Daily roundup 28 February: Maths premium, drug and alcohol courts, and serious case review

Schools will receive £600 for every additional pupil who takes an advanced maths qualification as part of efforts to ensure Britain has skills for success in the future, the government has said. During a visit to Lilian Bayliss Technology School in London, schools minister Nick Gibb and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Elizabeth Truss announced the Advanced Maths Premium, a new fund to help schools and colleges increase the number of students studying maths after GCSE.


A network of nine Family Drug and Alcohol Courts, at which judges help mothers with addictions to keep their children, has launched today. The Times reports that a partnership of London boroughs, led by Merton, commissioned the expansion of the network from the first such service in London.


Children's services in Sunderland have been criticised following the death of a baby who was mauled by a family dog. The BBC reports that Reggie Young was attacked for up to 20 minutes at his home on 20 June 2015. His father Ryan Young, 32, was jailed for 21 months after admitting being in charge of a dangerous dog. A serious case review said the death could not have been prevented, but an opportunity was missed to learn more about the family's problems.


A dentist has advised that parents should refrain from kissing their children on the lips, particularly before their baby teeth have developed, as they could spread harmful bacteria to them. The Independent reports that Dr Richard Marques, dentist at Wimpole Street Dental in London, said that the enamel is much thinner on baby teeth so is more likely to decay.


Critically-ill children in Wales have faced long waits for specialist ambulances, according to official data. The BBC reports that in 2016, 29 per cent of transfers from district hospitals in mid, south, and west Wales to intensive care took longer than the target of three hours to get to the patient's bedside - compared with a UK average of 15 per cent.