Sir Kevan Collins, the new education recovery commissioner, has said teachers will have to "increase learning time for children" to help them catch up, providing extra hours of sport, music and drama as well as academic support. Sir Kevan has also warned that the youngest children will "need to learn to play together" again, and develop their language and social skills when they return to school. By Branwen Jeffreys, BBC News.

Edward Argar, the health minister, has suggested the education secretary is considering shortening the summer holidays to maximise the amount of time pupils spend in the classroom. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

BBC News details five ways children could catch up on lost school time. By Oliver Barnes.

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden has said he will advocate the prioritisation of children's sport once COVID-19 restrictions ease, arguing "kids' sport should be the last one into the lockdown and the first out". By Jeremy Wilson, The Telegraph.

Lee Elliot Major, a professor of social mobility at Exeter University, has warned the pandemic could "potentially scar a whole generation", adding ministers will have to consider "radical ideas" to ensure children can catch up on their education. By Will Hazell, iNews.

According to Schools Week, the Department for Education has dropped plans to set up an expert group to explore solutions for differential learning loss. By Samantha Booth.

Findings from ImpactEd, a non-profit organisation, show one third of disadvantaged pupils lacked access to a device needed for online learning last year. By Zoe Tidman, The Independent.

Larry Flanagan, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland, has dismissed proposals to extend the school day in Scotland, arguing instead for "targeted and meaningful support" for pupils. By Emma Seith, Tes.

A study of nurseries in France has identified low levels of COVID-19 among young children, suggesting they "are not spreading the virus widely in these environments". By Jennifer Rigby, The Telegraph.

Barnaby Lenon, a member of Ofqual's standards advisory group and chairman of the Independent Schools Council, has suggested universities will need to run their own "diagnostic test" to identify gaps in learning, as many students are expected to receive "flattering" A-level results this year. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

Tim Hands, master of Winchester College, has confirmed the school will open its doors to sixth form girls for the first time, enabling them to join as either day pupils or boarders. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

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