ISC Daily News Summary

Times

'It is encouraging to see the Cambridge Primary Review is advocating an approach that focuses on children's needs and wellbeing, setting the education in the context of the wider world and learning through interaction ("Schools 'failing' to fire the imagination", Feb 20). That all sounds good to me, not to mention a little familiar. The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP), run by the same organisation as the prestigious IB Diploma, already does all of the above.' Malcolm Kay. Superintendent, ACS International Schools.

Primary education (Times letters)

Daily Telegraph, Times, Guardian, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Sun

A report by Ofsted has concluded that schools should adopt back-to-basics discipline methods to curb bad behaviour and improve results among pupils. The report examined how state schools in the most deprived areas improved standards, describing how one head teacher tackled troublemakers by suspending 300 pupils in a week.

Why some schools excel against the odds where others struggle (Ofsted)
Ofsted: Back to basics discipline in school would curb bad behaviour (Daily Telegraph)
Focus on Robert Clack School (Daily Telegraph)
Ofsted inspectors find secret of turning schools around (Times)
Ofsted praises 12 secondaries for beating the odds (Guardian)
How inner-city schools are transformed by discipline including smart uniforms and a hard line on 'street culture' (Daily Mail)
Back to basics clampdown on yobs in class (Daily Express not online)
Schools' key rules (Sun not online)

Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Independent, Daily Mail, BBC News Online

Government advisor Sir Mike Tomlinson yesterday spoke about how tens of thousands of teenagers are leaving school before starting to study for their GCSEs.

Thousands of pupils 'drop out of school at 14' (Daily Telegraph)
Thousands leaving school before GCSEs (Guardian)
Drop-out pupils fear (Independent)
Thousands of pupils aged 14 drop out of school every year because it has 'nothing to offer them' (Daily Mail)
25,000 teens 'drop out of school' (BBC News Online)

Guardian, Times

The Guardian reports that schools, universities and hospitals are preparing for cuts to public spending on a scale not seen since the 1980s, amid warnings that the government's bail-out of the banks will severely compromise the financing of health and education services for years to come. A comment piece in the Times echoes this fear.

Education and health prepare for squeeze on public spending (Guardian)
Public services need private cash. Where is it? (Times)

Times, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, BBC News Online

Writing to Schools Minister Jim Knight, the Independent Academies Association (IAA) warns that academies are facing a 'serious erosion of their independence' and that they are being made dependent on the 'whims of quangos'.

Future of academy schools is called into doubt by principals (Times)
Academies programme 'hampered' by Government, claim schools (Daily Telegraph)
Academy chiefs hit out at education bill (Financial Times)
Academies 'losing independence' (BBC News Online)

Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Sun, Daily Mirror

Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) figures released following a Freedom of Information request reveal that almost 7,000 convicted criminals have applied to become teachers in UK schools. The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) insists that the disclosure shows the system is working.

Almost 7,000 criminals 'applied to be teachers' last year (Daily Telegraph)
Criminals applying for jobs in schools (Daily Mail)
Convicts applied to teach (Daily Express not online)
Killers bid to be teachers (Sun)
Pervs seek school jobs (Daily Mirror)

Times

Former Education Minister George Walden discusses polytechnics and higher education in a Times comment piece.

Polys were not universities (and shouldn't be) (Times)

Today's Education Guardian supplement includes articles on Scottish schools, twins applying for schools, truancy and the new chair of the Russell Group. Today's Guardian also includes a supplement on school trips.

There are a number of reports today on figures from the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), which reveal that applications for teacher training courses in England have risen by 10% this year. ISC schools can add their job vacancies to the ISC website free of charge. To upload your job vacancies, log in to our Member Zone. If you have yet to register for the Member Zone, you can sign up here and complete the questions under the title 'New Users'. You will then be e-mailed your login details. If you have already registered but have forgotten your password, click here. Once logged in, click on 'Job Administration' in the left navigation and start adding your vacancies, being careful to complete all the required fields. Once submitted, your jobs will appear instantly in the Job Zone in the public part of the website. Any queries please e-mail website@isc.co.uk.

Tough times bring surge in applications to be teachers (Daily Mail)
Teacher training applicants rise (Financial Times not online)
Career changers turn to teaching (BBC News Online)

All national newspapers

Gail Trimble, the Oxford Latin scholar hailed as the greatest contestant in University Challenge history, led Corpus Christi College to victory in the show's grand final last night. Her team scored 275 points to Manchester University's 190.

Trimble's tremble: Early nerves, then a quiz show triumph (Guardian)
Who is the cleverest student ever? (Independent)
Leading article: University challenged (Independent)
One-woman winning machine Gail Trimble rises to the final challenge (Times)
University Challenge final: Gail Trimble leads Corpus Christi College to victory (Daily Telegraph)
Oxford's queen of the quizzes leads her team to win University Challenge final... but she admits: I try not to seem too clever (Daily Mail)
Final triumph of tv's superbrain (Daily Express)
Bet Jade won't be sneering at clever clogs Gail (Sun)
Oxford college lifts quiz trophy (BBC News Online)