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Coronavirus: Children should be among those prioritised for testing, says Labour leader
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Child welfare
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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on the Government to put children "at the front of the queue" for coronavirus tests to avoid a "flood" of school closures. By Jenn Selby, iNews.
Anne Longfield, the children's commissioner, has suggested around one in 20 children in England are not in school for coronavirus-related reasons. By Hannah Richardson, BBC News.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, has accused the Government of 'failing schools and children', as four in five schools report having pupils self-isolating at home because they cannot access a coronavirus test. By Will Hazell, iNews.
Will Phelan, principal of The Stamford Endowed Schools, writes to The Telegraph arguing pupils are "being punished by extended periods away from the classroom" due to issues with the Government's testing system. The letter can be found a third of the way down the page.
The Sunday Times explores how pupils and teachers can benefit from incorporating e-learning into the curriculum. By Gabriella Bennett. The article quotes staff members at several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations. A separate article in the paper takes a closer look at how schools are helping students look after their mental health and wellbeing as they return to the classroom.
A comment piece in The Observer argues the difference in coronavirus testing provision offered by some state and independent schools is widening the education gap in the UK. By Donna Ferguson.
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GCSEs and A-levels 2020: Concerns pupils are 'not prepared' to sit exams next year
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Examinations
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The Times reports on concerns raised over the viability of running exams next year, as coronavirus testing problems create more school disruption. By Nicola Woolcock and Rosemary Bennett. The article quotes Simon Hyde, the new general secretary of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.
Jo Bisset, organiser of the Us For Them Scotland campaign group, has written to education secretary John Swinney calling for "an unequivocal statement from the Scottish Government that the 2021 exams will go ahead as normal, so that pupils can start preparing now for such a crucial juncture in their life". By Mike Wade, The Times.
According to a poll commissioned by the Publishers Association, 53 per cent of teachers believe their students will underperform in next year's exams as a result of lost learning. By Tony Diver, The Telegraph.
The Observer reports a group of independent and state schools is expected to launch a campaign to replace GCSEs, as many schools consider alternative methods of assessment following this year's grading controversy. By James Tapper. The article quotes Alistair McConville, director of learning at Bedales School, David Baldwin, director of education at Cognita, and mentions several other schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations.
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Disadvantaged white pupils 'left behind' by education funding, academics claim
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Funding
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Two academics at the University of Plymouth have argued disadvantaged white pupils underachieve in school partly because education funding is disproportionately targeted at larger cities with more ethnically diverse populations. By Greg Hurst, The Times.
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Schools minister expresses support for the teaching of black history in schools
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Teaching and learning
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Schools minister Nick Gibb has said good history teaching should "always include the contribution of black and minority ethnic people to Britain's history". By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.
An article in The Sunday Times explores how the Black Lives Matter movement has inspired some schools to introduce new measures to tackle racism and promote a deeper understanding of race relations. By Gabriella Bennett. The article mentions several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations.
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A closer look at Scottish independent schools' community action initiatives
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Independent sector
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An article in The Sunday Times explores the different ways Scottish independent schools are continuing to support local state schools and their wider communities, despite the loss of their business rates tax relief. By Gabriella Bennett. The article mentions several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations.
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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.
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