Daily roundup: Primary league tables, diagnosing cleft palate, and health inequalities in Scotland

Primary school league tables for England have been published by the Department for Education. The tables reveal how more than 14,000 primary schools in England have fared on a range measures linked to national Sats tests. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) says more schools than ever are reaching minimum standards. Russell Hobby, general secretary of the NAHT, said: “Britain's primary schools have been improving at every level for many years, despite increasing pressures, which now include widespread industrial action. This dramatic fall in the number of schools under the floor standard is testament to their hard work and is one of the great unsung success stories of our education system.”

Babies born with a cleft palate are being diagnosed too late, according to the latest official figures. The Royal College of Surgeons says statistics for England, Wales and Northern Ireland show that more than a quarter of cases were not picked up within 24 hours of birth, meaning that babies are being subjected to unnecessary distress. It is believed the problem – a gap in the roof of the mouth - can affect crucial early days of bonding between a mother and child. It can also result in hearing and speech problems.

The most deprived children in Scotland will die up to 13 years younger than those in other areas of the UK due to poor standards of healthcare, a report by Audit Scotland has claimed. Auditor general for Scotland, Caroline Gardner, said: “Health inequalities are long-standing and entrenched in Scotland. Tackling this has been a priority for successive governments but most indicators show the problem remains substantial. On average, people in Scotland’s poorest neighbourhoods die earlier and children in the most deprived areas have significantly worse health. Across the country, there are particular areas of poverty where people have higher healthcare needs. Resources should be better targeted at those who require them most.”

Homelessness charity Shelter, has launched a campaign to raise awareness of an estimated 75,000 children who will be homeless in Britain on Christmas Day. A video by the charity features a boy and his  mother living in temporary accommodation after being forced to leave their home by bailiffs. Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said homelessness is not just a case of single people “sleeping rough”. “What people don’t often consider is the rising numbers of families who, through no fault of their own, have lost their home and have no permanent roof over their heads. For people with children, ‘sofa surfing’ with friends and family often just isn’t a realistic option," he said.

Plans to cut nearly £7m from early years education budgets in Sheffield have been provisionally approved despite protests from parents. The Sheffield Star reports that angry parents heckled councillors who approved plans to cut £6.8m from budgets - including £3.5m from children’s centres. The proposed changes involve a “reorganisation” of the city’s 36 children’s centres. All centres will stay open but 50 jobs will go. Around 200 parents attended the meeting, which had to be moved to a larger room to accommodate them.

And finally, a truancy sweep in Cardiff found that the vast majority of children stopped were with their parents. The Western Mail reports that out of 216 children stopped in the city centre, nearly 200 were Christmas shopping with their parents. Principal education welfare officer at Cardiff council, Sian Cadwallader, said: “On the one hand it’s very disappointing to see so many out of school but by the same token it was a very successful operation. Unfortunately it’s a fact of life a lot of parents just think it’s acceptable if their child has a birthday or as a treat. We remind them about their legal responsibility and we talk to them about why they shouldn’t be doing this.”