Daily roundup 7 March: Grammar schools, innovation fund, and single parents

Extra money for new free schools and grammar schools in England will be announced by the Chancellor in his Budget on Wednesday. The BBC reports that Philip Hammond will confirm a one-off payment of £320m for 140 new free schools, on top of the 500 already pledged to be created by 2020. He will also promise £216m to rebuild and refurbish existing schools.


A bid for £7m from the Department for Education's social care innovation fund by Norfolk County Council and Barnardo's was rejected, it has emerged. The Eastern Daily Press reports that the partnership wanted the money to support plans for a joint looked-after children service.


Working lone parents will be up to £2,850 worse off in 2020 than they would have been if coalition and Conservative changes had not been made, a think-tank has found. Research by the Institute for Public Policy Research, carried out for the Child Poverty Action Group found that a single parent working 17 hours a week with two children and paying for childcare will be nearly £2,850 worse off in 2020 compared with how well off they would have been in 2020 had the 2010 social security system continued unchanged.


Young people are entering the workforce underprepared and lacking basic "soft-skills", according to UK employers - with inappropriate mobile phone usage cited as a top annoyance. A survey of more than 200 business owners by charity Central YMCA revealed that 49 per cent believe the young people they recruit need to brush up on the basic life skills needed to be a good employee.


Care and support for vulnerable children on Anglesey "must be improved" with the council lacking staff to deal with issues, an inspection has found. The BBC reports that the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales wants the council to produce an improvement plan within 20 days, saying care and support needed to be quicker.