isc logo  

Daily News Summary
2 February 2021

Coronavirus: PM focuses on reopening schools as COVID-19 cases fall
Exams 2021: Teachers split in their views of proposals for the awarding of GCSE and A-level grades
Education secretary urged to plan for the 2022 exam series
'The real question is, do GCSEs equip children with a modern passport to their future?'
"It's important for young people to see that there's no set model for who can reach the top"

Coronavirus: PM focuses on reopening schools as COVID-19 cases fall

 

According to The Telegraph, Boris Johnson is pushing ahead with plans to reopen schools, after being told the UK passed the peak of coronavirus infections last week. By Gordon Rayner and Laura Donnelly.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to provide an update today on the plan for reopening schools in Scotland to more pupils. Tes.

Boris Johnson has said that while he believes the UK economy will recover strongly post-pandemic, he is 'really concerned' about the disruption to children's education. By Richard Vaughan, iNews.

Hamid Patel, chief executive of Star Academies, has said teachers should not be prioritised for COVID-19 vaccinations ahead of priority groups one to nine. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

Celia Warden writes in The Telegraph criticising the National Education Union's (NEU) response to a scheme - proposed by the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, Cognita, the Academy Enterprise Trust and Ormiston Academies Trust - to vaccinate all of England's teachers and school staff during half term.

Humanists UK has warned some unregistered religious schools are continuing to operate during lockdown, prompting concerns about the wellbeing of pupils and the wider community. By Will Hazell, iNews.

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, writes in Tes outlining three factors that can exacerbate the impact of lost learning experienced by college pupils. Tes.

Universities in England are to receive £50 million in government funding to support students struggling financially during the pandemic. By Sally Weale and Rachel Hall, The Guardian.

Vice-chancellors of seven universities are calling on the Government to scrap interest on student loans in England for 15 months to ease the "unprecedented pressures" on students. By Branwen Jeffreys, BBC News.

An article in Tes explores how the switch to remote learning has impacted on English teaching. By Catherine Lough.

 

Exams 2021: Teachers split in their views of proposals for the awarding of GCSE and A-level grades

 

According to a poll by the Chartered College of Teaching, teachers are divided in terms of supporting or opposing proposals for the awarding of this year's grades, as outlined by Ofqual and the Department for Education. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

 
Tes

Education secretary urged to plan for the 2022 exam series

 

Robin Bevan, president of the NEU, has called on education secretary Gavin Williamson to think ahead to next year's GCSE exams to ensure teachers have adequate notice of what their pupils will be assessed on. By Dave Speck, Tes.

 
Tes

'The real question is, do GCSEs equip children with a modern passport to their future?'

 

Victoria Lambert writes in The Telegraph in support of calls to replace GCSEs with a new form of assessment, arguing: "If modern education is about a lifelong love of learning and discovery, then we are never finished with improving how we deliver or measure it."

 
The Telegraph

"It's important for young people to see that there's no set model for who can reach the top"

 

Speaking to The Telegraph, Nicholas Hewlett, headmaster of St Dunstan's College, shares his experience of coming out as gay to his pupils. By Jack Rear.

 
The Telegraph

 

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.