ISC Daily News Summary

Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph has published a letter from Patrick Derham, Head Master of Rugby School, in which he recommends the use of extended projects in the sixth form.
Letter from Patrick Derham

TES
The TES provides an analysis of ISC research into social diversity in independent schools.
Are state schools really posher than independents? (TES – not online)

Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Times
Schools have been told to overhaul their English teaching after a three-year study by Ofsted found 30% of lessons are not good enough and little attempt is made to encourage teenagers to read for pleasure.
Ofsted orders schools to brush up their English teaching (Guardian)
Poor white boys failing to master English (Daily Telegraph)
Lessons for teachers (Times – not online)

Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail
Of a poll of school staff, almost half felt that health and safety rules were now “too restrictive”. A teacher said that one school ordered adults and children to wear goggles when using Blu-tack, and others said that they had been subjected to a series of increasingly bizarre guidelines to stop schools being sued in the event of an accident.
Using Blu-tack? You must wear goggles (Daily Telegraph)
Eye-popping idiocy (Daily Mail)
Now children need goggles to use Blu-tack (Daily Express)

Scotsman
The SNP government has said it will not build a single new school during its four years in office, prompting accusations that ministers have failed Scottish children.
Wait for new schools drags into 2011 (Scotsman)

Independent
More than four million school days were lost during last year’s autumn term as truancy rates rose, according to new figures. They show that 60,700 primary and secondary school students played truant every day on average, with around 38,000 regularly skipping school once a week.
60,000 pupils a day play truant (Independent – not online)

Daily Telegraph
A school is being investigated over claims that pupils were given the answers before sitting a GCSE maths exam.
School ‘handed out answers before GCSE maths exam’ (Daily Telegraph – not online)

Times
One year after diplomas were introduced, the Times gauges reactions to their progress.
Have new diplomas defied their critics? (Times)

Daily Telegraph
More than 100 pupils staged a playing field protest over a proposed ban on short skirts.
Pupils stage walk-out over short skirt ban (Daily Telegraph)

Daily Mail
A medical expert has argued that healthy people should be allowed to take Ritalin to boost their brain power. Professor John Harris said that it was unethical to stop the drug from being used for this purpose, as it offers “significant advantages” to the healthy.
'Give Ritalin to the healthy to boost their brain power' (Daily Mail)

TES
The TES this week features articles addressing a range of issues, including funding cuts for science and maths university education departments, Sir Alan Sugar’s search for the Apprentice of tomorrow, loss of income for online markers, and the administration of medicine by teachers.
Funding deal puts teacher training at risk (TES – not online)
Sir Alan trawls classrooms for the Apprentice of tomorrow (TES – not online)
Online markers lose out on 10% of income (TES – not online)
Staff ‘pressured’ to give out medicine to pupils (TES – not online)

THE
Here is a selection of articles from the THE:
Plan eyes incentives to help the economy (THE)
Hefce backs off citations in favour of peer review in REF (THE)
AHRC claims arts research outperforms science as spending review looms (THE)

Sun, Daily Mail
It’s official, today is the happiest day of the year. A scientific study came up with a formula to pin-point the nicest date in the calendar, fed it into a computer, and 19 June came out on top.
Smile..it's a high day! (Sun)
Why today’s the high point for happiness (Daily Mail – not online)