Daily roundup: School places, Bulger killer, and reading

The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that a "dramatic" rise in the number of children entering the school system could see some parts of the country with nearly twice as many pupils as school places over the next two years. LGA analysis shows that up to two-thirds of English councils will need to find more primary school places than they currently provide to meet the expected demand by 2016. Costessey in Norfolk, Purfleet in Thurrock and central Croydon are set to be the worst affected areas.

Jon Venebles, one of the killers of toddler James Bulger, has been released from prison again. Venebles was first released in 2001 after serving eight years for the murder of two-year-old James in 1993. But he was recalled to prison in 2010 for accessing child abuse images. The BBC reports that the Parole Board believes Venebles, now aged 31 and living under a new identity, can be better managed in the community.

A crime expert has said children who are read to from an early age are less likely to commit violent crime as adults. John Carnochan, a former detective chief superintendent at Strathclyde Police and the founder of the violence reduction unit at St Andrews University, said improved literacy in early years education was one of the ways of reducing violent offending. He added that a research showed children who are read to by their parents are more likely to perform well at primary school and less likely to get into trouble at secondary, reports The Scotsman.