The Education Brief: Wednesday 11 February 2026 - Top stories include:

• Peers have backed a statutory ban on smartphones in schools in a House of Lords vote.

• Most teachers and leaders don’t think their schools overuse suspensions.

• Nearly eight in ten councils say they could be pushed towards insolvency with SEND deficits.

• The government says it will write off 90% of councils’ historic SEND deficits with a new grant this autumn.

This week’s deep dive: Citizenship in the Primary Curriculum

HEP Updates:

• Book your ticket to the Haringey Racial Equity Conference: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/haringey-racial-equity-conference-2026-tickets-1982524828129?aff=oddtdtcreator

• Book your ticket to the HEP Headteacher Conference: 

• Inclusive Behaviour Strategies: https://hepbookinghub.co.uk/calendar/inclusive-behaviour-strategies/

• Find and book CPD sessions at https://hepbookinghub.co.uk/

Watching - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74PF_4pyYY8

Listening - https://radiolab.org/podcast/song-of-the-cerebellum

Reading - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dr-alex-blower-24a3346b_dignity-respect-and-meaningful-engagement-activity-7424388708616892416-YCa6/

AI Tool - https://headlite.co.uk/

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Music by Slo Pony⁠