There is further discussion about independent schools in the press, following the publication of "Elitist Britain 2019" - a report by the Sutton Trust and the Social Mobility Commission.

Schools minister Nick Gibb writes in The Independent that the attainment gap between state and private schools “has never been smaller”. Robert Verkaik, author and journalist, details in Schools Week how private schools can be 'phased out'. In The Telegraph, Philip Johnston argues the best way to "end the reign of public schoolboys at the top" is to build more grammar schools.

Letters in The Times praise the success of independent schools. One writer highlights the age of those at the top of their professions, who will have been at school 'in the era of the Government’s direct grant system and, later, the assisted places scheme'.

Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, appeared on Sky News last night alongside Justin Madders, Labour MP and co-chair of the APPG on Social Mobility. A clip to view this will appear here, over the next few days.

Barnaby Lenon, ISC chairman, was interviewed on LBC Radio yesterday at 14:30 - joined by Luke Tryl, director of the New Schools Network. To listen to this clip you will need to download the LBC app and search for the Ian Payne show on 25 June 2019.

David James, deputy head (academic) of Bryanston School writes that independent schools are facing "one of the biggest challenges of recent years" due to changes to the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS).

Tutor House, an online agency, has said the most common reason children fail their English GCSE is due to their use of slang in exams. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Schools Week outlines eight of the key issues the Government is hoping to address to ensure pupils receive a "fully rounded education with regard to online safety".

Alice Thomson writes a comment piece for The Times arguing "Britain will keep its creative edge only if it encourages arts-inclined children to pursue those subjects".

A report by the National Literacy Trust has found children eligible for free schools meals are less likely to have experienced an author visit at their school, compared with their more advantaged peers. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

Damian Hinds, the education secretary, has said he would "strongly" encourage teachers in primary schools to educate children on "the different types of loving, healthy relationships that exist". This is in light of new guidance published by the Government on how to teach Relationship and Sex Education (RSE), which is set to become a statutory requirement from September 2020. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

Oskar Peterson, a ten-year-old school boy at Bickley Park School, has created a business under the name OSKeco, which sells biodegradable products such as bamboo toothbrushes, stainless steel drinking straws, and organic cotton shopping bags. Education Executive. The article quotes Patrick Wenham, head of Bickley Park School.

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