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Coronavirus: Education secretary announces that retired teachers will be recruited to keep schools open in January
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General education
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The education secretary has announced that an army of retired teachers will be recruited by the Government in an attempt to keep schools open in January, adding: “We will work with sector leaders and supply agencies over the coming days to offer advice to ex-teachers who want to provide support to schools and colleges.” By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.
According to The Telegraph, some schools across the country have told children to take textbooks and laptops home as schools prepare for lessons to go virtual in January. By Camilla Turner and Sam Hall.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, has warned that high levels of staff absences due to COVID in the new year "would result in schools having to send home classes or year groups, or closing for on-site teaching, for short periods of time and providing remote education for those at home”. By Zoe Tidman, The Independent.
Appearing on GB News, Christine Cunniffe, head at LVS Ascot, discussed how schools are overcoming the challenges the pandemic is presenting to education. The interview starts at 17:10.
In a new report, Ofsted has claimed that low attendance “remains a stubborn concern” in schools in England. The report said: “Many schools are still working on getting back to pre-pandemic attendance levels." By Zoe Tidman, The Independent.
Official figures from the Department for Education have found that fines for school absences have plummeted by 86 per cent since the pandemic hit. By Tom Belger, Schools Week.
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House of Lords debate: Children and young people in care
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Independent sector
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During a House of Lords debate on 'Children and young people in care: Accommodation' yesterday, Lord Lexden, president of the Independent Schools Association, spoke of the benefits of boarding school places for children in care suited to such an education. In response, Baroness Barran, parliamentary under secretary of state for the school system, said: “The Government recognise the opportunity offered by both the state boarding and the independent sector to provide good outcomes for children in care.” Hansard.
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Almost a quarter of independent schools within TPS have now left, FOI reveals
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Independent sector
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A Freedom of Information request from Broadstone, a pensions provider, has revealed that almost a quarter of the independent schools within the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) in January 2019 have now left. As of 23 November 2021, 287 independent schools had either already left or had notified the Department for Education of their intention to do so. By Jo Golding, Independent Education Today.
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Just 195 of 5.7m TAGS were changed following reviews, data finds
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Examinations
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New data from Ofqual has revealed that just 195 of 5.7 million GCSE and A-level teacher assessed grades (TAGS) were changed after being reviewed by exam boards last school year. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.
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'Perhaps the biggest contribution the Government could make to levelling up education would be promoting selective schools'
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General education
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Writing for The Telegraph, Jill Kirby argues that selective schools are becoming "high-achieving, tightly disciplined centres of excellence" and that the biggest contribution the Government could make towards “levelling up” education would be to promote this educational model.
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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.
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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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