isc logo  

Daily News Summary
19 August 2021

Coronavirus: Critics question new guidance for schools on curbing outbreaks
'Are end-of-year exams the best way to assess students?'
Plans for exams in Scotland to go ahead as normal next year
Children from poor families 'locked out' of early education
Call to ban misleading health claims on sugary foods aimed at children
UK students due to start studying in Spain hit by visa delays
Bristol University could house students up to 15 miles away following surge in applicants

Coronavirus: Critics question new guidance for schools on curbing outbreaks

 

The Department for Education has been criticised for issuing "bizarre" and "impractical" guidance for schools advising them to consider moving classes and assemblies outside this autumn if five pupils test positive for COVID. By Harry Yorke, The Telegraph.

Analysis from the Royal College of Psychiatrists has found that the number of under-19s waiting for urgent NHS treatment for eating disorders has more than tripled during the pandemic. By Shaun Lintern, The Independent.

BBC News reports footballer Marcus Rashford has inspired a city-wide initiative in Gloucester to provide free meals and activities to local families over the summer holidays. The article mentions The King's School, which is being used as a hub free of charge to prepare the food and activity packs.

According to Tes, temporary funding that helped to boost teacher numbers during the pandemic will be made permanent by the Scottish Government.

 

'Are end-of-year exams the best way to assess students?'

 

Isabel Nisbet, the founding chief executive of Ofqual, has suggested it would be fairer to assess students using "a range of sources of evidence, including modules, or project work, or practical work", as opposed to end-of-year exams. By Zoe Tidman, The Independent.

 
The Independent

Plans for exams in Scotland to go ahead as normal next year

 

The Scottish Government has said National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams will be held in spring 2022 - provided it is safe for them to take place - and course content will be reduced to account for disruption caused by COVID. BBC News.

 
BBC

Children from poor families 'locked out' of early education

 

A new report has found that just 13 per cent of families eligible for 30 hours of free childcare are in the bottom third of the income distribution, compared to 70 per cent of families in the top half of earners. By Will Hazell, iNews.

 
iNews

Call to ban misleading health claims on sugary foods aimed at children

 

Campaigners are calling for a ban on child-friendly packaging and misleading nutrition and health claims on food products that have high or medium amounts of sugar. By Kat Lay, The Times.

 
The Times

UK students due to start studying in Spain hit by visa delays

 

BBC News reports some UK students due to start a university year in Spain are unsure whether they will be able to take up their places amid visa delays. By Branwen Jeffreys.

 
BBC

Bristol University could house students up to 15 miles away following surge in applicants

 

The University of Bristol has said up to 300 students may be offered accommodation in a neighbouring city or suburb, after "an extraordinary" 75 per cent of applicants met the terms of their offer. By Will Humphries, The Times.

 
The Times

 

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.