Boys in nursery schools should not be discouraged from playing with toy guns and other weapons, the government says.

In guidance for nurseries in England, the Department for Children, Schools and Families says staff should resist a "natural instinct" to stop such play.

It says role playing helps create the right conditions for boys’ learning and could help them become more engaged in education in the future.

Teachers have condemned the advice, saying toy guns "symbolise aggression".

Inspectors say girls outperform boys from the age of five.

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