Just under half the primary school pupils in Coventry are reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, according to latest figures. 

Leader of the National Association of Head Teachers is urging parents to ignore the newly published league tables, in the wake of "chaotic" changes to testing.  

Image source, Thinkstock

The figures show 49% of children in the city are achieving the standard based on Key Stage 2 tests this year compared to Warwickshire's 57%. 

Primary heads leader Russell Hobby said ministers had stressed the scale of the changes meant comparisons could not be drawn on previous years' results.  

Warwickshire appoint former Bears captain Jim Troughton as first-team coach at Edgbaston.

Former footballer and TV pundit Stan Collymore has backed Coventry City fans who are unhappy with the current owners of the club, Sisu.  

The former England striker took to Twitter on the ninth anniversary of Sisu’s takeover of the Sky Blues to encourage fans to "keep fighting".  

It's one of the busiest days of the year for the postal service.

About 450 seasonal staff have been taken on for the Christmas period at Parcelforce in Coventry, with 1,850 taken on nationally.

Merger talks are under way between Coventry's City College and Henley College. 

A deal between the two could be finalised as early as January.

City College is currently being monitored by Ofsted after the body deemed it "inadequate" at its last inspection.

A joint statement confirmed the two were "working towards a merger" and that "both boards are fully supportive of the move". 

Image source, Google

American news station KCTV reported, external that nine-year-old Alex Goodwin was met by Kansas City police chief Terry Zeigler on his arrival in the US for cancer treatment.

Alex was treated to a police escort - here are some photos of the boys in blue from the other side of the Atlantic.

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

Cash was taken from a safe by a robber at a cheese shop, external in Wood Street, Stratford, say police.

The robbery happened at Paxton and Whitfield at around 09:00 on Monday 12 December.

The offender entered through the fire escape, say police, and attacked a female member of staff who challenged him, before making off with the money.

Leamington Observer

On our front page this week: Wellesbourne Airfield could be bought by Stratford District Council to safeguard its future., external

Image source, Leamington Observer

Vanessa Pearce
BBC Local Live

Among our headlining stories this morning:

• City colleges plan to merge
• Boy arrives in US for crowd-funded cancer treatment
• Two men sentenced for raping 15-year-old

Vanessa Pearce
BBC Local Live

A nine-year-old boy with a rare form of cancer has arrived in the US for treatment after a £120,000 fundraising target was reached.

Alex Goodwin, whose father is a Warwickshire Police officer, has a bone cancer only found in children.

Emergency services workers from across the county came together earlier this year to make a video for a fundraising song and, according to a County Sheriff's office in Missouri, the boys in blue were out in force again for Alex.

It tweeted, external that 18 motorcycle units and more than 30 squad cars from over Kansas City Metro escorted him through the city.

Leamington Observer

Concerns have been raised over a controversial report which would see healthcare transformed across Coventry and Warwickshire.  , external

Charlie Slater
BBC Weather presenter

A mild start to a mainly cloudy and overcast day with a couple of light showers thrown in to the mix and highs of 10C (50F).    

Vanessa Pearce
BBC Local Live

Good morning from the Coventry newsroom.

We'll be bringing you Thursday's news, sport, travel and weather updates. 

You can contact us and share your pictures via Twitter, external or our Facebook page, external.

We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 08:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.

Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today

You can also get the latest forecasts at any other time from the BBC Weather website.  

BBC Sport

In the run-up to this weekend's BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, BBC Sport is looking at the 16 contenders.

Today they include Warwickshire show-jumper Nick Skelton who finally claimed an individual Olympic title at his seventh Games - aged 58, he was Britain's second oldest Olympic gold medallist. 

Having initially retired 16 years ago after breaking his neck in two places, the rider from Bedworth won on Big Star following a six-way jump-off.  

You can read more about his career including how he would skip school to ride horses, the British record he holds and more on his accident on the BBC Sport website.

Coventry Observer

The case of Nicola Payne will not be closed until she is found, external, the senior investigating officer has promised.  

BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Sport

The Coventry City interim boss, Mark Venus, says the search for a permanent manager remains ongoing. 

It's understood Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was approached about the role this week. 

Image source, Getty Images

Venus refused to be drawn on any names linked with job.  

Kevin Lee
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

Police investigating the disappearance of Nicola Payne in 1991 say they are focusing their efforts on Coombe Abbey.

It's after West Midlands Police say a new witness has come forward to say the teenager was taken to the country park in the city. 

Officers have been searching the woodland and Det Insp Martin Slevin, from West Midlands Police (pictured), who has been investigating the case for five years, told BBC News they have no information around any other sites in the area.

Kevin Lee
BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

This afternoon's headlines for Coventry and Warwickshire include:

- Family and friends of Nicola Payne are offering a £10,000 reward for information leading to finding the 18-year-old

- New scientific techniques with DNA has led to man being jailed for the rape of a teenage girl in 1987,, external police say  

- A nine-year-old boy who is fighting cancer has been presented with a cheque for £20,000, external - the money was raised by Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police