Anti-bullying app, new science curriculum and risk of buying essays online

Good week for

Anti-bullying. An online app could be developed for children to safely report bullying in schools, under plans being considered by the education secretary, Nicky Morgan. Another phone app could be used to allow parents to sign permission slips for children’s school trips under the proposals, which Morgan said could make a “big difference for mums across the country”.

Sex education. STIs, HIV and Aids will be given a place in the new revised draft national curriculum for science (key stage 4) in secondary schools. However, the Sex Education Forum – a part of the National Children’s Bureau charity – warns that learning about STIs must not be left to the final years of secondary school, and will only be effective if it builds on earlier learning about how our bodies work.

Bad week for

A-level students. Students tempted to use essay writing services that claim to guarantee A-grade papers are more likely to receive shoddy work that would fail an A-level, as well as putting them at risk of being caught cheating, according to the exam regulator Ofqual.

US education. Two high schools in Colorado cancelled classes Monday after dozens of teachers called in sick in protest of a conservative school board’s proposal to change the history curriculum. This is the second such “teacher sick-out” in two weeks and comes on the heels of student walk-outs over the issue.

What you’re saying

This Sunday is World Teacher Day and we are asking you to share your stories, pictures and messages about your favourite teachers and the best advice they gave you. Add to our Guardian Witness project now or join us on the day.

Photograph of the week

This week we got this photo through from headteacher Dawn Akyurek who has been having fun teaching pupils about healthy eating.

The week in numbers

The education secretary, Nicky Morgan, has approved plans for 17 new free schools for London. The schools include a bilingual primary in Harrow and an all-through school with a focus on engaging students and families in working in the community.

A study by academics at Leeds Beckett University has revealed what food parents are really sending their children to school with. According to the study, 88% of lunchboxes contained sandwiches, with the most popular fillings being ham (44%), cheese (26%) and cucumber (20%). The majority of parents (92%) included a piece of fruit in their child’s lunch box, while nearly half of parents (47%) also reported including a vegetable or salad snack.

Dates to remember

Many countries will be celebrating the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas on 12 October. A little closer to home the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings takes place this month too. And don’t forget that 11 October is International Day of the Girl Child – since 2012 the United Nations have been promoting girls’ human rights and discrimination and abuse suffered by girls around the world. Get involved and join the conversation #dayofthegirl.

Resources for you

Was Christopher Columbus really the first person to discover the Americas? Use this Education Guardian article to create a debate among your students

Take a look at the circumstances culminating in the Norman invasion and the consequences of the Battle of Hastings with this interactive whiteboard lesson

Intofilm has put together an inspiring selection of films to help improve girls’ lives and help them to reach their full potential

Learn about the struggles of migrant women in the UK with this history of women in work from the 19th century onwards

Reading list of blogs and comment

• How Do Teachers Kill the Joy of Reading for Students?
• Failing: my students’ GCSE results weren’t brilliant this year
• Using the EPTIC qualification to reflect on school e-safety
• Four trends in tech that every trainee teacher should know about
• Education: Is data restrictive in the classroom?
  

Quote of the week

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