Daily roundup 2 July: Bouncy castles, child citizenship applications, and 'misleading' statistic

Bouncy castles should be temporarily banned in public areas after the death of a child in Norfolk, a former government minister has said. The BBC reports that Robert Halfon has called for an "urgent investigation" into the regulation of the inflatables after a girl was thrown from an inflatable trampoline at Gorleston beach on Sunday and died in hospital of her injuries.


The Home Office has been accused of using UK-born children of immigrants as "cash cows" by charging extortionate sums for them to obtain citizenship. The Independent reports that lawyers and charities have accused ministers of "shamelessly profiteering" from placing these charges on immigrant families, warning that British-born children are being subjected to the same injustices as the Windrush generation. The cost of applying for British citizenship for a child is £1,102, despite the administrative cost being just £372.


The government should drop a "misleading" statistic that suggests up to 1.9 million more pupils in England attend good or outstanding schools than in 2010, a former minister says. The BBC reports that former schools minister David Laws, says it "is simply impossible for this statistic to bear the weight that ministers want to place on it". The Department for Education dismissed criticism of its use of the figure.


Sweeping education reforms appear to be fuelling inequality in the schools system, according to a major analysis that shows high-performing and improving schools are accepting fewer children from poor backgrounds. The Guardian reports that a study by academics at the UCL Institute of Education found that a government pledge to give schools more power has led to a system that is causing high levels of stress among teachers.