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Daily News Summary
7 January 2019

Schools consider expansion in Europe to meet post-Brexit demand
Undergraduates help disadvantaged pupils with uni applications
IGCSEs not as hard as new GCSEs, says think tank
'Independent schools should focus on providing bursaries, not scholarships'
Children should pick their teachers, says headmaster
'Pupils at independent schools should visit those less fortunate to develop empathy'
GCHQ needs more girls to crack the codes
What does the fourth industrial revolution mean for schools?

Schools consider expansion in Europe to meet post-Brexit demand

 

Some independent schools are considering expansion in Europe in anticipation of an increase in international demand for British education. By Andrew Jack, The Financial Times. The article quotes Julian Thomas, headmaster of Wellington College; Joseph Spence, headmaster of Dulwich College; and Colin Bell, chief executive of the Council of British International Schools.

The Times reports on this story, quoting Richard Cairns, headmaster of Brighton College.

 
Financial Times

Undergraduates help disadvantaged pupils with uni applications

 

Student journalists have set up an anonymised service to help disadvantaged pupils with university applications. By Rosemary Bennett, The Times. The article quotes Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the Independent Schools Council.

 
The Times

IGCSEs not as hard as new GCSEs, says think tank

 

Analysis by Education Datalab suggests international GCSE exams are easier than the new reformed GCSEs. By Rosemary Bennett, The Times. The article quotes Neil Roskilly, chief executive of the Independent Schools Association.

The Guardian has several letters on this subject, including one from James Wilding, academic principal and headteacher of Claires Court Schools.

Dr Bernard Trafford, a former independent school headteacher, writes in Tes in defence of independent schools and says it is unfair to accuse them of 'cheating the system'.

 
The Times

'Independent schools should focus on providing bursaries, not scholarships'

 

Emma Hattersley, headteacher at Godolphin School in Salisbury, has said scholarships should not necessarily have a financial reward attached and, instead, schools should spend more money on the provision of bursaries for pupils from less well-off families. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

 
The Telegraph

Children should pick their teachers, says headmaster

 

Shaun Fenton, headteacher at Reigate Grammar School and chairman of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, has said children should sit on interview panels and be trusted to pick their teachers. By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times.

 
The Sunday Times

'Pupils at independent schools should visit those less fortunate to develop empathy'

 

Broadcaster and comedian Ruby Wax has said children from "posh schools" should socialise with those "who have nothing" in a bid to develop empathy as well as alleviate their own anxieties. By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times.

 
The Sunday Times

GCHQ needs more girls to crack the codes

 

To defend the country against cyber attacks, GCHQ is seeking girls aged 12 to 13 to become a new generation of female codebreakers. By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times.

 
The Sunday Times

What does the fourth industrial revolution mean for schools?

 

Tes details how schools and teachers can prepare pupils for the new digital age. By Martin George, Tes.

 
Tes

 

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) monitors the national and educational press in order to keep independent schools up-to-date with relevant education news. The DNS is a service primarily for schools in membership of ISC associations, although other interested parties can choose to sign-up. We endeavour to include relevant news and commentary and, wherever possible, notable public letters. Where capacity allows, we may include links to ISC blogs, press statements and information about school or association events. News stories are selected based on their relevance to the independent sector as a whole. Editorial control of the DNS remains solely with the ISC.

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