Rosemary Fowler discovered the kaon particle during her doctoral research in 1948 but gave up PhD to have a family

A trailblazing physicist who gave up her PhD 75 years ago to have a family has received an honorary doctorate from her former university.

Rosemary Fowler, 98, discovered the kaon particle during her doctoral research under Cecil Powell at the University of Bristol in 1948, which contributed to his Nobel prize for physics in 1950.

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Ripsnorting riddles from Down Under

Parabola, a wonderful Australian maths magazine for secondary school pupils, celebrates its 60th birthday this month. Today’s puzzles are taken from a recently published compilation of its best problems.

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Experts say 5.5% pay increase for public sector not ‘consistent’ with spending plans that rule out tax rises

Labour is fast approaching a moment of truth over its election pledges on tax and spending, experts have warned, after Rachel Reeves indicated the government could agree above-inflation pay rises for public sector staff.

The chancellor promised a full statement on pay board recommendations that teachers and NHS workers should receive 5.5% pay awards , ahead of an autumn budget that is set to be one of the most difficult economic balancing acts in years.

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Parents or carers in full-time work said to be ‘dreading’ expense, and sum may be even higher in Wales and south-east England

Parents can expect to spend more than £1,000 per child for care over the school summer holidays, , according to research.

A survey by the children’s charity Coram found that British families will be paying, on average, £1,049 for summer childcare for children aged from four to 14 – £635 more than they would pay for six weeks of after-school childcare during term time.

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We’d like to hear from recent UK graduates how it has been to find their first graduate roles after university

We’re interested to hear from people who have recently graduated and have been trying to secure their first graduate job in the UK.

Whether you have just left university or have graduated in the past few years, tell us how your graduate job hunt has been going, how many applications you have sent out, how many interviews and job offers you’ve had, what pay offers you have received, if applicable, and whether you’ve been successful in landing a role you are happy with.

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Social mobility experts welcome change in which students will instead be asked to answer three questions

The years of sixth formers and their families agonising over personal statements for their university application forms will soon be a thing of the past, after the UK’s university admissions service announced they are to be dropped.

Instead of a statement limited to 4,000 characters (including spaces), those applying for undergraduate places in 2026 through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) will be asked to answer why they want to study the course or subject, how their studies or qualifications helped them to prepare for the course and what experiences they have had outside of education that will be helpful.

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The parents glow with pride, while the students cringe with embarrassment. Underneath it all is the terrifying awareness of time getting a march on us

I just went to a graduation ceremony. I wasn’t the only one. On station platforms at every stop there were graduation groups in evidence, in the spirit of the newlyweds and their families in Larkin’s Whitsun Weddings.

Graduation parties are generally three in number. One is young, the other two are older. The older ones will have sore hands from clapping long and hard, as hundreds of soon-not-to-be students file on stage to receive their degrees. There are plenty to get through – in the UK, well over 1m undergraduates and postgraduates are awarded their certificates every year. Parents’ eyes will hurt from all the squinting, trying to keep tabs on where loved ones are in the queue, working out when their turn will come.

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The progress made by pupils from lower-income families has been wiped out – and it’s not all the pandemic’s fault

The widening gap between the educational attainment of the richest and poorest pupils at English schools is a blow for everyone who wants to see the latter fulfil their potential, and for our society to become less divided and more equal. It is revealed in the latest report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI), which focuses on 2019-23, so its findings are a snapshot of the pandemic and its aftermath. While the declining achievements of children from poorer backgrounds are not a surprise, it is dismaying to see predictions about the damaging and uneven impact of Covid disruption come true.

Shrinking this gap is a longstanding objective, and one that the pupil premium – extra funding for schools with poorer intakes – was designed to further. But with the gap for 11- and 16-year-olds now bigger than at any time since 2011, a decade of progress has been wiped out. For children with special educational needs, the deterioration is even starker (though older pupils in this category are doing better). The report also adds to a concerning body of evidence about the youngest children , with poorer five-year-olds falling further behind. A recent survey of teachers found that growing numbers of reception-year pupils are not toilet-trained and struggle to play with others.

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