory-guidance
Consultation Deadline: Assistive software funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/assistive-software-funded-through-disabled-students-allowance
Additional Links: Closing date: 18 June 2026
News
£2.5m fund to study how AI tools are affecting learning: https://schoolsweek.co.uk/2-5m-fund-to-study-how-ai-tools-are-affecting-learning/
Birthday bunk-offs fuelling avoidable school absence: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/birthday-bunk-offs-fuelling-avoidable-school-absence
Digital ID/Data/AI
Big Brother Watch response to PM’s announcement on introducing mandatory ID checks to use mobile phones: https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/press-releases/big-brother-watch-response-to-pms-announcement-on-introducing-mandatory-id-checks-to-use-mobile-phones/
Parliament
Written Answers : Department for Education: Care Leavers: Equality ( 9 Jun 2026) - Josh MacAlister: ...long-term life outcomes in society. We are determined to address this so that all care leavers have support to build enduring relationships and stable homes. Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act , we will roll out the Staying Close programme to support care leavers up to the age of 25; require each local authority to publish information about its arrangements for supporting...: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2026-06-01.5607.h&s=%22children+not+in+school%22+OR+%22home+school+education%22+OR+%22wellbeing+act%22+OR+%22schools+act%22#g5607.r0
Progression of Bills through Parliament : [Sir Edward Leigh in the Chair] ( 8 Jun 2026) - Daniel Francis: ...folks, at how we scrutinise in both Houses. There were 310 days between the Bill being sent to the House of Lords and Prorogation. Well, it took 327 days to deal with the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, and 347 days to deal with the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, so the situation is not unique to this Bill. It applies to Government Bills as well. I will be very careful as the...: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2026-06-08a.1.0&s=%22children+not+in+school%22+OR+%22home+school+education%22+OR+%22wellbeing+act%22+OR+%22schools+act%22#g26.3
Children’s Social Care: Enduring Relationships Strategy - Statement ( 8 Jun 2026) - Baroness Smith of Malvern: That is a very important point. One of the important things we legislated for in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act is the requirement for the use of family group decision-making in precisely that way, when thinking about children coming into the care system, by engaging their families and those who might have the capacity to support them at that point. That is a really important...: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2026-06-08a.1134.3&s=%22children+not+in+school%22+OR+%22home+school+education%22+OR+%22wellbeing+act%22+OR+%22schools+act%22#g1144.2
Children’s Social Care: Enduring Relationships Strategy - Statement ( 8 Jun 2026) - Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: ...and other financial companies, on the provision of extremely expensive, often poor-quality care provided by lowly paid, frequently changing staff. We discussed this in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and heard very little defence from any corner about this kind of provision. What are the Government’s plans to end this exploitation of some of our most vulnerable children?...: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2026-06-08a.1134.3&s=%22children+not+in+school%22+OR+%22home+school+education%22+OR+%22wellbeing+bill%22+OR+%22schools+bill%22#g1143.3
Digital Safety: Children ( 8 Jun 2026) - Munira Wilson: ...scrolling and tackling online gaming, not just social media—despite ordering his MPs and peers to vote repeatedly against many of those proposals during the passage of Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026. However, today is not about who voted which way. I ask the Minister and, through him, the Prime Minister to remember the children who have lost their lives because of the harms...: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2026-06-08b.26.2&s=%22children+not+in+school%22+OR+%22home+school+education%22+OR+%22wellbeing+act%22+OR+%22schools+act%22#g26.5
Written Answers : Department for Education: Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 ( 9 Jun 2026) - Perran Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what mechanisms her Department is deploying to ensure compliance with the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, particularly in relation to SEND provision.: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2026-06-01.5806.h&s=%22children+not+in+school%22+OR+%22home+school+education%22+OR+%22wellbeing+act%22+OR+%22schools+act%22
Written Answers : Department for Education: Home Education: Special Educational Needs ( 9 Jun 2026) - Adam Jogee: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support home schooled children with additional needs.: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2026-06-01.5584.h&s=%22home+education%22+OR+%22home+educated%22+OR+%22home+educating%22+OR+%22homeschool%22+OR+%22homeschooling%22+OR+%22homeschooled%22+OR+%22home+school%22+OR+%22home+schooled%22+OR+%22home+schooling%22
Statistics/Reports/Publications
Disability Unit Regional Stakeholder Network: meeting summaries: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-unit-regional-stakeholder-network-meeting-summaries
Education, Health and Care Plans: Reporting year 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/education-health-and-care-plans-reporting-year-2026
Department for Education non-executive appointments: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-non-executive-appointments
Statistics: special educational needs (SEN): https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-special-educational-needs-sen
Special educational needs in England: January 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2026
Improvement notice issued to Hertfordshire County Council: January 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improvement-notice-issued-to-hertfordshire-county-council-january-2024
Privacy information: parents, carers and legal guardians: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/privacy-information-parents-carers-and-legal-guardians
Working together to improve school attendance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance
School attendance: annual and one-off events driving short-term absences: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance-annual-and-one-off-events-driving-short-term-absences
AI Economics Institute Prospectus: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-economics-institute-prospectus
Introducing the AI Economics Institute: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introducing-the-ai-economics-institute
UK AI Hardware Plan: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-ai-hardware-plan
AI Champions’ AI Adoption Plans: interim government response: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-champions-ai-adoption-plans-interim-government-response
New guidance on screen use for children aged 5–16: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/newguidance-on-screen-use-for-children-aged-5-16
Consultations
Make Work Pay: employment rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/make-work-pay-employment-rights-for-unpaid-carers-and-parents-of-seriously-ill-children
Screen use by children aged 5 to 16: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/screen-use-by-children-aged-5-to-16
Additional Info: Closes 29 June 2026
Information sharing duty statutory guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/information-sharing-duty-statutory-guidance
Additional Info: Closes 14 July 2026
Children’s Commissioner: The Big Future Survey: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/the-big-future/
Informing the mental health strategy for England: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/informing-the-mental-health-strategy-for-england
Additional Links: Closing date: 10 July 2026
Regulating post-16 vocational and technical qualifications at levels 2 and 3: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/regulating-post-16-vocational-and-technical-qualifications-at-levels-2-and-3
Additional Links: Closing date: 2 July 2026
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