ISC Daily News Summary

Chief Executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS), David Hanson, is quoted in a Financial Times piece on research into grammar schools by the University of York. The research, also reported on in last week's TES, suggests that a 'disproportionately large number of grammar pupils were educated at prep schools, while a tiny number come from deprived families'. The Sunday Times reports that the right of parents to send their children to grammar schools outside their immediate locality could be curtailed following a landmark ruling. Admissions watchdogs have ordered a group of selective schools in Rugby, Warwickshire, to stop recruiting from the neighbouring county of Northamptonshire, ruling that the policy undermines local comprehensives.

Research blow for grammar education (Financial Times)
Parents 'buy' grammar school places (Daily Telegraph)
Parents face restrictions on choice of grammar school (Sunday Times)

The Sunday Telegraph reports that the Warwick Independent Schools Foundation, which runs Warwick Preparatory School, Warwick School and King's High School, has raised the income threshold at which fee discounts are available for families living in the area. Head Master of Warwick School, Edward Halse, is quoted.

Private schools cut fees as recession bites (Sunday Telegraph)

Daily Telegraph, Times 

Charterhouse, which introduced the Cambridge Pre-U qualification last September, is also to introduce the International Baccalaureate (IB) by 2011. The school's Headmaster, John Witheridge, is quoted. Reference is also made in the Daily Telegraph piece to Dulwich College, Epsom College, Eton College, Leweston School, Sherborne School, Rugby School, Shrewsbury School, Walthamstow Hall and Winchester College.

A-levels 'destroyed' by Government interference (Daily Telegraph)
Commentary: A-levels have lost their shine (Daily Telegraph)
'Easy' A levels ditched (Times not online)

Feature in this weekend's Financial Times on private tuition, in which High Master of St Paul's School, Dr Martin Stephen, is quoted.

The tutoring boom (Financial Times)

Hereford Cathedral School is profiled in the Daily Telegraph's 'town vs gown' feature.

Schools in Hereford: Town vs gown (Daily Telegraph)

Single-sex schools (Times letters)
Specialist schools lack expert teachers (Times letters)
University interviews (Times letters)
Academy will be a backward step (Independent letters)
Why comprehensives should be supported (Sunday Telegraph letters)
Home education in cities (Daily Telegraph letters)

A number of newspapers report that the controversial ContactPoint database of every child in England will be officially launched today by Children's Secretary Ed Balls. The Daily Telegraph also reports that the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has spent £72million on hiring external consultants, including those to advise on ContactPoint. ISC has prepared practical advice for schools concerning ContactPoint. This will be issued to schools in the 'early adopter' counties in the North West before the end of the week. Other schools will be able to access it via the legal section of the Member Zone of the ISC website.

Children's database ContactPoint launched despite security fears (Daily Telegraph)
Education department spends £72m on consultants - enough to pay for 2,000 teachers (Daily Telegraph)
Controversial child database set to go online (Independent)
Council staff get access to massive database on every child in England (Daily Mail)
£72million 'splurge': Ed Balls under fire for doubling his budget on consultants (Daily Mail)
£1.3bn wasted hiring school consultants (Sunday Express)
New log may save our kids (Sun)
Schools advisers' £72m bill (Sun not online)
Use your Ed (Sun not online)

A Sutton Trust survey on diplomas, conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), indicates that many teachers do not think the new school qualifications are suitable for students going on to university. However, 83% of those questioned believe that diplomas are suitable for children pursuing a vocational route.

Diplomas could divide pupils, says survey (Guardian)
Diplomas need drastic overhaul, says study (Guardian)
Diplomas not for bright pupils, teachers say (Times)
Able pupils poorly served by diplomas (Financial Times)
University doubts over diplomas (BBC News Online)

The Times has learnt that projects worth billions of pounds and involving more than 100 schools and hospitals have been delayed or are on hold as a result of the recession. The research seen by the the Times, from Glenigan, an intelligence unit for the construction industry, indicates that nearly £2.4 billion worth of health and education projects are affected.

Schools and hospitals delayed by cash crisis (Times)

The Times reports that two Church of England schools now cater exclusively for Muslim pupils because 'Christian families are such a rarity in some inner-city communities'.

Church vows to keep faith with its schools, despite Muslim majority (Times)

Figures from the organisation ISC Research (not affiliated with the Independent Schools Council) indicate that record numbers of teachers are quitting the UK to work abroad, raising fears of an exodus that will leave British schools understaffed.

Teachers leave Britain to find rich life abroad (Observer)

Free running - the sport based on running and leaping over and across buildings and urban obstacles - could be taught in every secondary school in the country under radical proposals to cut youth crime.

Free running could be taught in secondary schools (Independent)

A poll by Teachers TV suggests that schoolgirls are increasingly turning to their teachers for advice on abortion.

Quarter of teachers asked for abortion advice (Daily Telegraph)

A Scottish schoolboy has had his free bus pass withdrawn after his local council ruled he lived 18 metres too close to his school.

No free school bus - with short cuts you're 18 metres too near (Scotsman)
Bus-ban boy in row over school route (Daily Express not online)