According to iNews, the Department for Education (DfE) is considering giving schools in England up to £100 million to spend on one-to-one catch-up tuition for pupils. By Will Hazell.
The Telegraph reports on new guidelines published by the Government, which state all secondary school pupils in England can return to school for one face-to-face meeting before the summer break. By Camilla Turner and Tony Diver. Schools Week reports on the guidance for primary schools, which states those with extra capacity can bring back pupils from any year groups. Primaries in need of more teaching space can access other school sites as long as they "take care to ensure children stay in allocated groups". By John Dickens.
According to a Teacher Tapp survey, 90 per cent of Year 10 pupils will be in school for less than two days per week due to social distancing rules. BBC News. An article in The Telegraph reports on findings from a survey conducted by the Association of School and College Leaders, which suggest up to 300,000 pupils in Year 10 and 12 may have not been able to return to school yesterday. By Camilla Turner and Tony Diver.
A report from the National Foundation for Educational Research has found four in 10 pupils in England are not in regular contact with their teachers, and a third of students are not engaging with their work at home. By Sally Weale, The Guardian. An article in Tes also reports on the findings, which suggest a fifth of teachers describe their home working environment as "very poor or poor". By Dave Speck.
First minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she plans to bring children in Scotland back to school for face-to-face teaching "as quickly as is safe and feasible". BBC News. According to The Times, schools in Scotland could open for pupils on Saturdays and during October holidays to help them catch up on their education. By Kieran Andrews.
According to The Times, a number of independent schools in Scotland have received a surge in enquiries from parents concerned about the quality of home learning provision being offered by state secondaries. By Kieran Andrews and Arthi Nachiappan. The article mentions several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations. The paper also reports Rugby School has received the usual amount of applications from overseas families since lockdown began, suggesting some boarding schools are still thriving despite coronavirus disruption. By Nicola Woolcock and Sally Jones. The article quotes Peter Green, head of Rugby School, a spokesperson from Oundle School in Northamptonshire, and mentions the Boarding Schools Association.
According to a report from FFT Education Datalab, teachers may be marking pupils too generously in exams, with figures suggesting this year's grades are higher in every subject than those awarded last year. By Nicola Woolcock and Harry Shukman, The Times.
The Times reports prime minister Boris Johnson has rejected Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford's plea for the Government to extends its free school meals voucher scheme throughout the summer holidays. By Steven Swinford. Mr Rashford has written in the paper urging MPs to "put their rivalries aside" and support the measure to help combat child poverty.
BBC News reports 10,000 families in England will be offered free internet access for six months as part of a scheme designed to support disadvantaged pupils with online learning. By Sean Coughlan.
Scientists have suggested children may have developed a strong immunity to coronavirus because they catch common colds so often. By Sarah Knapton, The Telegraph.
