Daily roundup 9 February: Grammar schools, grooming, and child protection

The first of a new wave of grammar schools in England could be open by 2020 - the Grammar School Heads' Association has revealed, following a meeting with the Education Secretary. The BBC reports that among the options is to admit only the top 10 per cent of the ability range - compared with 25 per cent in many grammar intakes.


Four members of a Rochdale child sex grooming gang face deportation to Pakistan after an immigration judge rejected their citizenship appeals. The Sun reports that the men had appealed against moves by the government to strip them of their British citizenship, but their claims were dismissed on all grounds by the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.


A police force has been told it is still not doing enough to protect children. The BBC reports that a damning HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) report in 2015 found Surrey Police to be inadequate on child protection. A follow-up inspection reported "encouraging" improvements but advised more must done.


A married couple have appeared in court accused of repeatedly shooting at their own children as punishment. The Mirror reports that the mother and her husband are accused of shooting at the children's legs with a BB gun. The couple appeared before magistrates at Blackpool who decided the case was so serious it must be heard before the Crown Court.


First-born children are smarter than their younger siblings, researchers have claimed. The Daily Mail reports that economists at the University of Edinburgh have concluded that first-borns have a higher IQ test score than their siblings as early as age one.


Young people in the UK have some of the lowest levels of "mental wellbeing", an international survey has found. The BBC reports that a study of the attitudes of 15- to 21-year-olds in 20 countries examined levels of optimism, confidence and a sense of being loved. Japan was the only country lower than the UK on this wellbeing ranking, published by the Varkey Foundation education charity.