Monday

Primary school pupils aged 11 will not be prepared for next year’s national tests for the first time in 15 years, head teachers said. The National Association of Head Teachers voted to boycott the tests, saying that they impinged on children’s learning and enjoyment in the final year of primary school.

Tuesday

Disabled travellers often pay more for public transport than able-bodied passengers and suffer a worse service, according to an investigation by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. More than 100 mystery commuters were unable to get on buses on a third of journeys and found that half of trains lacked basic disabled facilities.

Magistrates want ministers to halt the widening of on-the-spot fines for offenders, warning that serious crimes are not reaching the courts. They told Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, that the use of fines in cases involving assault is undermining confidence in the justice system.

Wednesday

Thousands of teenagers will be awarded GCSE and A-level grades without sitting exams under plans to cope with school closures forced by swine flu. Regulators said that pupils who could not sit papers would receive grades based on evidence such as coursework or predicted marks. Five schools have been shut after pupils contracted the virus.

Doctors should detain a child in hospital if they suspect abuse and alert agencies such as social services and police, new guidance says. Recommendations on child protection by the British Medical Association say that GPs and consultants should take immediate action when dealing with children who may be at risk.

Thursday

The DNA profiles of people released without charge or found not guilty by a court could be stored for up to 12 years on the national police database. The proposal, announced by Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, is in response to a European Court of Human Rights ruling that criticised the Government for keeping the genetic records of innocent people.

The Government plans to fast-track 200 top graduates into social work to help to tackle a shortage of social workers. The plan was dismissed as “tinkering” by senior professionals.

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