Boris Johnson has announced that next week he will set out the Government's plan for reopening schools. By Amy Gibbons, Tes. The UK's major teaching unions are expected to meet with the Department for Education today to discuss the safest way to ease the school shutdown. By Amy Gibbons, Tes. Jane Prescott, headmistress of Portsmouth High School, writes to The Telegraph arguing headteachers "should be trusted to choose what is best" for their schools, and to open "when it is both safe and practical to do so". The letter can be found halfway down the page.
Scientists have cautioned against "an unlimited reopening of schools" after a study found children could be as infectious as adults. By Hannah Devlin and Richard Adams, The Guardian. A review of evidence in partnership with the Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health has found no cases of a child passing coronavirus on to an adult. By Hayley Dixon, The Telegraph. Dr Ebere Okereke, a consultant in global public health at Public Health England, has said the available data suggests "children seem to be protected and not vehicles of transmission". By Laura Donnelly, The Telegraph.
According to a survey of more than 17,000 school staff, 74 per cent of respondents believe social distancing in schools is "impossible". By Dave Speck, Tes. A separate article in Tes reports on findings from the same poll, which show 76 per cent of respondents think all school staff should be given personal protective equipment. By Dave Speck, Tes.
According to the Equality Human Rights Commission, schools should be required to send exam boards information about pupils' socioeconomic status, ethnicity and disabilities along with their calculated grade, amid concerns teachers' "unconscious bias" could lead to some students receiving incorrect grade predictions. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph. The Association of School and College Leaders has said grade rank orders submitted to exam
boards should not be modified to account for systemic bias, as "gaps between groups, based on the task being undertaken, are inevitable". Tes. An article in Schools Week reports Ofqual has confirmed some private candidates will now be able to transfer to a different exam centre "if the centre where they had registered decides it cannot submit a centre assessment grade". By Samantha Booth.
The Scottish Conservatives have called on education secretary John Swinney to use emergency powers to ensure all councils provide a minimum standard of educational support while schools are closed. By Greig Cameron, The Times.
The Telegraph reports on concerns that the number of children exercising has dropped during the lockdown, prompting calls for schools to reopen during the summer holidays. By Helena Horton.
BBC News reports on issues schools are encountering with the Government's free school meals scheme, which has left some families still waiting for supermarket vouchers. By Michael Buchanan and Judith Burns.
GCHQ and the National Crime Agency are launching a series of online lessons to encourage more young people to consider pursuing a career in cyber security. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.
Ceri Stokes, assistant head (DSL) at Kimbolton School in Cambridgeshire, shares an insight into her day-to-day life teaching vulnerable children and those of key workers. Tes.
Anneke Theron, lower school counsellor at ACS Cobham International School, writes in The Telegraph arguing the lockdown is encouraging children to develop key life skills such as problem-solving and resilience.
An article in Tes explores the impact of school closures on teachers' wellbeing and confidence. By Dan Worth. The article quotes Andy Leask, an English teacher at St George's School for Girls.
