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Daily News Summary
19 June 2020

Coronavirus: PM announces £1bn catch-up fund for pupils in England
The School that Tried to End Racism: Giving pupils the tools to talk about inequality
Students who take a gap year 'more likely to achieve a first-class degree'
Friday Feature: How schools are coming together to support their wider communities

Coronavirus: PM announces £1bn catch-up fund for pupils in England

 

Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced £1 billion will be made available in extra tuition funding to help England's pupils catch up on their education. By Hannah Richardson, BBC News.

iNews reports exam boards could downgrade millions of proposed GCSE and A-level grades this year, amid concerns teachers may have been too generous in their predictions. By Will Hazell. According to a new report by the Equality Act Review campaign group, calculated grades for pupils from black and minority ethnic backgrounds should be inflated by "between 1 to 10 per cent" to counter potential teacher bias. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

Sarah Fletcher, high mistress of St Paul's Girls' School, writes in Tes outlining four potential alternatives to GCSEs.

Jess Phillips, Labour's shadow home office minister, has called on the Government to ensure schools have the space needed to welcome children back safely and maintain social distancing. By Albert Evans, iNews.

According to a survey by the National Association of Head Teachers, 51 per cent of special schools have experienced difficulties obtaining adequate personal protective equipment. By Will Hazell, iNews.

An article in The Times explores the safety measures some primary schools have in place in preparation for the return of more pupils. By Kaya Burgess. The article quotes Nick Folland, headteacher at Sherborne Preparatory School.

Alastair Tighe, headmaster at Wells Cathedral School, writes to The Times arguing schools will "bounce back" from coronavirus, adding "this is the first time in our 1,111-year history that we have taught our pupils remotely". The letter can be found halfway down the page.

According to the latest COVID-19 surveillance report from Public Health England, the number of acute respiratory outbreaks in schools rose from 14 to 24 last week. By James Carr, Schools Week.

Bill Ramsay, the outgoing president of the Educational Institute of Scotland union, is expected to deliver a speech to the EIS council in support of protecting teachers from "unreasonable levels of workload" amid the coronavirus disruption. By Tom Eden, The Times.

Four Oxford University undergraduates have produced an e-book called 'Learn Better at Home', which is designed to help students motivate themselves to study during lockdown. By Tom Ough, The Telegraph.

 

The School that Tried to End Racism: Giving pupils the tools to talk about inequality

 

An article in iNews reports on the impact of a three-week experiment designed to encourage Year 8 pupils to explore issues of race, privilege and unconscious bias. By Gabriel Tate.

 
iNews

Students who take a gap year 'more likely to achieve a first-class degree'

 

According to analysis of past data from the Annual Population Survey, 18 per cent of undergraduates who deferred the year were likely to achieve a first-class degree compared with 12 per cent of students who went straight to university from school. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

 
The Times

Friday Feature: How schools are coming together to support their wider communities

 

This week's 'Friday Feature' explores how schools are continuing to support their communities during the pandemic, from raising money for charities to helping pupils with remote learning.

 
ISC

 

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