Daily roundup: 400 primary academies, 'secret' database, and school exclusions

The UK’s 400 worst performing primary schools are to be turned into academies under plans due to be announced today by Prime Minister David Cameron. The Guardian reports that by the end of next year, the government wants the schools to be paired with sponsors. There are currently more than 2,400 academies, with another 800 in the pipeline. Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said there is no evidence that academy status in primary schools brings educational benefits. “Despite this the coalition government is pressing ahead regardless, removing schools from their local authority and handing them over to unelected sponsors,” she said.

Concerns have been raised about a “secret” database featuring the details of as many as eight million children. The Telegraph reports that the Capita One system is being used individually by around 100 local authorities to act as a single source of information for officials working with children. It features information on the age, sex, address, exam results, absence records and disciplinary records of children. Nick Pickles, director of the civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, said parents are being “kept in the dark” about what their child's information is being used for.

The number of children with special educational needs excluded from schools in Wales has doubled since 2003, latest statistics show. The Western Mail reports that the number has risen by 111 per cent from 4,275 to 9,015 between 2003 and 2011. The Welsh Assembly’s Cross Party Autism Group has said special needs pupils may not be getting the support they require to succeed in school.

Nine out of ten deafblind children are not getting access to vital professional support because they have not been identified by their local authority, new research has found. A study by the charity Sense found that only ten per cent of deafblind children have been identified by local authorities, and, of those, only three out of 10 are getting the professional support they need. The issue is being highlighted at a parliamentary event today, run by Sense.

Facebook and ChildLine have joined forces to tackle online bullying through a new application on the social media site. The ’Step Up: Stop Bullying’ campaign aims to raise awareness of the issue and offer guidance on services, tools and people who can help if someone is being bullied. Sue Minto, head of ChildLine, said: “The campaign helps people speak up for each other. Bullying has become the second most common reason children and young people call ChildLine and we believe everyone has the responsibility to tackle this worrying rise.”

And finally, as many as 1,500 families are to get help with essential money skills after charity Family Action linked up with Lloyds Bank. Family Action will help deliver money management workshops throughout next year through Lloyds' Money for Life programme. A recent report by Family Action found that some of the families the charity supports have less than £2 per person a day to spend on food after household bills. Helen Dent, chief executive of Family Action, said: “This scheme will help our families manage their money better and prosper. With the increasing pressures family budgets are facing it’s important, now more than ever, that we’re able to build up our work supporting families to manage their finances.”