Platform updates.

The news API

• An API is a connection through which the website requests information from a service. Dispatch retrieves news on the server and delivers a consistent feed to readers.
• Reporting comes from The Guardian, BBC News, Financial Times, The Economist, Sky News, Al Jazeera and CNBC. Publisher RSS feeds supply headlines, publication dates, short previews and links.
• The Guardian Open Platform API is supported when a server-side key is configured; public Guardian RSS feeds provide the alternative connection.
• Incoming stories are matched to relevant desks and syllabus topics. Results are filtered before duplicate links are removed, then sorted by publication time, newest first.
• The open news page checks for updates every minute while visible. Standard RSS requests use a five-minute cache; optional Guardian API requests retain a thirty-minute cache.
• Manual Refresh news requests fresh RSS responses. Direct refreshes are limited to ten per minute per client address to protect service capacity.
• If you are reading further down the page, an updated-edition alert lets you load changes without unexpectedly moving the story you are reading.
• Last checked records when Dispatch checked the edition, not when a publisher last updated its feed. Active filters and publisher schedules affect which new stories appear.
• If live reporting is unavailable, clearly labelled illustrative study material keeps the relevant desk usable. The feed is a recent selection, not a complete news archive.

Study content and access

• Article briefings use the supplied headline and publisher preview. Topic rules connect that material to definitions, suggested exam applications, evaluation questions and concept checks.
• The service runs independently of an open editing session. New matching reports can enter the feed without a new website deployment.
• A briefing does not represent analysis of the full article. Open the original report and verify the evidence before using it in assessed work; publisher subscriptions may be required.
• The curriculum mapping covers selected Edexcel Economics A and Politics topics. Global Politics follows the Paper 3B option; the platform does not claim complete specification coverage.
• The Revision Vault stores saved articles, reading progress and personal notes in the signed-in student’s private account.
• The weekly class board is public. Administrators and specifically authorised moderators can publish lesson notes, attach PDFs and add flashcards for each teacher and day.
• Study Tips changes are saved as private drafts. An administrator must record teacher review of the saved version before publishing it. Existing reviewed guidance stays visible while a new draft awaits review.
• Accounts, saved notes, class content and review records are stored in PostgreSQL. Access permissions are checked on the server; changing a browser control cannot grant editing rights.

Update log

Latest release: 1.8 · 23 September 2026. Entries below describe completed releases; planned work is listed separately.