Early learning

Teaching teenagers about how babies’ brains work can make them better parents in the future, a pilot scheme backed by the Duchess of Cambridge has discovered.

Pupils at 21 schools were given special science lessons designed by the University of Oxford and shown practical ways to support infants in their development.

It follows a study that showed only a quarter of adults understand the importance of the early years for future opportunities in life.

People in Britain spent an average of £23 per person last Valentine’s Day, compared with £28 in 2018, indicating that lovers are focusing more on romantic gestures than expensive gifts.