The dread moment is almost upon us. The Choosing of the Secondary School is nigh. My eldest child is only 10: a dreamy and sensitive character whose clothes are always on back-to-front, and who loves nothing more than playing superheroes with his little brother. It is impossible – appalling – to imagine him sharing an institutional space with giant, horny ...

A council has raked in up to almost £400,000 in motoring fines in just six months by targeting parents on the school run. The crackdown was the work of Croydon Borough Council, who closed off roads to those dropping children to and from three primary schools in the capital. Officials claimed it was to manage congestion, but during the six-month scheme up ...

Shares in education giant Pearson hit their highest level in 18 months after the publisher’s first quarter results suggested it was on track with a major turnaround the struggling business. Revenues increased by 1pc in the three months to March, while John Fallon, chief executive, confirmed Pearson was expected to report profit growth this year. The news sent shares in the company up by as much as 6.8pc to 886p. ...

Secondary pupils across Scotland are not being offered a fair choice under the SNP following a huge increase in schools restricting the number of subjects that can be studied in fourth year, it has been claimed. Liz Smith, the Scottish Conservative education spokesman, said the dwindling number of subjects was hitting those who wanted to leave school early the hardest. In ...

Eavesdropping on very young children as they earnestly converse, or work things out together without the help of an adult, has surprisingly limitless entertainment value. But Channel 4’s Secret Life of… series is not designed solely to entertain. The addition of a pair of psychologists and some specially designed tasks elevates the programmes to something more informative. Besides fly-on-the-wall-based amusement, they offer a fascinating insight into child psychology ...

Economic growth slowed to an 18-month low in the eurozone in May raising fears there will be no rebound from the weak first quarter. Surging business activity last year has given way to more modest rates of growth in 2018, though the expansion is seen as steady rather than weak. IHS Markit’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI), an influential survey of ...

A French student union leader who has been accused by ministers of using her headscarf for political gain has hit back, calling the claims “pathetic”. France’s interior minister has personally criticised Maryam Pougetoux, who is Muslim, for being interviewed while wearing her headscarf. “It’s my faith,” the student told Buzzfeed News, adding: “[My hijab] has no political function.” Ms Pougetoux, ...

Think politics is in a mess? Believe it or not, it could be worse. Far worse. A group of Remainers are demanding what they call a “people’s vote” on the final Brexit deal. Imagine, for the sake of argument, that the Prime Minister consented. What would the ballot paper say? Perhaps it would give us only two options: either “Endorse ...

Cambridge University is considering lowering burden of proof for disciplinary cases, after claims that sexual predators are getting away with their crimes. Students complained that the current system “actively discourages” survivors and victims of sexual assault from coming forward, while implying that perpetrators are unlikely to face consequences from the university. Currently the university relies on the criminal standard of ...

Teachers have been told not to ask a classroom of children what they did at the weekend an attempt to “poverty proof” schools. Staff should not initiate group discussions about what activities pupils did during school holidays as this can lead to less well-off children feeling awkward and uncomfortable, according to the charity Children North East. Luke Bramhall, who leads ...