Active play can improve social, emotional and cognitive development in children, and help close the education attainment gap, say University of Strathclyde researchers. They worked with Inspiring Scotland and social enterprise Agile on an active play programme that trains teachers and works with children in both structured and unstructured play. Previous research discovered that physical activity levels may start tailing off as early as the age of 7.

An international adviser to education secretary John Swinney has attacked the reasoning behind the government’s key policy of standardised testing in P1, P4, P7 and S3, saying it risks “ill-being” in students and devalues teacher judgement. Professor Andy Hargreaves, of the Lynch School of Education in Boston, was addressing a teachers’ conference in Rotterdam.

Adverts for junk food and sweets would be banned from all television shows broadcast before the 9pm watershed under Labour plans to tackle childhood obesity. Products high in fat, salt or sugar are currently banned from being advertised during children’s TV only. Statistics published last year revealed that, in 2015-16, 22 per cent of P1s in Scotland were overweight or obese.

A primary head has voluntarily removed herself from the teaching register after concerns were raised about her conduct around pupils, parents and staff. The case of Elizabeth Manley, who was working in Aberdeenshire at the time of the incidents between 2013 and 2015, had gone before the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s fitness-to-teach panel. Complaints had been made about “intimidating” and “aggressive” behaviour.