:00:00. > :00:07.me now on BBC Two. That's Newsnight with
:00:08. > :00:10.Must try harder - with below average results from most
:00:11. > :00:14.Big in Bedford - how a community of entrepreneurs are hoping to put
:00:15. > :00:18.And plenty of winter sunshine to end the working week.
:00:19. > :00:32.All the details later in the programme.
:00:33. > :00:34.Most children in our region are leaving school
:00:35. > :00:38.with qualifications below the national average.
:00:39. > :00:40.Pupils are now measured using Attainment 8, based
:00:41. > :00:43.on a broad range of GCSE and other results
:00:44. > :00:44.Only Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire were above
:00:45. > :00:50.Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire were just below.
:00:51. > :00:52.With Luton then Peterbourough falling well behind.
:00:53. > :00:56.And concerns about pupils average results in Fenland has caused
:00:57. > :01:00.the Government to commit an extra ?6 million to help them.
:01:01. > :01:11.Figuring out the formula for success.
:01:12. > :01:14.The answer may be as complex as cracking this equation,
:01:15. > :01:16.but the Government is opening a new ?6 million fund
:01:17. > :01:23.The children at this Wisbech school live in one of the country's
:01:24. > :01:27.A share of the money will help recruit new teachers
:01:28. > :01:30.As we know, educational outcomes improves social mobility.
:01:31. > :01:34.Because of the access to further education and the labour market.
:01:35. > :01:37.However, it is about much more, because we have to raise
:01:38. > :01:44.We need them to want to do well, to believe that success
:01:45. > :01:47.is possible, but also to engage with their learning.
:01:48. > :01:50.That goal of raising aspirations is what prompted the local MP to
:01:51. > :01:55.My parents did not go to university, my mum
:01:56. > :01:58.left school at 15 without a single academic qualification.
:01:59. > :02:01.My dad left school at 16, and I got the
:02:02. > :02:06.I once children in schools in my area
:02:07. > :02:10.not to say, well, my parents didn't go to university, or my parents
:02:11. > :02:13.didn't do certain jobs, and therefore I don't think it will be
:02:14. > :02:17.I want children within Fenland and East Cambridgeshire to have those
:02:18. > :02:21.These pupils may only be a few miles away from the more affluent centres
:02:22. > :02:26.of Peterborough and Cambridge, but historically, schools here have
:02:27. > :02:29.received less funding than other parts of the country.
:02:30. > :02:34.The concern is that low levels of finding can lead to low levels
:02:35. > :02:39.of ambition among children from poorer backgrounds.
:02:40. > :02:41.They do need that constant push and motivation sometimes to push
:02:42. > :02:46.them to get that bit further in education.
:02:47. > :02:49.It doesn't matter which school you go to, if you work hard enough,
:02:50. > :02:52.you can go where you want to go. When you aspirations take you.
:02:53. > :02:54.When you apply for things, they see your postcode,
:02:55. > :02:57.and they think, oh, someone from, say, somewhere in London would
:02:58. > :03:01.They are more likely to get something.
:03:02. > :03:04.However, I have worked really hard and I have pushed
:03:05. > :03:09.So what does social mobility look like?
:03:10. > :03:12.The question posed at this careers event in Cambridge.
:03:13. > :03:15.Here, children are being encouraged to think about where good school
:03:16. > :03:20.It's something that opens up career paths for them,
:03:21. > :03:23.extends their opportunity, gives them the access
:03:24. > :03:26.to higher paying jobs, more satisfying careers.
:03:27. > :03:35.According to the Government, the new ?6 million fund
:03:36. > :03:38.will break down barriers by rewarding disadvantaged children.
:03:39. > :03:40.But with 75 schools across East Cambridgeshire
:03:41. > :03:44.and Fenland sharing the money, is the good news spread too thinly?
:03:45. > :03:51.to those league tables that were published earlier
:03:52. > :03:59.Well, until this year, how a school performed was judged
:04:00. > :04:02.on the number of children who got five GCSEs at grades A star to C.
:04:03. > :04:06.Simple but unfair, according to headteachers.
:04:07. > :04:10.Schools argued that the league tables didn't reflect the extra
:04:11. > :04:12.effort it took to teach children who weren't high-achievers,
:04:13. > :04:16.children from families who don't speak English,
:04:17. > :04:20.children who tend to live in deprived areas like Fenland.
:04:21. > :04:23.So if you were a school for instance in a low income area
:04:24. > :04:25.like East Cambridgeshire, chances were you'd be
:04:26. > :04:29.languishing at the lower end of the league tables.
:04:30. > :04:31.This new tranche of money it's hoped will give those
:04:32. > :04:39.So those were the old league tables - what's replaced them?
:04:40. > :04:42.Something called Progress 8 and Attainment 8.
:04:43. > :04:44.Progress 8 charts the progress a child makes
:04:45. > :04:53.Attainment 8 measures a pupil's average score across eight subjects.
:04:54. > :04:57.It may be fairer but for parents who like to read league tables,
:04:58. > :05:03.this new system is certainly more complicated.
:05:04. > :05:06.An investigation's underway after a pedestrian was knocked down
:05:07. > :05:09.and killed by a fire engine in Royston.
:05:10. > :05:11.It happened last night while the vehicle was responding
:05:12. > :05:15.The man's been named as Mitchell Bailey,
:05:16. > :05:25.It was during a routine call to a house fire at around 8:45pm
:05:26. > :05:34.last night that this fire engine came off the road and overturned.
:05:35. > :05:36.It is unclear what happened to cause the crash,
:05:37. > :05:38.which resulted in a pedestrian losing his life.
:05:39. > :05:40.According to the police, the fire engine was going
:05:41. > :05:48.Instead, it overturned here, hitting a pedestrian.
:05:49. > :05:55.Police say the man died at the scene.
:05:56. > :05:57.His next of kin have been informed and are being supported
:05:58. > :06:11.saw and heard what happened and said they're left stunned.
:06:12. > :06:13.I heard it coming down the road, I wondered what it was.
:06:14. > :06:18.We heard all that the commotion and I think after it happened.
:06:19. > :06:20.We saw the blue lights flashing from my house.
:06:21. > :06:23.We could see all of the fire engines and police coming.
:06:24. > :06:26.We heard the air ambulance coming as well.
:06:27. > :06:28.It must be devastating for the family obviously.
:06:29. > :06:31.And the fire crew, especially the driver.
:06:32. > :06:38.I think it has left the town in shock, really.
:06:39. > :06:41.Four people were on board the fire engine at the time.
:06:42. > :06:44.Two were taken to hospital for precautionary checks.
:06:45. > :06:46.Today, Hertfordshire's Chief Fire Officer offered his condolences
:06:47. > :06:53.We are supporting the police in all their work.
:06:54. > :06:56.We know there was an accident, we do know unfortunately someone died.
:06:57. > :07:01.We are there to help and save people.
:07:02. > :07:03.We don't want to be involved in incidents like this.
:07:04. > :07:09.Again, condolences to everyone involved.
:07:10. > :07:12.Investigations by both the police and Fire Service are now underway.
:07:13. > :07:19.To find out how and why this came to happen.
:07:20. > :07:22.Cambridge has its science parks, Northamptonshire a world-renowned
:07:23. > :07:24.motor racing centre, and Stevenage is the centre
:07:25. > :07:27.But when you think of business in Bedford, no major
:07:28. > :07:31.So tonight, the first meeting of the Community Business School
:07:32. > :07:33.is taking place to try and grow "from the ground up"
:07:34. > :07:38.Working from his parents' kitchen table in Bedford,
:07:39. > :07:42.26-year-old Alex Somerville is part of a new breed of entrepreneurs.
:07:43. > :07:46.With a friend, he founded One Third Stories.
:07:47. > :07:49.He publishes educational children's books written partly in English
:07:50. > :07:57.He has sold 2000 copies already, but entering the world of business
:07:58. > :08:02.As a languages graduate and linguistics and literature
:08:03. > :08:05.graduate, we didn't know about entrepreneurship
:08:06. > :08:14.The thing that helps the most, we have found, is having people
:08:15. > :08:17.around you who can guide, mentor and support you.
:08:18. > :08:19.The local MP is putting on a master class for local
:08:20. > :08:24.Helping small businesses to become bigger.
:08:25. > :08:26.I think it is important that Bedford focuses on small businesses.
:08:27. > :08:31.I also think that Government should focus on it.
:08:32. > :08:35.We have seen big businesses getting away with murder.
:08:36. > :08:38.It is our small businesses, truthfully, that create new products
:08:39. > :08:41.and innovations as much as large companies.
:08:42. > :08:50.There is no doubt that Bedford is an entrepreneurial time.
:08:51. > :08:55.You are 20% more likely than you are here as in the rest of the UK.
:08:56. > :08:58.Look here, not packed full of chain stores in this arcade.
:08:59. > :09:00.In fact, almost every single shop is a small,
:09:01. > :09:10.Zak will be speaking at tonight's conference.
:09:11. > :09:14.His barber business, started in Bedford, is growing fast.
:09:15. > :09:17.In a year he has gone from four shops in this region
:09:18. > :09:28.For him, it is no surprise that Bedford is a hub for entrepreneurs.
:09:29. > :09:30.There is a lot of entrepreneurial people in Bedford,
:09:31. > :09:32.it is underestimated, there is support on offer
:09:33. > :09:38.People think there is not a lot going on here in Bedford,
:09:39. > :09:41.there is more in London and Milton Keynes,
:09:42. > :09:43.but when you haven't got those opportunities,
:09:44. > :09:59.But he hopes some of the tips he learns at the conference tonight
:10:00. > :10:03.will help him to succeed and be another Bedford success story.
:10:04. > :10:05.And that's the late news from Look East.
:10:06. > :10:07.I'll leave you with the weather from Julie.
:10:08. > :10:13.Although the blue on the map is indicating it is going to be cold.
:10:14. > :10:14.Clear skies, temperatures are really falling.
:10:15. > :10:16.It could drop a little bit lower than these
:10:17. > :10:19.numbers - down to possibly minus three or minus four.
:10:20. > :10:21.It is a widespread frost, and with light winds probably some
:10:22. > :10:25.patchy mist and fog, and even some ice, too.
:10:26. > :10:28.Tomorrow, high pressure in charge, so the dry conditions continue.
:10:29. > :10:31.Any mist and fog may take a little while to clear,
:10:32. > :10:34.And then the frost should go, and any remaining thicker cloud
:10:35. > :10:38.So it is a largely dry and sunny day tomorrow.
:10:39. > :10:41.Temperatures of around six Celsius, 43 Fahrenheit.
:10:42. > :10:48.And it looks like we'll have plenty of sunshine to end the week.
:10:49. > :10:50.And then under clear skies again tomorrow evening,
:10:51. > :10:53.those temperatures dropping away quite quickly.
:10:54. > :10:54.In a moment, Helen has the national forecast.
:10:55. > :10:56.But I will leave you with the outlook.
:10:57. > :11:00.With a little bit of brightness and sunshine.
:11:01. > :11:06.The best of the sunshine on Sunday, as far as the weekend is concerned.
:11:07. > :11:12.cloud on Sunday. Now the national picture.
:11:13. > :11:18.Good evening, it will gradually get colder in the UK in the next few
:11:19. > :11:21.days, something we don't have to worry about in Australia at this
:11:22. > :11:23.time of year. Of course it's the Australian tennis open at the moment
:11:24. > :11:24.and there's a big