Latest news with #secondaryschool
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Mother-of-one teaching assistant, 26, caught driving while under the influence of cannabis banned from roads after claiming she used drug for 'pain management'
A teaching assistant caught driving under the influence of cannabis was fined £120 after claiming she used the drug as a medicine for 'pain management'. Mother of one Megan Washington, 26, was stopped by police in her Vauxhall Insignia with a youngster in the passenger seat after a tip-off she might have been smoking the drug before getting behind the wheel. Tests showed Washington was slightly over the limit for THC, the principal active ingredient of cannabis, and also BZE, the breakdown product of cocaine. When quizzed, Washington - who is understood to work at a secondary school - said she been using cannabis for pain management, but was seeking professional help to wean herself off it. She claimed she had not realised that the drugs were still in her system and would not have driven if she had known. There was no evidence the manner of her driving was erratic. The reason for her pain issues and why she had traces of cocaine in her system were not disclosed. A former legal secretary, according to her social media pages she is currently studying a BA Honours degree in English Literature at the Open University. Megan Washington outside Chester magistrates court where she was fined £120 and banned from driving for 16 months after admitting two counts of drug driving Washington, from Winsford, Cheshire, admitted two charges of drug driving. She was also ordered to pay £133 in costs and surcharge and banned from driving for 16 months. The incident occurred at 2.50pm on February 9 when Washington was driving her car through the village of Moulton, Chester magistrates court heard. Scott Woodward, prosecuting, said: 'Police stopped a Vauxhall Insignia after there was information given that there may be someone under the influence of cannabis driving it. 'There was also a young passenger in the vehicle. 'The defendant informed the officers that she was a regular cannabis user. 'Therefore the officer requested a roadside DrugWipe which was positive for cannabis. She was subsequently arrested and taken to custody. 'The defendant has no previous convictions.' Tests showed Washington had 2.8 micrograms of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 60 micrograms of benzoylecgonine (BZE) per litre of blood. The legal limit for the drugs is micrograms per litre and 50 micrograms per litre respectively. Washington declined to have the court's duty solicitor represent her. She told the hearing: 'I can only apologise. I did not realise. 'If I realised that there was anything still in my system I would not have driven that day.' She added: 'It was for pain management. 'I had a doctor's referral and I am trying to get myself off it. 'I've now sold the car as this freaked me out a bit.' The court legal advisor told JPs: 'She has a clean driving licence. 'I would think a defence would ask you to take a common sense approach. 'Your concern would be was if there any evidence of obvious impairment of driving. 'But the car was flagged up for some reason on the ANPR and pulled over because of the vehicle itself - not because of any evidence of impairment of driving. 'It has been found that people that regularly who smoke cannabis build up a tolerance so that it is basically permanently in their system. 'The legal limit is very, very low so if you are someone who smokes cannabis weekly, regularly, you are permanently over the limit.' Sentencing Washington, JP Olga Randall told her: 'The fine would have been £180 because you pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. 'You are working towards getting off any form of drugs. 'Hopefully by the time you start driving again you'll be back on track.' According to the NHS 'very few' people in England are likely to get a prescription for medical cannabis. It is only likely to be prescribed for children and adults with rare and severe forms of epilepsy, adults with vomiting or nausea caused by chemotherapy and people with muscle stiffness and spasms caused by multiple sclerosis.
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
One in four pupils in England ‘disengage' when they move to secondary, report finds
One in four pupils in England 'disengage' when they move up to secondary school, with enjoyment, trust and a sense of feeling safe declining sharply, according to a new report. After a largely positive experience at primary school where children report high levels of enjoyment, there is a 'steep and lasting' drop in engagement after year 7 when pupils transfer to secondary at the age of 11, the survey of 100,000 pupils in England reveals. Girls are more likely to complain of feeling unsafe or worried, while pupils eligible for free school meals are more likely to report lower levels of trust, enjoyment and belonging – a gap which grows throughout secondary school. The study, published on Tuesday, says lower levels of engagement are linked to absenteeism – a key concern for government after Covid – with the top 25% most engaged secondary pupils 10 percentage points less likely to be persistently absent than those in the bottom 25%. It also finds that primary school pupils are more likely to have a greater sense of agency and believe hard work at school will lead to success compared with secondary pupils, scoring 8.4 out of 10 compared with 6.8 for older students. The research tracked how pupil engagement changed across the 2024–25 academic year and found pupils' average school enjoyment score drops from about 6.0 in year 6 to 3.8 in year 7, which then falls further to 3.2 in year 8. A sense of feeling safe falls from 7.2 in year 7 to 5.9 in year 9 among female pupils, compared with a decline from 7.4 to 6.6 for male pupils. Almost every country with available data sees a decline in engagement as children advance through school, but the report says it is more pronounced in England, 'suggesting that disengagement is not just a symptom of age, but something atypical happening in our context'. The findings come from the Research Commission on Engagement and Lead Indicators (RCELI), led by the ImpactEd group in partnership with the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), the Confederation of School Trusts (CST), and other education organisations. The commission chair, Sue John, said: 'It is crucial that we identify the points at which pupils are starting to disengage with school, so that we can intervene to stop a disconnection leading to non-attendance and poorer outcomes. 'This research provides rich and nuanced insights into pupil engagement at a school and classroom level, which will enable leaders to act fast and understand more complex dynamics in their schools, such as what is happening at age 11 for different pupil groups.' Margaret Mulholland, Special educational needs and disabilities (Send) and inclusion specialist at the ASCL, said: 'The transition between primary and secondary school is a hugely important stage of a child's education. 'It can also be an unsettling time where issues with anxiety and behaviour can arise. As this study shows, a drop in engagement during this period can be hugely detrimental to a pupil's wellbeing and attainment.' Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the CST, added: 'There are many factors beyond schools which may be contributing to this picture. We need to delve deeper into what the factors are that are driving this disengagement and how we might reconnect these pupils with schooling.'
CBC
14-05-2025
- General
- CBC
First-of-its-kind city-funded rooftop child care centre opens in Vancouver
The city has opened up dozens of new child-care spaces at a secondary school. It has helped many on the wait lists. But as Tanushi Bhatnagar explains, thousands of parents are still waiting for a spot for their children.
Times
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
It's time to go to big school. A story in verse
Starting secondary school is no joke. Nate has navigated a difficult final year of primary school and a new world of anxieties and expectations awaits: City Academy. 'Teachers with tans wear new start smiles: Welcome, welcome. This way to the hall. This must be how gladiators felt on their way to the arena.' The sanctuary of his old school, with its colourful walls and his inspirational teacher, Mr Joshua, is in the rear-view mirror and he must learn how to stand up for himself in this new place where the stakes are higher and the bullies carry screwdrivers inside their blazers. 'It's like I dunno … A hospital or summat. Nah, man, scratch that: a prison. We get the odd quote from Einstein in big
