Lessons about personal, social and health matters including sex and relationships will be compulsory in all England’s schools from ages five to 16.

But the government is setting up a review of how best to achieve this, saying there are "complicated issues".

Schools Minister Jim Knight said this would factor in the ethos of schools, pupils’ needs and parents’ values.

A BBC poll of more than 1,000 people found two thirds would support sex lessons from the age of 11.

Reviews of education about sex and relationships and about drugs and alcohol were ordered after ministers said teaching was "patchy".

What they have not yet given is the detail of what compulsory personal, social and health education (PSHE) will involve, to allow local flexibility.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families said the review of sex lessons had identified "a need to challenge the perception that sex and relationships education happened in a ‘moral vacuum’ in schools and says that parents and schools can and should work together to decide how best topics should be taught."

It said updated guidance would also be produced covering the content of the PSHE curriculum, based on the existing non-statutory programme.

Lessons should be "age appropriate". In primary schools, Sir Jim Rose would look at how PSHE should best be delivered as part of his ongoing review of the curriculum.

Some nurseries in England and Wales are serving processed foods, sugary drinks and foods high in additives, salt and fat, a survey has indicated.

It found foods such as crisps, chips and biscuits - banned or restricted in schools - appeared on nursery menus.

The Soil Association campaign group and organic food company Organix surveyed 487 nursery workers and 1,773 parents.

The Westminster government questioned the reliability of their findings and said meals must, by law, be healthy.

The survey suggested the average amount spent on food in the nurseries was £1 a day per child.

But 3% of them were found to be spending as little as 25p a day.

One fifth of the nurseries in question did not inform parents what food was being served during the day.

Oil-rich fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel or sardines were only served in 8% of them.

Of the parents surveyed, 21% described the food at their nursery as poor or mediocre.

Regulation

The Soil Association and Organix are calling on the government for tighter regulation of pre-school food provision.

But England’s Department for Children, Schools and Families said the education watchdog for England, Ofsted, had rated the majority of early years providers as good or outstanding in relation to providing a healthy diet.

"We would question whether a self-selecting online survey provides more reliable findings than Ofsted about the quality of food and drink," a spokesman said.

"We agree it is important that all childcare settings support parents in helping young children develop healthy habits.

"That is why it is a legal requirement in all childcare settings, including childminders, nurseries and day care, that where children are provided with meals, snacks or drinks, these must be healthy, balanced and nutritious.

"It is also a legal requirement that fresh drinking water must be available at all times, that children should be encouraged to try healthy food, that messages about healthier food choices are reinforced and that children are involved in the preparation of food."

‘Indefensible’

Soil Association policy director Peter Melchett said the quality of food given to children in nurseries had been overlooked.

"Children under five are at their most vulnerable. It is then they really need healthy food.

"This report sets out what nurseries, parents, and the government must do to make sure every child gets the healthy food they need for a healthy start in life."

The founder of organic food company Organix, Lizzie Vann, said: "The state of food in too many nurseries is indefensible.

"The government must take responsibility for food in nurseries as they have in primary and secondary schools, and substantial changes must be made urgently. Our children deserve nothing less."

 All three and four year olds in England are entitled to a free early learning place, and if you are a working parent, lone parent or a student, you may be entitled to extra help with the costs of early learning and childcare.

Help from employers

Some employers offer a childcare allowance or vouchers as part of a ‘salary sacrifice’ scheme. It may be worth asking your line manager, personnel or human resources department whether your employer runs a scheme like this.

Source direct.gov

There is a wide variety of early learning and childcare available for your child. Finding out about the range of services on offer will help you decide what best suits you and your child’s needs.

Busy Bees Childcare Ltd, the UK’s largest childcare provider, has acquired the TLC nursery group, which operates nine nurseries in the Midlands and South East, taking the number of nurseries now operated by Busy Bees Childcare Ltd to 133.

TLC, founded in 1989, has nurseries based at Nottingham University, Nottingham City Hospital, Milton Keynes Hospital, Hillingdon Hospital, Warwick Hospital, Rugby, Coventry, Watford Hospital and St Albans City Hospital.

This move by acquisition into the public sector and public healthcare markets follows on from the purchase of 88 Leapfrog nurseries earlier this year.

Lynn Woodward, managing director and one of the co-founders of Busy Bees, said: “We are delighted that we have been able to add TLC nurseries to our portfolio. This acquisition demonstrates our confidence in the UK childcare market. Parents demand quality care for their children and, throughout the UK, Busy Bees has established an enviable reputation”.

Barbara Baker, Chief Executive of TLC, said: “We share Busy Bees’ values and approach to childcare. The sector is changing all the time and in many ways it is easier for a large organisation with resources and support to adapt. I very much look forward to joining the Busy Bees group.

Marg Randles, co-founder and director of Busy Bees added: “The acquisition allows us to provide quality Busy Bees care to more children and parents. We have a real commitment to staff and their development and aim to make Busy Bees nurseries the best place for children and a rewarding place to work.”