First minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced plans to reopen Scotland's nurseries and schools to some pupils from 22 February as part of a phased return. By Chris Green, iNews. According to The Telegraph, Boris Johnson is under renewed pressure to reopen schools in England following Ms Sturgeon's announcement. By Gordon Rayner and Harry Yorke.

Tracey Crouch, the Conservative MP for Chatham and Aylesford, writes in The Times arguing the Government must provide a "clear road map" for the reopening of schools.

Professor Calum Semple, who sits on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), has warned it is "nowhere near" safe enough to reopen schools more widely. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

According to the latest figures from the Department for Education, around 1.2 million children attended school in England last week. By Katherine Sellgren, BBC News.

Speaking in a House of Lords debate yesterday, Lord Lexden, president of the Independent Schools Association, asked: "Is it not essential that all school staff be vaccinated at the earliest possible opportunity?". In response, Baroness Berridge said: "We are working across Government to make the case for the teaching and education workforce generally; advice will be produced and then it will be for ministers to decide on the next phase of vaccination." Hansard.

Professor Anthony Costello, a member of the Independent SAGE group, has called for teachers and school staff to be prioritised for COVID-19 vaccinations, saying it would only take a day to inoculate the workforce under the Government's current regime. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

The Association of School and College Leaders has said secondary school staff and students should be able to take COVID-19 tests at home in line with the approach taken by primary schools. By John Roberts, Tes.

An article in The Telegraph explores some of the plans proposed by the Government to help children catch up on their learning. By Victoria Lambert. The article quotes Rosie McColl, head at Brighton Girls GDST, Oliver Blond, head of Roedean School, and Robert Harrison, education strategy director at ACS International Schools.

The Department for Education is reportedly "refocusing" an expert group intended to provide solutions to differential learning loss caused by the pandemic. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.

Schools Week summarises updated COVID-19 guidance for schools. By Freddie Whittaker.

Ofsted has confirmed that planned inspection work will take place remotely until 8 March at the earliest. By James Carr, Schools Week.

According to a new study conducted by ASK Research, staff in special schools have been left to "plug the gaps" for pupils after support services were severely reduced or stopped altogether due to the pandemic. By Dave Speck, Tes.

Dr Guy Meadows, a sleep expert and founder of The Sleep School, offers advice on how to help children get a better night's rest, in turn improving their mental health. By Alice Hall, The Telegraph.

The Telegraph explores the implications of the decision to allow IGCSEs to go ahead this year. By Sarah Rodrigues. The article quotes Shaun Fenton, headmaster of Reigate Grammar School.

Kevin Stannard, director of innovation and learning at the Girls' Day School Trust, writes in Tes arguing the pandemic provides an opportunity to shift to a new model for university admissions.

Cambridge University has introduced an "over-subscription" clause to its offers, enabling it to withdraw places in instances where the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of places available. By Emma Yeomans, The Times.

Tes provides a recruitment guide for EU schools looking to hire UK teachers post-Brexit. By Eloise Barry. The article mentions the Council of British International Schools.

According to research from Cambridge University, teaching empathy in schools improves pupils' creativity and helps boys to express their emotions. By Gabriella Swerling, 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.