Branwen Jeffreys

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It was Theresa May's controversial big idea, to open a wave of new grammar schools in England.

It dramatically restarted a row over academic selection at the age of 11 which for almost 20 years had been quietly sidelined.

The speech defining her vision of a "great meritocracy" was just last September, but those plans have been shredded by the election.

So what has changed for England's 163 grammar schools and the many non-selective schools affected by them?

On the surface apparently nothing, beneath that almost everything.

What makes a good school?

It's a question every parent faces as they get given the glossy version on a tour of a potential secondary school.

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What's the biggest issue facing England's schools?

In the last few weeks you'll have heard that it's funding, or the kind of school, or what subjects pupils study.

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Is there such a thing as a "curriculum for life" ?

That's what the Lib Dems want to offer for children in England.

Nantwich isn't the kind of place that sees many demos.

On Monday morning, on a bitterly cold, damp day, more than 300 people gathered in the town's square to protest about school funding.

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A BBC investigation has found that 35 councils in England have changed their policy on fining parents for term-time holidays.

It follows a successful high court appeal by a father last year against a £120 fine levied by the Isle of Wight.

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Parents in England will be hearing a lot more about school budgets in the next few years.

Until recently many will not have tuned into the gap - which can be as much as £2,000 to £3,000 per pupil - between different areas.

"If you think maths is a hard subject you won't succeed," 10-year-old Hai Yang tells me.

Along with some of the other pupils from Class 4D at Woodgrove Primary School, he's explaining the maths lesson I have just been watching.

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You're hired! Or maybe not - if your apprenticeship provides such poor training that you don't end up with skills you need to get a job with decent pay.

This week two more reports - from the IPPR and Policy Exchange - have added to the growing pile warning that quality is being overlooked in the rush to create more chances for young adults to learn skills while they earn.

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Pupils with behaviour problems are too often "offloaded" into illegal schools, the chief inspector of schools says.

Sir Michael Wilshaw said mainstream schools in England must take more care of pupils sent to unregistered "alternative" establishments.