Daily roundup 9 August: School exclusions, stop and search, and London stabbing

Figures obtained via a freedom of information request by the Press Association from 15 local authorities found 754 children had been expelled or temporarily excluded from school as a result of sexual misconduct in the past four years. The research reveals that pupils are being disciplined for a wide range of incidents described as sexual misconduct, including bullying and "lewd" behaviour, as well as sharing indecent images on social media, reports the Guardian.


Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, has backed the Metropolitan police commissioner over the use of stop and search in tackling rising knife crime. Cressida Dick revealed she was encouraging her officers to use the tactic and was determined to fight the perception that it was discriminatory. Writing in the Times, Rudd said there had been significant improvements in the use of the tactic in recent years.


A 15-year-old boy has become the 13th teenager to be stabbed to death in London this year. The boy was found by officers at about 11pm on Tuesday in Thornton Heath, Croydon, reports the BBC. It followed the fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old in south east London a day earlier. There were 12 fatal stabbings of teenagers in the capital in 2016.


The Welsh Government has allocated an extra £2.1m to tackle youth homelessness and rough sleeping. Local authorities, working with voluntary sector organisations, will be invited to apply for the funding for projects which address rough sleeping, youth homelessness, and people with a mental health need who are homeless or potentially homeless.


A home for disabled children in Salford looks set to close due to lack of demand. A report due to go before Salford councillors this week recommends closing the Grange, in Peel Green, because the council says it is no longer financially viable. Just two of the home's five beds are occupied, reports the Manchester Evening News.


A study that partnered state primaries with independent schools has found that 85 per cent of participants reported benefits for pupils' attainment. The findings were included in a Department for Education report on findings from the Independent State School Partnerships programme.