12 h. ago Head teacher forced to deny school is letting pupils identify as animals and giving them litter trays after poison pen campaign

Patrick Earnshaw, head of Highcliffe School, a comprehensive secondary school in Highcliffe-on-Sea, Dorset, addressed online speculation over pupils in a recent newsletter.

Politics

43 h. ago I’m ashamed of my daughter’s messy garden. Should I say something?

Your concern may be an expression of care for your daughter – but you need to dig down into why you feel like thisMy daughter, aged nearly 50, lives in a pleasant cul-de-sac of privately owned houses. Her front garden is the only one in it that, frankly, looks a mess. The grass is never cut because she says it’s eco-friendly and has wild flowers. (Mainly dandelions and three prized wild orchids.) It’s a very small garden and is crammed with untended bushes, fruit trees and a central tree that takes all the light from her sitting room. Recently, she’s been given five large fruit bushes in pots, which straggle over the path. I would be very disappointed if I had such an eyesore next door to me.She’s a single mum with two sons who have recently left school, but she won’t let them tidy up her garden. We live three hours away, but always feel ashamed when we visit and push our way up the overgrown path. Does it matter or are we just pernickety old folk with outdated views? I’d ...

Politics

43 h. ago I’m ashamed of my daughter’s messy garden. Should I say something? | Ask Annalisa Barbieri

Your concern may be an expression of care for your daughter – but you need to dig down into why you feel like thisMy daughter, aged nearly 50, lives in a pleasant cul-de-sac of privately owned houses. Her front garden is the only one in it that, frankly, looks a mess. The grass is never cut because she says it’s eco-friendly and has wild flowers. (Mainly dandelions and three prized wild orchids.) It’s a very small garden and is crammed with untended bushes, fruit trees and a central tree that takes all the light from her sitting room. Recently, she’s been given five large fruit bushes in pots, which straggle over the path. I would be very disappointed if I had such an eyesore next door to me.She’s a single mum with two sons who have recently left school, but she won’t let them tidy up her garden. We live three hours away, but always feel ashamed when we visit and push our way up the overgrown path. Does it matter or are we just pernickety old folk with outdated views? I’d ...

Politics

3 d. ago Lessons with Letizia! Queen of Spain looks chic in blue as she makes school visits to mark start of term

Queen Letizia of Spain looked casually chic as she made a public appearance in La Rioja on Friday, visiting two schools to mark the start of the new academic year.

Politics

4 d. ago Jason Manford hits out at rumours he quit Waterloo Road with hilarious tweet

Comedian and actor Jason Manford has hit out at a story claiming he 'quit' his role as head teacher Steve Savage in Waterloo Road after making his exit after one series

Events

6 d. ago Cat Deeley lets hair down on a school night as she parties with celeb pal for ITV bash

This Morning presenter Cat Deeley looked her usual glamorous self as she partied with a number of fellow ITV stars to celebrate the channel's 70th anniversary

Culture

7 d. ago Labour minister forced to deny Reform deputy leader Richard Tice was deliberately missed off bungled national emergency alert, insisting 'I would love to believe we were that organised'

The newly minted Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard (pictured) appeared on Good Morning Britain today to discuss the Government's new Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS).

Politics

7 d. ago TikToker Mia O'Brien denies she's Brit student after 'is this how Dubai jail looks like' comment

TikToker Mia O'Brien has been forced to deny that she is the British law student who was jailed for life in Dubai after being caught with 50g of cocaine

Events

8 d. ago TikTok user named Mia O'Brien forced to deny she's Brit student in Dubai jail

People on TikTok have confused a girl called Mia O'Brien with another Mia O'Brien who is locked up for life in Dubai

Events

1 week ago Three Days in June by Anne Tyler audiobook review – a masterclass in marital disharmony

A mother reflects on the breakdown of her marriage as she attends her daughter’s wedding, in a novella that brilliantly depicts family dynamicsAt the start of Three Days in June, Gail Baines, a 61-year-old teacher, has a meeting with her school head, who informs her she is about to retire. Gail assumes she is next in line for the job, but the head tells her she doesn’t have the people skills and asks if she has considered retirement herself. Affronted, she walks out of the school and from her job without collecting the photo on her desk of her daughter, Debbie, who is about to get married. After Gail gets home, her ex-husband, Max, arrives. He is staying with her for the wedding weekend and tells her he has forgotten to bring a suit – although he has brought a cat. Not for the first time, Gail wonders “why it was that I had so many irritating people in my life”.Set in Baltimore, Anne Tyler’s novella spans the before, during and after of Debbie’s wedding. Told through Gail’...

Politics

1 week ago What age can a child walk to school on their own, according to NSPCC expert

With many parents getting their children ready to go back to school, some will be considering letting their kids walk to school by themselves- but when is the right time to let them go?

Politics

1 week ago Welsh hotel forced to deny false claims it's housing asylum seekers

Management said they were left with no choice other than to address the rumours and for people to 'know the truth'

Events

1 week ago David Sheerin appointed as headteacher of St Margaret’s Academy in Livingston

Mr Sheerin joins West Lothian Council from East Dunbartonshire, where he served as principal teacher then deputy head at St Ninian’s High School in Kirkintilloch for a number of years.

Politics

2 w. ago QUENTIN LETTS: Yvette Cooper's parliamentary speech was a public emergency edict delivered by Play School presenter

Yvette Cooper's tactic, in the face of smouldering civil unrest about asylum hotels, was to wobble her head and adopt a damp, disapproving tone. Public-emergency edict delivered by Play School presenter.

Politics

2 w. ago Heartbroken head teacher pays tribute to former pupils killed in Scots road crash

Fergus Ward, Lewis Knox and Jordan Cameron passed away following the accident on the A830 between Mallaig and Arisaig.

Events

2 w. ago US Open racism storm erupts as tennis star goes ballistic at American rival for having 'no education and no class'

Tennis star Jelena Ostapenko was forced to deny being 'racist' after she told her black opponent Taylor Townsend she has 'no education and no class' in an extraordinary tantrum.

Events

2 w. ago Jelena Ostapenko explodes after US Open upset loss as victorious Taylor Townsend reveals what was said

Tennis star Jelena Ostapenko was forced to deny being 'racist' after she told her black opponent Taylor Townsend she has 'no education and no class' in an extraordinary tantrum.

Politics

2 w. ago Boy, 12, begs mum to let him die after freak fire during school holidays

Hunter Jory was playing in a field with his friends during the holidays when the tragedy unfolded.

Events

2 w. ago Stacey Solomon denies she's left ITV's Loose Women after fans share concern

Sort Your Life Out star, Stacey Solomon, has been forced to deny she's quit Loose Women, 13 years after she made her debut on the ITV chat show

Politics

2 w. ago Boy, 12, begs mum 'let me die' after freak school holiday fire accident

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT Hunter Jory, 12, was playing in a field when another child threw a can of petrol on a fire, causing a huge explosion that left him with horrific burns which seared the skin from his face and body

Events