Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell has been charged with a number of sex offences against children.

Greater Manchester Police today (February 15^th) announced that the 48-year-old, who plays the role of Kevin Webster in the soap opera, is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ court on Wednesday February 27^th.

He is charged with 19 child sex offences, including indecently assaulting a child, sexual activity with a child and raping a child.

Alison Levitt QC, principal legal adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, revealed the steps she had taken in overturning a decision not to prosecute the actor – whose real name is Michael Turner – after allegations against him arose in 2011.

“I have very carefully reviewed the evidence in this case and I have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge Michael Robert Turner with a number of sexual offences,” she said.

Turner has played the role of Kevin Webster, owner of a garage, on the popular show for more than three decades.

He previously denied claims of child sex offences brought against him in 2011 and the Crown Prosecution Service opted to drop the initial case due to insufficient evidence.

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Education secretary Michael Gove is set to announce plans to replace GCSE qualifications with English Baccalaureate (EBacc) have been abandoned.

He is expected to make a statement to parliament later today (February 7^th), in which the climbdown will be announced, as well as other changes to the UK curriculum.

Gove had planned to bring in the new qualifications in 2015 but was faced with stiff opposition from teachers and MPs.

The Labour Party branded the move a “humiliating climbdown” for the education secretary and claimed he should have paid more attention to the views of business leaders and educators.

“He needs to go back to the drawing board and develop a curriculum and exam system that meets our future challenges as a country. Labour wants to work with the Government to forge a long term consensus on exam and curriculum reform,” shadow education secretary Steven Twigg said.

Under the EBacc proposals, high school pupils would have seen a return to end-of-course exams, as well as the introduction of a tougher syllabus.

However, Gove is expected to announced limited reforms to GCSE qualifications, which would see their role reduced.

The move had been fiercely opposed by teaching unions and the National Union of Teachers today hailed the u-turn as “really good news”.

“Michael Gove has for once listened to sense. The English Baccalaureate Certificates were universally condemned by everyone from the teaching profession to bodies representing the arts, sport, business, technical and design groups and the education select committee,” said general secretary Christine Blower.

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Polish is now the second language of England and Wales, new data from the 2011 Census has revealed.

Four million people reported speaking a different main language to English or Welsh, although the majority of these were also able to speak English proficiently.

After Polish, Panjabi and Urdu were the most reported main languages, with nearly 300,000 speakers in each group. In addition, nearly 140,000 residents said they could speak no English at all.

Geographical differences were also recorded, with London dominating the areas in which different languages are spoken.

The number of married couples fell over the past ten years, from 50 per cent in 2001 to 44 per cent in 2011, while the amount of single parents and people co-habiting rose slightly.

Student numbers received a boost, with the latest data showing a two per cent increase in 2011 at seven per cent – up from the five per cent recorded in 2001.

Brits seemed to be positive about their health prospects, with 81 per cent describing their health as “good” or “very good”.

However, the most favourable results in this category were recorded in London and the south-east, while Wales and the north-east scored the lowest.

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Nurseries and childminders in England will be permitted to look after more children under new childcare reforms set to be announced today (January 29^th).

Children’s minister Liz Truss will unveil plans to raise the ratio of children to carers and introduce a set of new standards for carers’ qualifications.

Under the proposals, childcare workers would be required to meet a minimum standard of education. Ms Truss claimed that carers are not only responsible for a child’s wellbeing but also for their mental development

“With this in mind it is no longer acceptable that childcare professionals are not required to have a GCSE grade C or above in English and maths,” she said.

The minister’s plans would see a new Early Years Educator qualification introduced, which would enable nurseries to bolster their capacity and pay their workers better wages.

Ms Truss’s proposals came under fire from shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg, who warned that such measures would affect the quality of childcare in Britain.

“I think this is one area where we’ve actually got something to teach other countries. If you look at France, there’s actually quite a big public debate about whether they’ve got this right,” he told the BBC.

Earlier in the week, the coalition government was criticised for failing to protect 401 and one Sure Start childcare centres from closure.

“Before the election, David Cameron said he would protect Sure Start. But on his watch we have seen over 400 children’s centres shut down,” said shadow children’s minister Sharon Hodgson.

“Half of the centres that are left no longer provide onsite childcare and one in five are charging parents for services that used to be free.”

Image used courtesy of Dmitry Berkut / Shutterstock.com

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Michael Gove has unveiled a raft of changes to the way A-levels are carried out in England.

In a letter to exam regulator Ofqual, the education secretary set out a number of reforms that will see AS-levels separated from A-levels and the introduction of end-of-course exams.

“Qualifications that command the confidence of our best universities will also command the confidence of teachers, parents, students and employers,” he said of the changes.

Gove added that while A-levels have “much to commend them,” they do not adequately prepare students for undertaking a degree.

The letter also set out plans to involve universities to a greater degree in the design of A-level qualifications.

“I want to see new arrangements that allow Awarding Organisations to work with universities to develop qualifications in a way that is unconstrained – as far as possible – by centrally determined criteria,” the education secretary added.

However, Gove’s shadow counterpart Stephen Twigg claimed the proposals were another example of the government attempting to “turn the clock back”, referring to plans to replace GCSE qualifications with English Baccalaureate Certificates from 2015.

Speaking on Twitter, Twigg warned that the move would result in “narrowing options for young people”.

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Heavy snowfall across the UK continues to cause nationwide travel disruption including cancelled flights, road closures and long train delays.

The ongoing wintry conditions have also caused almost 5,000 schools to remain closed for the day.

The extensive closures pose a particular threat for pupils scheduled to take GCSE or A-level papers today (Monday, January 21^st), with most schools opening just for these students.

Martin Young, Met Office chief forecaster, said:

“There is the continuing risk of some snow at times almost anywhere. The heaviest snow, however, is expected across parts of eastern England and eastern Scotland through Sunday night and Monday, bringing the risk of disruption in some areas.”

The Highways Agency advised road users to take extra care when travelling, whilst unsafe road conditions have resulted in closures on the A66 in both directions between the junctions with the A685 (Brough) and the A67 (Bowes). In north Yorkshire, the major roads A169 and are also closed.

Meanwhile, flights have been suspended at East Midlands, Manchester and Leeds Bradford airports, and Heathrow have cancelled around 130 flights. A spokesman said adverse weather conditions at other European airports meant that “further cancellations are inevitable”.

Passengers are advised to regularly check the status of their flight with the airline before setting out.

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Despite that fact that parents at Woodlands Primary School in Telford, Shropshire, face fines of £100 if they take their kids out of school during term, head John Demmerling has been given permission to take the holiday by school governors.

Angry parents at the school have criticised the decision, claiming that Mr Demmerling has frequently forbidden children from taking holidays during the academic year.

Many have expressed their disbelief that the head chose not to take his holiday during last month’s half-term holiday, instead waiting until this week to go away.

They said that if they choose to comply with school regulations they still face paying a premium for travelling during the peak school holiday season.

Angry mum Hannah Bowen said: “I’ve not had much dealing with him, but don’t agree with him going on holiday.

“If you take your kids out on holiday you get fined £100.

“I think it’s wrong. If I was to do it, I would have a fine in the post.”

Others bemoaned the double-standards being displayed by the school.

Dad Shaun Evans said: “It’s a bit silly, saying parents can’t do it but he can. It’s not fair.

“We have only just had half term – why didn’t he go then?”

School bosses admitted Mr Demmerling only rarely authorises time off for pupils, and parents who break the rules can face fines of up to GBP100 by the local education authority.

But they said that he was being allowed to take the time off in lieu after working extra days in the Christmas Break, when the school moved to new premises and pupils were given an extra two weeks off.

Belinda Offland, chairman of governors, said: “This is not something we do lightly. It was exceptional circumstances.

“I am not sure parents know the circumstances behind the leave, and I hope that they will understand we did what we did in the best interests of the children.”

She said she could not comment about reports that Mr Demmerling had taken his children out of school, as that was between him and the children’s school which is outside Telford & Wrekin.

The school has written to all the parents to explain why Mr Demmerling was allowed the week off.

In his absence, the school is being run by deputy head Carla Whelan and the rest of the senior management team.

Mrs Whelan said the school had considered paying staff for their lost holiday instead of giving them time off, but that was not financially practical.

This is the letter sent to parents by the governors of Woodlands School to explain why headteacher John Demmerling has been allowed to take a week off in term time for a family holiday:

“You may see reports in the media today that mention the school and that headteacher John Demmerling has taken time off during school term time.

We moved into new school premises from Woodside to the Abraham Darby Learning Academy site in January this year. For children at the school, the holidays were extended to allow for the transfer from the old school to the new and parents were informed of this well in advance.

It was agreed by governors, those teachers who worked over and above normal working days during this period to ensure that the school was ready and safe for the children could take time off in lieu.

In the run-up to the move, Mr Demmerling worked the entire week before Christmas, which is school holiday time, to ensure that the new school could open as planned.

In addition, Mr Demmerling also worked throughout the February half-term week to resolve outstanding jobs at the school with the builders.

This was timed so as not to interrupt the school term and to minimise disruption to the children’s education.

In both instances, extra time worked by Mr Demmerling and other staff has been unpaid.

The school’s governing body agreed that, considering these circumstances, Mr Demmerling could take a week off, which he is now doing.

In his absence, the school is being managed by the deputy head and senior leadership team.”

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Taylor Smart suffered severe amnesia after hitting her head on her bath in January, leaving her unable to hold a pen or even recognise members of her own family, while classmate Rhys Callow suffers from a form of narcolepsy and had to have a mattress laid out in the exam room in case he fell asleep.

Amazingly both of them attend the same school, King Edward IV in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk.

Since her accident, Taylor has had to cram two years of study into just four months – forcing her to relearn each of her seven subjects from scratch.

And yesterday she was thrilled to open her GCSE results to find she had achieved four C grades and three Ds – the grades she needs to get into college.

Taylor, from Market Weston, Suffolk, said: “I am really amazed with the results I have got, I didn’t expect to do so well.

“While everyone else in my year was revising, I had to relearn it all. When I began I didn’t know anything about the subjects I took. I couldn’t even write so had to learn how to do that first.

“Every now and again I get things come back to me but they tend to be small things, conversations I have had with people years ago.

“It is such a relief to have passed my exams, I can finally relax and stop worrying about them.”

Taylor’s mother Jane said she could now look forward to a bright future.

She said:  “We are just so proud of her – it has been an extremely hard and emotional time.

“It is a huge relief, it feels as if there is a light at the end of the tunnel now.”

After the accident, Taylor was taken to West Suffolk Hospital for tests. It was thought her memory would come back to her after a few days but so far very little has returned.

Fellow GCSE pupil Rhys developed his condition in November last year and is prone to dropping off for 15-minute spells throughout the day.

Yesterday he defied his problems to receive two A* grades and eight As at GCSE.

“I fell asleep in my art exam while still holding my pencil,”  he said.

“I have a sleep condition, a form of narcolepsy, so will fall asleep in most lessons. It has made revising really hard because I do not know when I will drop off.”

For his exams, brainy Rhys was put in a separate room from the other students with a mattress set up next to his desk.

Rhys gets a few moments of drowsiness before he collapses, enough time to lie down so he doesn’t hurt himself in the fall.

He said:  “I feel very relieved and happy about my results, it feels great to have finished them.”

Headteacher Geoff Barton praised his students’ grit and bravery.

He said:  “Talk about overcoming adversity Taylor has had to learn in a few months what other pupils took two years to learn.

“She is a real inspiration.  Rhys has dealt with his condition with calm aplomb and has come away with extraordinary results.  Well done to them both.”

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Just under 70 per cent of exams taken by around 650,000 students in the UK were between A* and C grades with almost a quarter achieving the top A* and A marks.

As the gender gap between boys and girls widened 16-year-old Nishith Hegde has bucked the trend and celebrated scoring an astonishing 17 A*s when he opened his results today at King Edward IV grammar school in Bartley Green, Birmingham.

The brainy teenager, from the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, hit the highest marks as he took 14 GCSEs and 3 AS-levels, which he took a year early.

GCSEs in Latin (literature and language), English (literature and Language), physics, biology, chemistry, maths, statistics, geography, expressive art, religious studies and ICT were joined by top AS results in IT, English Language and General studies.

A delighted Nishith, who says he sees himself becoming a lawyer one day, said: “I guess it took a lot of work over the years, but I just paced myself and kept myself motivated throughout.

“I just stuck at it and that meant the results came. I took the ICT GCSE in year nine and statistics and English language in year 10 so that took some of the pressure off me I suppose.

“Our school encourages us to take up the options we’re offered and so I ended up doing a few AS-levels as well.

“I did have to shuffle my timetable around a bit but I still managed to get some hobbies into my time. I set up a debating society at the school and was involved in our organising committee for school events.”

Nishith will now study maths, further maths, economics and history at AS-level to add to the three he has already completed and hopes to go on to study economics or history at university one day.

But all that will come later after he celebrates today’s outstanding marks. “I’m going to wait until all my friends have their results,” he said. “Then we’re going to go out for a meal this evening.

‘I’m relieved it’s all over and the work has been rewarded, I’m over the moon with my results.”

Classmate Rebecca Williams, 16, has also delighted her teachers after receiving 17 A* grades in her results envelope this/yesterday/THURSDAY morning.

The star teenager, from Stourbridge, has earned top marks in GCSEs in Latin (language and literature), history, food technology, English (literature and language), religious studies, biology, chemistry, physics, statistics, ICT as well as an AS-level in ICT taken a year early.

“I’m really pleased with what I got,” said Rebecca. “It’s really good that the hard work has paid off.

“My dad took me out shopping this morning to celebrate and I’m going to head into Birmingham tonight with my friends for a night out at the cinema.”

Despite her busy schedule clever Rebecca still managed to fit plenty of activities into her schedule and is a keen badminton player and debater.

She also helped to raise cash for West Midlands Air Ambulance as part of the school’s charity fund raising team.

“I’m off to college in September in Stourbridge, closer to my home.” she said. “I don’t know what the rest of the summer holds.

‘i’m going to study law, maths, English (literature and language) and psychology at AS – level, I want to do law at uni because I’d like to be a barrister one day.”

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The unknown man was unsurprisingly refused two tickets for himself and his four-legged companion at Wrexham General train station on Saturday.

He was caught trying to board the train at Welsh station with the white pony in tow as shocked staff looked on.

Extraordinary pictures show the pony pictured in a lift at the station, walking along the platform and the counter of the ticket office.

Katrina Tzannis, a spokeswoman for Arriva Trains Wales, said “Horses and ponies, which may pose a risk to the general public are not permitted to travel.

“I think he believed he had a right to catch the train because he turned up with the animal and queried the refusal to board at the ticket office.

“I think staff at the station were very surprised and also very confused.

“We’re used to having guide dogs and other small pets but I’ve never heard of anything of this magnitude turning up at our stations.

“I have no idea who he is or where he was going to but it was certainly very unusual.”

After a conductor refused him entry, the man returned to the ticket booth where he tried to buy two tickets – for himself and the animal.

The pony is caught on CCTV waiting behind the man as he tries to buy the fares to travel on Saturday’s 1902 BST service to Holyhead on Anglesey – a two hour journey.

The ATW spokeswoman added: “Arriva Trains Wales allows dogs and small animals to travel on-board trains.

“All animals, except dogs, must be conveyed within a fully enclosed basket or pet carrier with dimensions not exceeding 85 x 60 x 60cm.”

She said the man later left the station with the animal, adding: “I’m not aware that anything like this has happened before.”

A spokesperson for the RSPCA,said: “This is something we might well look into because this is clearly not the way horses or ponies should be transported.

“There’s a lot of hustle and bustle on passenger trains which could prove stressful for the animal or cause injury.

“Even an injury like a broken leg can be fatal for a pony.

“Horses and ponies should be transported in horse boxes so they do not get injured.”

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