A study analysing around 70,000 pupils in more than 100 secondary schools has found that white children from low-income backgrounds are the most likely to be disengaged as they start year 7. On arrival, the group labelled LIWC scored 2.6 out of 10 for engagement, compared with 3.4 for disadvantaged Black pupils and 3.7 for disadvantaged Asian pupils. The Engagement Platform was used to measure engagement across several dimensions, including […]

Former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw says Strictly Come Dancing is completely out of his comfort zone. The 39-year-old, who retired from rugby in 2022, is paired with professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova for the show's 23rd series. Robshaw spoke ahead of the first live show about retirement and the challenge of learning a new skill with a leading professional. He said the adrenaline that comes with competition can be missed […]

Barack Obama was presented with the Freedom of the City of Dublin during a private ceremony in the Irish capital. The honour, Dublin's highest civic award, recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the world and whose values reflect those cherished by Dubliners. Crowds gathered outside the Shelbourne Hotel as he arrived after 3.30pm on Thursday. In a statement, the former US president said he accepted the honour […]

At the Southport Inquiry in Liverpool Town Hall, a taxi driver described driving away from the Hart Space studio after hearing screams, believing gunshots had occurred. Gary Poland, who works for One Call Taxis, said he did not contact emergency services for about 50 minutes after collecting another fare and returning home. Poland said he was in a state of terror after hearing what he believed were four or five […]

Jaguar Land Rover says parts of its IT systems are back online as it implements a phased restart after a cyber attack. The British carmaker has paused production at its UK plants for several weeks, with the shutdown expected to run until 1 October at the earliest. Some digital services are now operational, allowing the company to clear a backlog of payments to suppliers. A JLR spokesman said: "As part […]

Liverpool have signed 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha, the Newham-born player, on his first professional contract, a month after his 17th birthday and around a year after arriving from Chelsea. The deal runs for three years. The winger's match-winning goal at Newcastle in August made him Liverpool's youngest scorer at 16 years and 361 days. Ngumoha has made five senior appearances. He debuted in the FA Cup third-round tie against Accrington […]

Andy Burnham said MPs are privately urging him to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership, amid questions about a possible return to Westminster. He criticised Downing Street for creating a climate of fear and argued that wholesale change is needed to confront what he described as an existential threat to Labour. In an interview, he outlined policy ideas including higher council tax on some southern homes and a […]

Virgin Media O2's latest study on hybrid working shows younger workers returning to offices in larger numbers than older staff as the balance between office and home shifts. The research notes that daily routines are no longer the same for all ages, with younger employees increasingly commuting to work this year after a sharp drop at the end of last year. Across age groups, the data reveals three trends. 18 […]

An instrument owned by Noel Gallagher that was damaged on the night Oasis split is heading to auction. The 1960s red Gibson ES-355 was damaged during a backstage brawl at Rock en Seine in Paris in 2009. The pre-sale estimate for the guitar is £250,000–£500,000 (€292,500–€585,000). Propstore's two-day music memorabilia live auction will feature around 150 Oasis items, alongside more than 550 lots from other celebrated artists, with a combined […]