Two schools which were closed due to a smell which provoked unexplained nausea will reopen this week after the odour was removed. Green Park School in Wolverhampton was forced to shut on Tuesday and Wednesday after the unusual odour was detected near its swimming pool, leading to paramedics assessing “a …

Eleanor LawsonWest Midlands BBC Twenty schools belonging to the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP) have been involved in strike action, which is now being extended A strike by teachers at a trust that runs schools across the West Midlands has been extended for a further nine days. Twenty schools belonging …

BBC Nicky spent 10 years as a hostage negotiator for the Metropolitan Police Being a parent and working as a hostage negotiator don’t immediately appear to have a lot in common, but someone who has been both says tricks she learnt in her profession can help you at home. Nicky …

Simon FinlayLocal Democracy Reporting Service Getty Images Kent County Council said its special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) bill is one of its “biggest financial risks” Overspending on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Kent could reach £136m by March, a councillor has said. Councillor Harry Rayner, a former …

Pamela TickellNorth East and Cumbria Google Sunjit Kang was the head of ICT and Business at The Grangefield Academy in Stockton A secondary school teacher has been banned from teaching indefinitely for marking up students’ grades. Sunjit Kang, 40, who was the head of ICT and Business at The Grangefield …

Grace Deanand George Sandeman FatCamera/GettyImages Martina loved the idea of a baby signing class. As well as teaching her baby to communicate with simple hand gestures, she’d be able to meet other mothers in her area. But after the third session, Martina scooped up her newborn and walked out. She’d …

Changes to income tax reporting could force home childcare businesses to close, childminders have warned. Under Making Tax Digital (MTD) – a new way for sole traders to report their income and expenses to HMRC – affected childminders would claim tax relief, rather than a 10% “wear and tear” allowance. …

BBC Dylan Nomovi is studying for a T-Level in digital software development Companies have pledged to offer hundreds of “quality work experience placements” to more than a thousand young people in Greater Manchester as part of a special new push. The 45-day industry placements will be available to students doing …

Mattel Penelope’s reaction to the new doll formed part of the research process The launch of the first autistic Barbie doll has been welcomed by campaigners as a step towards more “authentic, joyful” representation for neurodivergent children. The doll features design choices intended to reflect experiences to which autistic people …

Getty Images Parents of under-fives in England are to be offered official advice on how long their children should spend watching TV or looking at computer screens. The government says it will publish its first guidance on screen time for the age group in April. It comes as government research …

A teacher accused of making inappropriate and sexual comments to pupils has been banned from the profession. Steven Battye, 59, was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct by the Teaching Regulation Agency. The panel said the breaches included invading the personal space of a pupil and repeatedly commenting on another …

Getty Images Parents are struggling to access Send support while London’s councils face financial strain in funding it The number of children in the capital requiring special educational needs and disabilities (Send) support has reached record levels, analysis by BBC London has found. Over the past decade, the number has …

Bethan NimmoOxfordshire political reporter BBC Chris and Tabitha now have a permanent teenage foster daughter A former police community support officer has said the “heart-breaking” task of taking vulnerable children to a police station opened his eyes to the strain on the care system. Chris, from West Oxfordshire, said being …

Shannen HeadleyWest Midlands Google Higham Lane School in Nuneaton said an update will be provided to parents on Tuesday A school in Nuneaton has been forced to shut after a cyber attack affected parts of its IT systems. Higham Lane School, which has about 1,400 pupils aged 11 – 18 …

Getty Images Most parents across the region get their choice of primary school The deadline to apply for reception class places in September is days away, parents and guardians are being warned. The date by which families need to apply is 15 January – a date set nationally, although applications …

Family Hajar, Amina, Zakaria and Ismaeel love to go to the library after hours It’s after the library closes its doors for the night that four young children creep into the building with their mother, in a scene they imagine as being like the film Night at the Museum. Avid …

Tom BurgessNorth East and Cumbria BBC Mowbray Primary School was closed early for Christmas A primary school has been permanently closed after structural engineers found cracking and wall movement around the site. Mowbray Primary School in Stakeford, Northumberland, which has about 250 pupils, shut early for Christmas to allow a …

BBC Dominic Wilkes, head teacher of Budehaven Community School, said the decision to close had not been taken lightly A school has reopened following a two-day closure last week due to an outbreak of flu and streptococcus infection. Budehaven Community School, in Bude, Cornwall, said it had to suspend in-person …

University “cold spots” are developing in some parts of the country, new data analysis suggests, with courses in some subjects no longer available to students in certain regions. The new data tool, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) on Tuesday, showed a sharp decline in students taking French …

Vanessa ClarkeEducation reporter Getty Images The government has promised to create 50,000 more places for children with special educational needs (Send) in mainstream schools in England. It plans to invest £3bn over the next three years, partly funded by cancelling the building of some planned free schools. Councils – who …