Prime minister Boris Johnson has said primary and secondary schools will be able to welcome all pupils back in September, with the social distancing rule to be reduced to "one-metre plus" from 4 July. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, has said the notion of schools reopening fully in September is "pure fantasy", arguing it will not be possible to bring all pupils back with a one-metre plus separation. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph. A separate article in The Telegraph explores the reaction among headteachers and education professionals to the Government's announcement. By Katie Russell. The article quotes Sean Price, head of Westonbirt Prep School, and Dr Gerard Silverlock, head of King's College Junior School, Wimbledon.

John Swinney, Scotland's education secretary, has said ministers are preparing for all schools in Scotland to reopen full-time in August, with no social distancing measures in place. BBC News. The Educational Institute of Scotland has called for the introduction of mandatory face coverings, protective screens and "proactive testing" of teachers as a prerequisite to the reopening of Scotland's schools. By Mark McLaughlin, The Times.

The latest issue of Independent School Parent magazine features several articles exploring how teachers and pupils at independent schools are adapting to their new environments amid the pandemic. Dale Wilkins, director of safeguarding, standards and training at the Boarding Schools' Association (BSA), writes an article about the BSA's new Covid-Safe Charter, which includes important guidance for schools on how to provide "the safe, secure environment boarders and their families are expecting" post-coronavirus. The article can be found on page 18.

The Times reports 1.1 million children in England have returned to school following the easing of lockdown restrictions. By Rosemary Bennett. Attendance figures published yesterday show the proportion of Year 10 students attending open secondary schools reached a high of 16.3 per cent last Monday. The statistics also show just 60 per cent of schools that usually educate pupils in Year 10 or 12 were open to at least one of these year groups last Thursday. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

The Department for Education has announced a "one-year funded offer of support" for new teachers after training courses were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

Julie Robinson, chief executive of the ISC, writes in Attain magazine about how parents can help children address their worries.

Shaun Fenton, head of Reigate Grammar School and vice-chair of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, reflects on an unprecedented time in education.

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.

Sign-up to the email service is available on our website.

Members can contact the ISC if they know in advance of news, letters or opinions that are likely to feature in the media, or are aware of existing coverage which they would like to see featured in the DNS.

Headlines and first-line summaries are written by the ISC with the link directing to the source material. You should read and comply with the terms and conditions of the websites to which we link.