Daily roundup 26 May: Autism training, police recording of missing children and Neet figures

The government plans to include autism in initial teacher training. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan confirmed the plans in response to a question from Labour MP Cat Smith during Prime Minister's Questions in Parliament.


At least 10,000 children who go missing could be at “terrible risk” because a “dangerous” police recording system means they fall off the radar, according to the all-party parliamentary group for runaway and missing children. The Guardian reports that Ann Coffey, the group's Labour chair, said that a new “absent” category introduced in the police recording system should be scrapped.


There were 865,000 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK who were not in education, employment or training (Neet) between January and March 2016, data has revealed. According to the Office for National Statistics, the figure is an increase of 2,000 from October to December 2015 and down 69,000 from the previous year. ?


The number of children and young people in Newham seeking support for mental health problems is putting a strain on services. The Newham Recorder reports around 1,800 children and young people are being referred for specialist mental health care in Newham every year. ?

David Hughes, chief executive of the Learning and Work Institute, is to become the chief executive of the Association of Colleges, it has been announced. He will take over the role from Martin Doel and is due to begin in September.  ?


Children who were given free nursery school places at the age of three gained no educational benefit, a major study has revealed. The Daily Mail reports it found that by the age of seven there were no differences in school achievement between pupils who had previously taken up the free places and those who didn’t.