Daily roundup 4 March: Obesity, toddler mentoring, and nitrous oxide

One in ten children are obese when they begin primary school, according to statistics released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. The Daily Mail reports that experts are calling for more physical education lessons to tackle the problem.


A youth development programme has had a positive impact on 70 per cent of participants’ school grades, according to a survey by charity Teens and Toddlers. A study of 1,096 young people who took part in a project where they mentored a toddler found participants performed better in their GCSEs. The programme was also found to have an impact on participants’ confidence, health and family relationships.


Government should work alongside retailers to prevent young people getting hold of party drug nitrous oxide, government advisers have said. The Telegraph reports that the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) wants government to work with the industry to better understand the supply chain. Professor Les Iversen chairman of the ACMD, also recommended more work should be done to stop medical supplies of nitrous oxide being stolen from NHS premises.


Opportunities to develop the most able pupils into academic highflyers are being wasted, according to Ofsted. The Guardian reports that the schools watchdog noted little progress over the last two years in terms of sustaining the performance of the most able pupils.


A senior councillor at Bradford Council has warned that some of the district’s youth centres may close because of cuts. According to the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, Ralph Berry said: “We can’t pretend they will all be saved, but we have got to do our level best and that is what we are trying to do.” The council plans to give over the running of seven centres to community and voluntary groups to save money, while still running services from them.