Daily roundup 29 June: Child poverty, homophobia, and smoking in cars

The number of children living in poverty in the UK has jumped by 200,000 in a year, according to figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions. The Guardian reports that there were 3.9m children living in "relative poverty" in 2014/15, up from 3.7m a year earlier.


A "good" primary school has been marked down by Ofsted because children do not have "a good enough understanding" of homophobia and different types of relationships. The Bolton News reports that St Stephen's CE Primary School was criticised by inspectors because pupils do not have a good enough understanding of diversity or the impact of prejudice-based behaviour, particularly homophobic behaviour.?


A new law to protect children from adults smoking in cars is not being enforced by police, it has been claimed. The Telegraph reports that since October last year, anyone caught smoking in a vehicle with a child present has been breaking the law and could face a £50 fine. But data taken from 42 English and Welsh police forces shows no fines have been issued to date.


Children in Wales leaving residential care at 18 feel they lack support, and some claim they have a limited say in where they will live, The BBC reports. A study by Wales's children's commissioner Sally Holland, based on interviews with professionals and 34 looked-after children, suggests that children are being criminalised as a result of police call-outs.


There has been a sharp increase in the number of children being expelled from schools in Norfolk. The Eastern Daily Press reports that the local authority has launched an investigation to identify the reasons for the increase.