25/10/2013

Other News In Brief

Respect Party Councillors Quit Bradford

All Respect party councillors in Bradford have resigned, accusing George Galloway of defamation and lack of transparency.

Alyas Karmani, Ruqaya Collector, Faisal Khan, Ishtiaq Ahmed and Mohammed Shabbir were all elected to the council last year.

The five had temporarily resigned in August but have left the party completely.

It followed two of the councillors being suspended over criticism of Mr Galloway's plans to stand for London mayor, and he questioned their loyalty.

Respect said the councillors' conduct had been "unacceptable".

Al-Madinah School Governor Resigns

The chair of governors of the Al-Madinah Muslim free school has resigned.

The school closed following a damning Ofsted report that described it as "dysfunctional" and rated it inadequate in every category.

Shazia Parveen said she would step down at the "end of a period of transition" and acknowledged the weaknesses identified by Ofsted.

In a statement, she said: "The future of our children starts now."

Music Teacher Rearrested In Rape Inquiry

A teacher arrested during an inquiry into historical sex abuse at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester has been arrested again on suspicion of rape.

Professor Malcolm Layfield, 61, was arrested on suspicion of raping and indecently assaulting an 18-year-old woman between 1988 and 1999.

He was first arrested in August on suspicion of raping three teenagers at Chetham's between 1980 and 1991.

Mr Layfield was bailed until 18 February pending further inquiries.

(MH)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

09 November 2005
Public schools found guilty of fee fixing
Fifty of England’s top public schools have broken competition law by exchanging information about fees, the Office of Fair Trading has announced. Following an investigation lasting more than two years, the OFT found that pupils’ parents ended up paying higher fees as a result of the information-sharing.
22 October 2014
Three Arrested In Residential School Abuse Inquiry
Police in Wales have arrested two women and a man in connection with allegations of physical abuse at a residential school for young people with learning disabilities.
02 October 2008
Free School Meals For Scots Primary School Pupils
All school pupils in primaries one to three in Scotland are to be entitled to free school meals following successful pilot schemes.
14 June 2011
Primary School Teacher Sentenced For Sexual Offences
A North Somerset primary school teacher has been given an indeterminate public protection order for a catalogue of sexual abuse against young girl pupils in his care. He will only be released when it is safe to do so and this equates to a determinate sentence of 24 years.
05 December 2013
£1bn Towards Free School Meals
£1bn is being unlocked to fund the Department of Education's free school meals commitment. The news, announced by deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, follows an announcement in September that every child in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools will receive a free school lunch.