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Daily News Summary
2 August 2021

Exams 2021: 'Record numbers' of students expected to get their first choice university
Coronavirus: Schools are not spreading COVID-19, study findings suggest
'Our outstanding independent schools should be celebrated, not maligned'
Latin teaching to be rolled out in state schools
"Independent schools are acting as high-class academies for aspiring Olympic athletes"
Independent schools 'paying agents in China to source bright pupils'
Demand for university places to rise 40% in four years, UCAS warns
'AI teaching can help to restore social mobility'

Exams 2021: 'Record numbers' of students expected to get their first choice university

 

Clare Marchant, the chief executive of UCAS, has suggested a record number of students will get their first choice university place this year, lowering the risk of exam boards being overwhelmed by a "tsunami of appeals". By Will Hazell, iNews.

According to The Guardian, top universities are expected to stick to their offer conditions this summer, amid unprecedented demand for places. By Anna Fazackerley. The article quotes Dr Philip Purvis, deputy head of Croydon High School.

The chief executive of UCAS has warned there is a "danger" that disadvantaged pupils could fall behind their peers in university admissions this year. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.

 

Coronavirus: Schools are not spreading COVID-19, study findings suggest

 

New research suggests schools are not spreading COVID-19, as findings show pupils sent home in class bubbles were highly unlikely to pass on the virus to their parents even whey they did catch it from a fellow pupil. By Becky McCall and Chris Smyth, The Times.

An editorial piece in The Observer reflects on the challenges facing children and young people during the pandemic, claiming the Government has "failed to put in place adequate measures to reduce the impact of COVID, which has been hugely disruptive to their education and wellbeing".

According to The Times, parents will be able to get insurance to cover them from losing thousands of pounds if their child cannot attend summer camps because of COVID-19 outbreaks. By David Byers.

The Scottish Government has said teenagers with certain health conditions will be offered the vaccine before schools return from the summer break. Tes.

BBC News reports it will not be compulsory for university students to be fully vaccinated against COVID to attend lectures in England. By Becky Morton.

 

'Our outstanding independent schools should be celebrated, not maligned'

 

Gavin Rice writes in The Telegraph reflecting on the educational offering of independent schools, adding "their stellar performance during the lockdown proves why, rather than attacking them, we should be emulating their methods across the state sector". The article mentions Harrow School, Christ's Hospital School and Eton College.

 
The Telegraph

Latin teaching to be rolled out in state schools

 

The Department for Education has announced a new £4 million Latin Excellence Programme, which will see thousands of state school pupils in deprived areas of the country offered lessons in the ancient language. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

 
The Telegraph

"Independent schools are acting as high-class academies for aspiring Olympic athletes"

 

Writing in The Sunday Times, David Walsh explores some of the potential reasons why "those who attend independent schools are more likely to end up at an Olympics than their state school counterparts, and even more likely to win medals".

 
The Sunday Times

Independent schools 'paying agents in China to source bright pupils'

 

According to The Sunday Times, some independent schools are paying agents in China up to £10,000 for each pupil they send to the UK. By Sian Griffiths. The article quotes Neil Roskilly, a vice-president of the Independent Schools Association, and Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the ISC.

 
The Sunday Times

Demand for university places to rise 40% in four years, UCAS warns

 

The chief executive of UCAS has said there could be around one million people applying for university by 2025, up from 700,000 now. By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times.

 
The Sunday Times

'AI teaching can help to restore social mobility'

 

David Davis, MP for Haltemprice and Howden, and Robert Halfon, chairman of the Education Select Committee, write in The Times advocating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in schools, arguing the technology "stops the weakest from falling behind, significantly improves average performance and releases the strongest pupils to achieve their best".

 
The Times

 

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