Daily roundup 23 March: Nursery cash, teacher recruitment, and cuddly toys

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has launched a £2m fund to boost access to nursery education. STV News reports that the funding will be spread over four years and will help children with additional support needs by paying for staff training and new equipment for nurseries.


There are fears it could get even tougher to recruit teachers after a drop in the number of trainees on courses in England and Wales. The BBC reports that latest figures show a 6.9 per cent drop in acceptances on to teacher training courses for this year. Head teachers' leaders said the drop in recruits would deepen the teacher recruitment crisis.


A firm in Devon is using cuddly toys to educate children about sex in "an age-appropriate way". DevonLive reports that Jigsaw PSHE Ltd is using mindfulness techniques and cuddly toy jigsaw characters to make it easier for youngsters to open up about sex and their concerns about puberty.


A council that failed to alert border agencies when a mother took her children to Australia without their father's consent has been told to foot the bill for returning them to the UK. SomersetLive reports that Somerset County Council has been ordered by the Local Government Ombudsman to pay the expenses incurred by the father to return his children safely from Australia.


A council has defended a survey used to work out school pupils' weight. The Plymouth Herald reports that some parents say they are "outraged" after being told their children are overweight. But Plymouth City Council has defended the survey, saying all local authorities in England are required to weigh and measure children in reception and year 6 classes during the school year.


A state-of-the-art youth zone has been praised by children's minister Edward Timpson during a visit. The Wirral Globe reports that the £6m purpose-built facility in Birkenhead is due to open in three weeks. Timpson said: "Places like this are vital for boosting their emotional and physical wellbeing by giving them a safe space to spend time."