The Northern Powerhouse Partnership has called on the Government to replace next summer's exams with "continuous assessment", amid concerns that students across the North will be "at a disadvantage" after spending more time out of school. By John Roberts, Tes.

Yousuf Hamid, a business and economics teacher at a high school in London, writes in Tes offering advice to teachers on how they can incorporate GCSE revision into every lesson.

New figures from the Department for Education show that 55 per cent of state secondary schools in England had pupils self-isolating last week due to coronavirus. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Responding to the latest attendance figures, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, has said "it is crucial that schools are able to provide disadvantaged pupils with laptops so they can work from home if they have to self-isolate". By John Roberts, Tes.

The Telegraph reports on the Open Doors programme, which will ensure school sport facilities across London can be utilised during half-term to encourage vulnerable children and young people to get active. By Jeremy Wilson.

Lord Lexden, president of the Independent Schools Association, submitted a written question asking the Government what assessment it had made of the mutual benefits of independent and state school partnerships during the pandemic. In response, Baroness Berridge expressed support for cross-sector collaboration, adding "as we move forward from the disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, we hope that more schools will see the opportunity to work together to find solutions to common problems". Hansard.

BBC News reports some universities are running pilot projects for rapid coronavirus testing, in an effort to help students in England to get home for Christmas. By Sean Coughlan.

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland, has written to education secretary John Swinney warning teachers are being regarded as "expendable" under Scotland's new coronavirus alert system. By Emma Seith, Tes.

Henry Dimbleby, who leads the National Food Strategy, has said the Government "isn't doing enough" to support children on free school meals. By George Grylls, Steven Swinford and Francis Elliott, The Times.

Anne Longfield, the children's commissioner for England, writes in The Times in support of holiday schemes intended to tackle child poverty.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said the Government has already "provided resources" to councils to pay for free school meals during the school holidays. BBC News.

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