About this episode

The episode discusses rising primary school suspensions, the achievements of female chess players, a recent racially aggravated assault case, and the role of female birds in birdsong.

According to the latest Department of Education data, more than 7000 children under six were suspended in the 24 /25 school year in England and the number of children losing learning to repeat suspensions has doubled in two years, with the steepest rises among the youngest. This is against a slowing of suspensions in secondary schools. So why is this happening in primary schools? Anita Rani is joined by Kiran Gill, chief executive of The Difference, a school leadership charity who's been analysing this data. Last month eleven year old Bodhana Sivanandan became England’s highest ranked female chess player. The numbers of women registering to compete is slowly rising, but the game is still male dominated. Anita talks to two women who work in chess to find out more - Sarah Longson, CEO of the UK chess challenge, and chess player and streamer Sarah El Barbry. Last October a Sikh woman was subjected to racially aggravated rape and assault in her own home just outside Birmingham. Perpetrator John Ashby followed his victim - a stranger to him - off a bus into her house, where he carried out the brutal assault. Last week he was sentenced to life in prison. The BBC's Midlands…

People in this episode

Host: Anita Rani

Guests: Kiran Gill, Sarah Longson, Sarah El Barbry, Sukhvinder Kaur

Topics covered

• primary school suspensions
• female chess players
• racially aggravated assault
• female birdsong
• education
• gender equality
• crime and justice

Keywords

• school suspensions
• female chess
• Bodhana Sivanandan
• racial assault
• female birdsong
• education data
• gender issues
• Sikh Women's Aid

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Difference, Sikh Women's Aid

Places: England, Birmingham

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