Daily roundup 17 March: Nursery wages row, school funding, and improvement efforts

A row has erupted over claims that up to 20,000 nursery workers are illegally being paid below the minimum wage in England. The BBC reports that analysis of government data by the Family and Childcare Trust suggests that 10 per cent of nursery staff earn less than £7.20 an hour - the minimum for over-25s. But the Pre-school Learning Alliance has rejected the trust's claims.


Every school in England will see budget cuts before 2020, even after new funding plans are put into place, research suggests. The BBC reports that the Education Policy Institute looked at the impact of the new national funding formula against the backdrop of financial pressures in schools and found that even schools benefiting from the funding shake-up will see their gains wiped out by budget pressures.


A new troubleshooting assistant director hired to try to improve child protection at a council rated "inadequate" by Ofsted earlier this year has admitted it could be five years before children's services gets a "good" grading. The Evesham Journal reports that new assistant director Tina Russell said that the best evidence nationally is that it takes three to five years to improve from inadequate to good.


Children's charity Home-Start has launched a new Scottish programme designed to meet the needs of children who are at risk of starting school without the skills necessary to get the most out of learning. Big Hopes Big Future will be led by trained volunteers working with children and families at home using a groundbreaking programme of activities and resources. Volunteers work with parents to create a positive home learning environment.


A tennis coach has been acquitted of abusing his two daughters by obsessively trying to make them sporting stars. The Sun reports that a court heard allegations that John De'Viana beat and punished his two daughters in his bid to see them crowned Wimbledon Champions. Following a two-week trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court he was cleared on two counts of child abuse by a unanimous verdict from the jury.