ISC Daily News Summary

Further coverage of the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance - published last week - in many of the weekend broadsheets. ISC Chief Executive, Jonathan Shephard, Headmistress of Wakefield Girls' High School, Pat Langham and Headmistress of James Allen's Girls' School, Marion Gibbs, are quoted in the Daily Telegraph. Director of Fettes College's fundraising foundation, Elisabeth Anderson, Chairman of HMC, Dr Bernard Trafford, Chief Master of King Edward's School, John Claughton and Head Master of Eton College, Anthony Little, are quoted in the Sunday Times piece. An analysis of last week's busy week for the independent sector features on BBC News Online.

To be charitable, this commission is warped (Sunday Telegraph)
When the going gets tough, toffs move along (Daily Telegraph)
Our chippy ministers revive the class war (Daily Telegraph)
School charity law hits middle class (Sunday Times)
Oh come, come, headmaster - private schools are pretend charities (Sunday Times)
Public schools are right to be wary of Brown's resentment (Independent)
The lesson is clear: get rid of private schools (Independent)
Private schools' gain over state? (BBC News Online)
What should be asked of the independent sector? (Spectator)

Principal of The Cheltenham Ladies' College and President of GSA, Vicky Tuck, is extensively quoted in the Observer discussing how schools could tackle bullying among girls. A study by educational psychologist, Dr Jeremy Swinson, suggests that teachers are five times more likely to tell off boys than girls, even though they are equally badly behaved.

Crackdown on schoolgirl bullying epidemic (Observer)
Soaring number of teachers say they are 'cyberbully' victims (Times)
Video game glorifies bullying, say critics (Sunday Telegraph)
Girls behaving badly less likely to be told off than naughty boys (Daily Telegraph)
Boy pupils are told off five times as much (but girls are just as naughty) (Daily Mail)

Additional coverage of 'The Economics of Private Schools' study by Kent University and University College London, including a profile of Wolverhampton Grammar School chemistry teacher Helen Whittaker. ISC is referred to.

Women better paid in state sector (BBC News Online)

The Times reports on the Leavers' Gift scheme at Millfield School in Somerset, which was set up by the school's Headmaster, Peter Johnson, after he visited America. Mr Johnson is quoted throughout the article.

School seeks charity from its pupils (Times)

Widespread coverage of government plans to install metal detectors at some schools in England as part of a drive to reduce knife crime.

Knife scanners at school gates to curb attacks (Observer)
Metal detectors plan for schools (BBC News Online)
Police are too scared to take on the gangs (Sunday Times)
Schools to get scanners to stop children with knives (Daily Telegraph)
Violent youth crime up a third (Sunday Telegraph)
Feral children: questions, but no answers (Daily Telegraph)
Crime falling? Tell that to our children (Daily Telegraph)
Teachers back metal detectors for schools (Independent)
Guard against climate of fear (Independent)
Pupils to be scanned for knives at school (Daily Express not online)
Kids face screening for knives (Daily Mirror)
Schools to get knife scanners (Daily Star)

A report by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) concludes that A-level maths has been 'dumbed down' to encourage more sixth-formers to study the subject. The QCA is now calling for an advanced form of qualification to be introduced.

Maths A-level 'has become easier' (BBC News Online)
Parents back school money lessons (BBC News Online)
Maths A-level dumbed down, say teachers (Daily Telegraph)
Advanced maths A-level 'needed to stretch prodigies' (Guardian)
Exams boss wants maths A-level review (Times)
Maths A-level 'is too easy' admits exam watchdog (Daily Mail)

The Times reports on the growing popularity of state boarding schools for sixth-formers, with the State Boarding Schools' Association (SBSA) announcing that sixth-form places at the country's 34 state boarding schools are oversubscribed.

Sixth-form boarding 'the ideal path to university' (Times)

Various comment pieces relating to the school admissions policy, following last week's calls to allocate some school places using a lottery system.

Lottery for places is a gamble too far (Sunday Times)
Schools face a caning for breaking places code (Observer not online)
The catch with education policy (Independent)
School lotteries spell catastrophe for education (Daily Telegraph letters)

An Education Data Surveys analysis of the number of head teacher job vacancies re-advertised last year suggests that secondary schools in England and Wales found it easier to recruit.

Secondary head shortage 'easing' (BBC News Online)

The Financial Times reports that Children's Secretary Ed Balls recently suggested that co-operative schools could rival city academies as the model for raising standards in education.

Balls raises prospect of school co-op model to rival academies (Financial Times)

The Director of the Office for Fair Access (Offa), Sir Martin Harris, says that potential Oxbridge students should be identified at 11 and given special mentoring throughout their school years to help them compete for a place.

'Pick state Oxbridge hopefuls at age 11' (Sunday Telegraph)
Feeling unloved and rejected? Yes, it's UCAS Syndrome (Times)

A new vocabulary of sign language - developed by teachers and language specialists in Edinburgh - will revolutionise the way science is taught to deaf children in schools throughout Britain.

New sign language helps the deaf to become hands-on with science (Times)
Signing up for science (Scotsman)

Further coverage of a survey by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), which suggests that more than half of teachers believe internet plagiarism is a serious problem among sixth-form students.

Call to ban A-level coursework as students just cut and paste (Times)
Pupils' web cheating is 'major issue' (Daily Telegraph not online)
Teachers concerned by epidemic of plagiarism (Independent)
Internet plagiarism among sixth-formers is 'rife' (Guardian)
Schools sign up for software to tackle internet plagiarism (Guardian)
Pupils who copy from the Net (including adverts!) (Daily Mail)

Fast food restaurants could be banned from opening near schools as part of government plans to tackle childhood obesity. The Daily Telegraph reports that ministers will this week pledge to offer children five hours of 'organised exercise' a week, while the Daily Mail reports on a study by market research company ChildWise, which reveals that traditional sports such as hockey and netball are under threat as rising numbers of girls turn to football.

Burger bars face ban near playgrounds (Sunday Times)
Anti-obesity drive could ban fast food near schools (Daily Telegraph)
Schools to offer more sport to fight flab (Sunday Telegraph)
Football-mad schoolgirls kicking netball into touch (Daily Mail)

A study funded by the Mobile Manufacturers Forum indicates that radiation from mobile phones could damage sleep, potentially resulting in depression and poor academic achievement among children and teenagers.

Mobile phone radiation wrecks your sleep (Independent on Sunday)
Headaches linked to mobile phones (Daily Telegraph)

Research by children's bilingual TV channel Cartoonito reveals that parents who would like their children to speak a foreign language should start teaching them before they are five.

Learning a foreign language is child's play (Daily Express not online)
Second lingo for kids, 5 (Sun)
Why does Balls want to punish parents for doing the right thing? (Daily Telegraph)

Letter signed by Sarah Evans (Head, King Edward VI High School for Girls), Mike Gibbons (Head, Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School) and Stephen Smith (Head, Bedford Modern School) on behalf of the Forum of Independent Day Schools (FIDS), in response to Dr Anthony Seldon's comments last week.

Creative approach to schools apartheid (Independent letters)

Education-related letter in the Daily Telegraph

Paying attention in class (Daily Telegraph letters)

A new four-part drama series fictionalising the progressive Summerhill School and its fight against Ofsted begins on CBBC tonight. The first episode is repeated on BBC1 at 4.30pm this Wednesday. Saturday's Daily Telegraph review supplement included a feature about the programme.

Summerhill: The school where lessons are optional (Daily Telegraph)

Jonathan Hancock, a primary school teacher from Brighton who has one of the best memories in the world, plans to teach British schoolchildren his technique and find a junior memory champion in a national competition.

Memory wizard to teach pupils his mind secrets (Sunday Times)