Daily roundup 5 April: Academies, exam stress, and Rio Ferdinand

Labour is hoping to work with Conservative MPs to block the government's plans to force all schools to become academies by 2020. The Guardian reports that shadow education secretary Lucy Powell wants to form a cross-party alliance against the plans.


Almost half of teachers said pupils in their school had self-harmed, according to a poll by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL). The BBC reports that 89 per cent of these teachers said exams were the main source of stress, with some staff saying they were aware of pupils attempting suicide.


Former England football captain Rio Ferdinand has launched a campaign to stop cuts to youth services. ITV News reports that the 37-year-old is fighting government proposals to slash resources for children through the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, which supports young people in London and Manchester.?


Protesters in Corby have staged a rally against plans to cut children's centres across Northamptonshire. The Northamptonshire Telegraph reports that, according to a protester, between 200 and 300 people were present at an event staged at the weekend.


Fathers are not taking advantage of rules that allow them to take shared parental leave with their partners, research by My Family Care has found. The Guardian reports the research, which comes a year after new legislation came into force, found that more than 40 per cent of 200 employers questioned have not seen a single male employee take up the right.