ISC Daily News Summary

The Daily Telegraph reports that the number of sixth-formers from independent schools admitted to Oxford University has increased this year, with 44.5% of new students coming from the independent sector compared with 43.4% last year.

Oxford failing to increase intake of state pupils (Daily Telegraph)

A study by the London School of Economics and the University of Surrey for the Sutton Trust has concluded that social mobility in the UK has not improved since 1970. The research also suggests that clever children from poor families face being overtaken by less bright children from affluent homes. Chairman of the Sutton Trust, Sir Peter Lampl, has called for a radical review as a result of the findings.

Bright poor children 'slip back' (BBC News Online)
Deprived UK children 'still trapped by poverty' (Daily Telegraph)
Social mobility still at 1970s levels (Financial Times)
Business urged to play a lead role (Financial Times)
Children from poor families 'doomed' as social mobility stalls (Independent)
School results still depend heavily on class (Guardian)
Brightest poor children do worse than wealthy but dim classmates (Times)
Education system 'favours children of the rich' (Scotsman)
The shameful state of social mobility in Britain (Spectator)
Child poverty trap 'worse than 1950s' despite billions poured into education (Daily Mail)
Poor kids fall behind (Daily Mirror)

Further coverage of Ofsted proposals to inspect schools without giving them notice beforehand.

Ofsted plan for surprise inspections at schools alarms head teachers (Guardian)
Schools face surprise Ofsted inspections (Daily Telegraph)
‘No-notice' inspections planned for schools (Independent)
Ofsted will visit without warning to foil 'rehearsals' (Times)
Schools will face surprise checks (Daily Mail)
Schools 'swoop' (Sun not online)
Ofsted's snap school visits (Daily Mirror)

A report by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) recommends scrapping end-of-term national curriculum tests because schools are being turned into 'exam factories' and are not child-friendly.

Heads condemn 'exam factories' (Daily Telegraph)
Our playgrounds are too soft and the mean streets too hard (Daily Telegraph)
Primary schools 'have lost their sense of fun and play' (Independent)
Head teachers call for end of tests (Guardian)

BBC News Online

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has told the Liaison committee of MPs that he plans to make public services, including education, 'tailored to people's needs'. One of his suggestions is to eventually provide special help for gifted pupils in schools.

Reforms 'to go wider and deeper' (BBC News Online)

Ministers will today unveil plans for the first fully selective academy, which will be a performing arts school in Birmingham.

Fame-style school will be first fully selective academy (Guardian)

Articles in the Scotsman on uncertainty surrounding a bill to scrap the graduate endowment in Scotland, and new statistics which reveal that there are 48,000 children absent from school in Scotland every day.

Scrapping of graduate endowment hits setback (Scotsman)
MSPs reject graduate charge plan (BBC News Online)
22,200 pupils off sick, 3,600 off on holiday, 5,600 off truanting and 800 excluded...just another day in Scotland's schools (Scotsman)

The Daily Mail leads with the news that the contraceptive Pill is to be made available over the counter without a prescription next year under a pilot scheme to combat teenage pregnancy.

Chemists to sell the Pill to under-16s (Daily Mail)
Teenage girls will get Pill over the counter to help cut pregnancies (Times)
Pill to be available over the counter (Daily Telegraph)
Women to be able to get pill on demand at local pharmacy (Guardian)
Pharmacies to widen pill access (BBC News Online)
Over the counter Pill trials (Daily Mirror)

Letters in response to the Children's Plan, launched by Ed Balls earlier this week.

Stop tinkering with education, and just recruit more teachers (Independent letters)

A farmer and his wife in Dorset have turned their derelict cowshed into a school after the village school closed down earlier this year.

Farmers turn old cow shed into classrooms (Daily Telegraph not online)
A farm shop? We've got a farm school! (Daily Mail)