Daily roundup: Educational equality, child neglect, and sex education

Government policies such as the Pupil Premium are failing to reduce educational inequality, a study has found. Research by think-tank Demos found that the attainment gap between poorer and wealthier pupils increasing in half of local authorities.

A married couple are being held in custody after police found their eight young children alone in a filthy home. The Mirror reports that the parents had left their eldest child, aged 11, in charge, even though the youngest child was just months old. The parents have appeared in court on a charge of child neglect.

An amendment to the Children and Families Bill that would have required state schools to teach sex and relationship education has been defeated in the House of Lords. Peers voted against the amendment, introduced by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, to clause 73 of the Bill by 209 votes to 142.

Fifteen authorities have been shortlisted for National Lottery funding to boost services for babies and toddlers. The Bradford Argus reports that between three and five local authorities from the shortlist will be selected to receive a share of £150 million over a decade.

Children as young as 11 have been smuggling electronic shisha pens into school in their  pencil cases, the London Evening Standard reports. Several of the flavoured e-cigarettes have been seized from pupils in Southwark and passed to anti-fraud officers at HM Revenue and Customs for inspection. Shisha pens are said to be safe to use, although many schools have banned them.

Young people in Tynesdale have launched a campaign to save a 50-year-old youth centre threatened with closure. The East Centre in Prudhoe is one of a number of youth centres at risk of being closed due to cost cutting measures being considered by Northumberland County Council. Young people have launched an online campaign via Facebook and Twitter, entitled “Save Our Youth Centre”, reports the Hexham Courant.