Daily roundup 22 December: Geographical divide, child sexual exploitation, and special measures

There is a widening geographical divide in access to high-performing schools in England, a report from the Education Policy Institute has found. The BBC reports that, between 2010 and 2015, London took an increasing share of the secondary schools where pupils were most likely to make good progress. But the report says areas in the North and North East were being left behind.


Three men have been arrested over child sex abuse in Rotherham. The Sheffield Star reports that the men, aged 37, 41 and 46, were arrested this week as part of the National Crime Agency's investigation, Operation Stovewood, which is looking into cases of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. All three men were arrested on suspicion of indecent assault and gross indecency with a child under 16 in Rotherham and Manchester and have been released under investigation.


A Manchester school which deals exclusively with autistic children has been placed into special measures. The Manchester Evening News reports that Ofsted inspectors found a string of failings at the Grange School, Gorton, during a visit in September. ‘Weak' leadership and teaching were cited in a report which also criticised governors for not effectively holding school leaders to account.


Calls have been made to ensure every foster carer receives the same amount of money to spend on children in their care over the festive period. The BBC reports that one council offers £215 extra to help at Christmas while others say money is included in a child's weekly allowance. The Fostering Network wants all payments standardised and an end to what it calls a "postcode lottery".


Police are trying to trace a mother over the way she treated her daughter in a supermarket in Edinburgh. The BBC reports that a member of the public reported their concerns to police regarding the behaviour of the woman towards the child, who is believed to have been aged 10 or 11. The incident happened in Asda in the Jewel area of the city at about 4.50pm on Monday.