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Daily News Summary
30 April 2021

Coronavirus: Face masks in classrooms 'may no longer be necessary' after 17 May
Exams 2021: Appeals expected to take longer to process this year
'Is it time to reassess independent schools?'
Critics question evidence behind mobile phone bans in schools
Government urged to 'come clean' over changes to pupil premium funding
'Teachers should be trained to spot and support dyslexic children'
Scotland has 'the best-funded education system in the UK'

Coronavirus: Face masks in classrooms 'may no longer be necessary' after 17 May

 

Schools minister Nick Gibb has indicated that face masks may no longer be required in England's classrooms after 17 May. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Speaking to MPs on the Education Select Committee yesterday, Nick Gibb said it is "intuitive" to consider extending the school day to help children catch up on their learning. By Zoe Tidman, The Independent.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has said the National Tutoring Programme "needs to ramp up significantly" to reach enough pupils, as figures show just one per cent of children have so far received learning support through the scheme. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner, has urged teachers not to "panic" children over how far they have fallen behind in their learning during the pandemic. By Dave Speck, Tes.

According to a report from Renaissance Learning, children read longer, more challenging books during lockdown periods last year. By Alison Flood, The Guardian.

 

Exams 2021: Appeals expected to take longer to process this year

 

Ian Bauckham, the chair of Ofqual, has said it is likely that GCSE and A-level appeals "will take longer to process than in normal years". By Catherine Lough, Tes.

According to a survey commissioned by Ofqual, trust in GCSEs dropped to just 27 per cent following last year's exams controversy. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.

The NAHT has said teachers need "real clarity" by the end of this term on what next year's exams will look like. Tes.

 

'Is it time to reassess independent schools?'

 

Harry de Quetteville writes in The Telegraph questioning whether independent schools are a worthwhile investment for families.

 
The Telegraph

Critics question evidence behind mobile phone bans in schools

 

Some academics have contested evidence cited by Nick Gibb to support mobile phone bans in schools, claiming the study revealed an "insignificant" impact on pupils' test scores. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

 
Schools Week

Government urged to 'come clean' over changes to pupil premium funding

 

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, has called on ministers to "come clean" about changes to pupil premium funding and "repay all that they have taken from school budgets in this way". By Richard Adams and Robyn Vinter, The Guardian.

 
The Guardian

'Teachers should be trained to spot and support dyslexic children'

 

Kate Griggs, founder of the charity Made By Dyslexia, writes in The Times calling on the Government to introduce compulsory training for teachers on how to identify and support children with dyslexia.

 
The Times

Scotland has 'the best-funded education system in the UK'

 

A new report from the Education Policy Institute has found that Scotland has the best-funded education system in the UK, with the lowest pupil-teacher ratio and highest starting salary for teachers out of all four nations. By Emma Seith, Tes.

 
Tes

 

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