New tech lets police scan accidents
Police experts have been equipped with state-ofthe-art 3D scanners to help them investigate road accidents in the North East. Northumbria Police's forensic officers – under immense time-pressures to examine the scene of a collision for the smallest piece of evidence – have received a boost as the force invests £160,000 in new laser scanners which allow them to map an accident scene to create a virtual 3D representation.
This will preserving evidence and clues long after a road re-opens.
The tech will also help officers present undisputed evidence about fatal collisions and help provide answers to bereaved families searching for the truth.
Online tuition helped disadvantaged children to learn during the Covid-19 vrisis but many were still unable to access support due to a lack of equipment or internet connections, a report says.
The majority of students said they felt more confident about their work as a result of the virtual tutoring in the summer and autumn terms, a pilot from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) suggests.
But nearly half – 48% - of schools reported that a lack of equipment made it difficult for some learners to take part, while the same proportion said a lack of parental support was a challenge.
Professor Becky Francis, chief executive of the EEF, has called for barriers to online tuition - such as limited access to technology - to be removed.
Most pupils received weekly one-to-one sessions on maths, English or science - and the majority of them were studying for their GCSEs in Years 10 and 11.
The majority (87%) of learners said they would like to carry on with their tutoring if they had the opportunity - and 76% said they enjoyed learning more than they did before.
Prof Francis said the report should give confidence that online tuition is “an effective tool to support students" amid partial school closures.
She said: "The findings give us confidence that online tutoring can support disadvantaged pupils, but highlights some barriers like access to technology and attendance - that we must give extra attention to removing if we're to make sure that no child is left behind as a result of the pandemic."
Nearly three in 10 families with children living at home are worried about their ability to pay the bills in the coming weeks, according to new figures.
The 29% who said they had money fears was around double the proportion of households with no children at home, from data at comparethemarket. com's household financial confidence tracker.
More than a third (38%) of families with children at home said they have needed to increase household spending beyond normal levels as lockdowns continue.
A fifth (21%) said they have had to take time off work for childcare, home schooling, or to provide support to their household and 33% say they have taken steps to cut down their spending.
Families with children at home also have longerterm concerns about finances.