ACT - The Association of Christian Teachers

Ofqual is to investigate exam board grading of the controversial new maths A level, it was revealed this morning. 

The exam regulator has decided to act after it asked the boards to reconsider the boundaries they set last year and they decided not to make any changes.

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Now it has decided to investigate each board's decision not to reopen the grading for 2018 despite the differences with this summer's grade boundaries.

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For the first time in history, the number of girls taking A-levels sciences has overtaken boys. Scientists, businesses, teachers and ministers have all hailed the gender shift as a huge success.

On A-level results day, figures revealed there were 84,111 entries from girls for biology, chemistry and physics combined this year (50.3 per cent), compared with 83,133 from boys (49.7 per cent).

But how has it happened and what’s behind the change?

It comes after a great deal of effort has been made by the government and schools to encourage more students to take-up of science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) subjects.

A campaign to increase the number of female pupils studying Stem has been running for years in a bid to address skill shortages and tackle the underrepresentation of women in the industry.  

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Chicken boxes featuring warnings about the dangers of carrying a knife have been sent to takeaways in England and Wales as part of a government campaign.

More than 321,000 boxes will replace standard packaging at outlets including Chicken Cottage, Dixy Chicken and Morley's, the Home Office said.

Real life stories of young people who chose positive activities over carrying a weapon are printed inside the boxes.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said the plan was "crude" and "offensive".

However, Home Secretary Priti Patel defended the campaign, accusing Ms Abbott of "playing politics with knife crime".

• The key facts about rising knife crime
• 'Thousands' of 14-year-olds carry knives

Printed inside the special boxes, part of the Home Office's #knifefree campaign, are first-hand accounts of young people who have opted to pursue pastimes such as boxing or music instead of carrying a knife.

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A university is banning the sale of burgers to try to fight global warming.

Goldsmiths, University of London, is removing all beef products from sale - and charging a 10p levy on bottled water and single-use plastic cups.

It plans to install more solar panels across its New Cross campus, in south-east London, and switch to a 100% clean energy supplier as soon as possible.

It will spend money on its allotment and identify other areas where planting could help to absorb carbon dioxide.

Carbon footprint

The university emits about 3.7 million kg of carbon each year but is hoping to become carbon neutral by 2025.

And it will try to increase the number of students studying climate change.

Scientists say beef is more damaging to the environment as cows produce more methane and require more land and water than other livestock.

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Today (14 August), Education Secretary Gavin Williamson met with young people from Team UK who will battle it out against 65 other nations in their specialist skill at the 2019 WorldSkills Olympics in Kazan, Russia next week.

The bi-annual WorldSkills event – which runs from 22 –27 August - is the largest international skills competition of its kind, bringing together apprentices and young people from around the world to compete for medals in their chosen skill.

Team UK is sending 37 young people from across the UK to compete in 32 skills categories ranging from joinery, cyber security and restaurant services.  Mr Williamson met some of Team UK at Westminster Kingsway College, London where they were taking part in a warm-up event before heading out to Russia. On the visit he met with Tonicha Roberts, 22, whose specialist skill is Chemical Laboratory Technology, Jack Goodrum, 21, who will be competing in Carpentry, Collette Gorvette, 20, who will be showcasing her Restaurant Service skills, Ross Megahy who will be competing in Mechanical Engineering CAD and Owen Aldous, 20, who will be representing the UK in Cabinet Making.

While he was there, Mr Williamson also got the chance to try his hand at some of the skills himself including hospitality cocktail making and carpentry.

Read the detail.