Daily roundup 13 September: Child support, grammar schools and knife crime

The government's new system for allocating child support is putting survivors of domestic abuse at risk, two charities have warned. The Independent reports Women's Aid and Gingerbread said the Child Maintenance Service is not safe for survivors of domestic abuse and could also see them missing out on payments they are entitled to.


The Department for Education will invest £50m a year to support existing grammar schools in England to expand, according to its consultation, Schools That Work for Everyone. The document states the department will remove any disincentives by funding schools upfront, based on an estimate of cost, rather than retrospectively.


Knives will remain a fixture on Nottingham's streets until more is done to provide equal opportunities for young black men in the city, an aspiring Nottingham grime artist has said. The Nottingham Post reports Kamar Davis, who is also a young leader for community organisation Chat'Bout, said recent violence stems from drug dealing and he believes young people resort to it because they are denied employment opportunities.


Two of Rotherham's three children's homes are to close, it has been confirmed. The BBC reports the proposals to close Silverwood and Cherry Tree House, which are both vacant, were approved by the town's children's commissioner Patricia Bradwell. ?


An 1,800 pupil academy gave parents just three days' notice it was closing to allow staff to celebrate a religious festival. The Daily Mail reports Chobham Academy in Newham partially closed yesterday after a high number of staff requested leave for a religious observance, for the Muslim festival Eid-al-Adha. ?


A charity designed to promote achievement and anti-bullying has been set up by a 16-year-old. The Express reports Keitan Morris from Beechwood, Middlesbrough, began mixing with the wrong crowd in secondary school and was referred to a special educational needs school. However, despite his troubles he passed his GCSE exams and was inspired to help others realise their potential.  ?