Daily roundup: Behaviour in schools, child protection guidance, and the cost of childhood

Standards of behaviour in English secondary schools are worse than official estimates suggest, a survey has found. Research by the British Educational Research Association, being presented at its conference today, found that more than half of student teachers responding said they had often been in lessons where the teacher was not in complete control of the class.

Separate research being presented at the conference claims that 40 per cent of 14-19 year olds are getting a "raw deal" from their education. The Institute of Education said that competition between schools, alongside parental aspiration, has encouraged “middle attainers” into A Level courses, for which they are not prepared and many consequently struggle with.

The government's slimmed-down safeguarding guidance should be clearer about the way child protection social workers and wider children's services professionals must work together, The College of Social Work has said. In response to the consultation on the Working Together guidance, the college said the guidance fails to provide “the comprehensive picture that is needed”. The college added that it is disappointed at the decision not to introduce a statutory duty to intervene early, as recommended by Eileen Munro in her review of child protection.

The average cost of bringing up a child to the age of 18 now comes to £143,000, or £150 a week, according to a study by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). Researchers found that childcare can make up as much as £60,000 of the total cost of childhood. The study warned that the basic cost of raising a child has risen faster than inflation. The charity said that Britain is “moving backwards in terms of the prosperity of children”, in light of lower wage increases and benefits being cut.  

A group of 17 deaf teenagers from across the UK has been selected to sit on an advisory board to help improve the lives of deaf young people. More than 60 young people applied to sit on the National Deaf Children’s Society’s (NDCS) Youth Advisory Board. Board members will have the chance to meet government ministers to tell them about the things that matter to them.

A young woman who lost her hearing in one ear after being given a rogue strain of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella has lost her battle for compensation. The Times reports that 21-year-old Katie Stephen, who lost the use of her left ear days after being inoculated as a child, is the first known victim to prove her case to the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit. But she was refused a £120,000 payout for vaccine injury because it is only given to people with 60 per cent disablement. The Department of Work and Pensions defines single-sided deafness as 20 per cent disablement.