Daily roundup 7 March: School funding, Emeli Sande, and reality TV

Education funding of more than £30m is to be given directly to head teachers instead of councils as part of government attempts to empower schools. The Telegraph reports the government currently hands school funding to councils, which then determine how the cash is divvied up. The government has said it now wants the money to go straight to schools. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has said that the current funding system is unfair.


Pop star Emeli Sandé is to record songs with young offenders in prison as part of a rehabilitation project. The Evening Standard reports that the singer will visit jails this year in a bid to inspire offenders to pursue a career in the music industry.


Head teachers should refuse to take part in television reality shows, Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw has said. The BBC reports that Wilshaw believes that the programmes give a distorted impression of modern state schools.


The government must ensure that early years providers in London are properly funded, because childcare in the capital is more expensive than any other part of the country, the London Assembly Economy Committee has warned. The committee is also calling on the government to increase the number of childminders in the city, and encourage more schools to establish nurseries.


Lancashire County Council is waiting to hear if outside experts will be brought in to run part of its children's services. Pendle Today reports that the department was judged "inadequate" by Ofsted last year, and is bringing in a new director of children's services.


Police in London have not issued a single fine since the law against smoking in cars with children came into force five months ago. The Telegraph reports that there have only been two incidents recorded by police officers. In both of these cases the drivers were given a verbal warning rather than a fine.


Children whose parents drink heavily are almost twice as likely to drink themselves than if their parents were non-drinkers, researchers have found. The Independent reports that the Millennium Cohort Study, which followed the lives of nearly 20,000 children, found that 11-year-olds whose mothers were light or moderate drinkers were 60 per cent more likely to drink than those with non-drinking mothers.