Daily roundup 31 May: Free schools, funded internships, and refugee support

Parent groups have only been behind about one in five of the free schools that have been opened, say researchers. The BBC reports that the flagship policy, launched under the coalition government, was meant to bring innovation and more parental choice to schools in England. But Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, which carried out the free school study, said "very few are fulfilling that original purpose". The Department for Education said free schools were raising standards.


The Jack Petchey Foundation is offering funding for up to 10 separate youth charities to appoint interns for an entire year. In total the foundation has set aside £200,000 for the positions. It said it wants to tackle the difficulty young people have getting into employment while helping charities attract dynamic individuals who could become the sector's future leaders.


Students from Sheffield Hallam University are to travel to northern France to work with children and families who remain living there in poor conditions following the demolition of the Calais "Jungle" refugee camp. From 1 June, up to 30 students on the university's social work, social care and community studies courses will each spend two weeks in Calais and Dunkirk throughout the summer, as part of a volunteering programme.


The End Child Poverty coalition has welcomed the Financial Conduct Authority's announcement that it will consider a cap on the total cost of goods bought through rent-to-own. There has been a rise in families turning to high-cost credit, but the coalition said low-income households often have little choice than to buy essential goods in this way.