NEW: 7 of the 10 most deprived areas in England have witnessed riots in the past 10 days. 12 out of the 23 local authorities where violence erupted are in the top decile for deprivation, suggesting a relationship between pockets of poverty and unrest 1/4 Lucy Fisher Amy Borrett

Headwinds for Labour plans to boost NHS and teaching profession as mature student applicants for those key roles drop, warns UCAS boss Jo Saxton - via @ft Higher Education Policy Institute and Amy Borrett charts on.ft.com/3SMf8lS

UK unis have seen a slight recovery in international recruitment, with the number of paid deposits -35% on last year (vs -57% in May) But this is not enough to stabilise the sector, which is heavily dependent on lucrative overseas students Peter Foster Financial Times on.ft.com/4dILVjH

Great but disturbing charts in this excellent piece on the UK skills crisis by Peter Foster Amy Borrett Anna Gross on.ft.com/3YMzYp5

Today's GCSE results show pass rates in core subjects have fallen, with 4 in 10 students failing English and maths. CEO of charity National Numeracy Sam Sims called for a “root and branch” overhaul of maths education from ‘cradle to career’ Peter Foster Financial Times - on.ft.com/3Xe8XJU

Home Office spending on consultants rose tenfold during last parliament, driven by efforts to tackle illegal immigration. Labour says it will halve consultancy spend but Institute for Government's Jack Worlidge says the plans “look very difficult” to achieve on.ft.com/3XcI20V

In everything from nursing to anaesthesia, medical systems around the world are relying on support staff more than ever. Are there dangers to our health? on.ft.com/3MyhX6o

Government urged to improve frontline health services after drop in childhood jabs on.ft.com/3zivRqz

UK sales of low-alcohol beer increased more than any other market in 2023 thanks to a post-Brexit overhaul of alcohol duties that led brewers including Carlsberg and Brewdog to launch new or revamped products. More Financial Times on.ft.com/3XTMMJe

Why are a rising number of young Brits out of work? There are 870,000 people aged 16-24 not studying or employed, with a growing number reporting ill-health. But is it just poor mental health that's keeping them out of work? I've dug into the data for Financial Times on.ft.com/4ePEuYG

The number of kids with special educational need (SEN) plans is up over 80 per cent since 2015. Unsurprisingly, the system isn’t coping. Another huge challenge for Labour to address. Via Amy Borrett and me in Financial Times on.ft.com/4dRIO8N

Are companies breaking down barriers to work for people with autism and ADHD? Despite a six-fold rise in UK job adverts mentioning neurodiversity since 2019, employment rates remain stubbornly low, suggesting far more needs to be done. Read more Financial Times: on.ft.com/3BDuK5W

The NHS has warned that 'skyrocketing' cases of flu could make this winter 'one of the worst we have ever seen', as data showed the number of hospital patients with the illness had quadrupled over the past month. on.ft.com/41YOj3p

Immigration lawyers cited Donald Trump’s return to power as one of the changes contributing to a surge in applications. on.ft.com/4h9P6Cv