isc logo  

Daily News Summary
18 March 2021

Exams 2021: Pupils to have access to assessment materials after Easter
Coronavirus: Ofsted chief cautions against proposals to shorten the summer holiday
Independent school head encourages boys to ask their mothers about sexual harassment
Predicted grades 'more an aid than a hinderance' in widening access to top universities
DfE hopes to announce 50 new school rebuilding projects this year

Exams 2021: Pupils to have access to assessment materials after Easter

 

Ofqual has announced that GCSE and A-level students will get advance sight of assessment materials in an effort to level the playing field. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times. The article quotes David James, deputy head of Lady Eleanor Holles School.

Schools Week explores Ofqual's proposals for this year's autumn exam series. By Samantha Booth.

 

Coronavirus: Ofsted chief cautions against proposals to shorten the summer holiday

 

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted's chief inspector, has said children should not be deprived of a summer holiday this year, arguing spending time with their loved ones "will help them work well at school". By Will Hazell, iNews.

Addressing the Association of School and College Leaders virtual conference, Ms Spielman confirmed that full graded Ofsted inspections will not return until the autumn. By James Carr, Schools Week.

Lord Lexden, president of the Independent Schools Association, submitted a written question asking the Government about how independent schools will be able to contribute to education recovery schemes. In response, Baroness Berridge praised the sector's involvement in mutually beneficial partnerships with state schools, adding: "I would very much like to see this spirit of collaboration extended to our COVID-19 recovery efforts." Hansard.

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, writes in Tes arguing the switch to remote learning has revealed that the current school curriculum is "not fit for purpose".

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, has warned that funding set aside for primary schools' recovery efforts risks being "entirely wiped out" by a change to the pupil premium policy. By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

Tes reports on research findings which suggest staff at international schools are feeling "drained" and "frustrated" during the pandemic. By Claudia Civinini.

Footballer Wilfried Zaha is calling for all children to have a free musical instrument to help them express themselves and recover from the COVID-19 crisis. By Sian Griffiths, The Times.

Grainne Hallahan writes in Tes offering advice on how schools can celebrate a COVID-safe Red Nose Day this year.

 

Independent school head encourages boys to ask their mothers about sexual harassment

 

In a virtual assembly this week, Helen Pike, the master of Magdalen College School, encouraged boys at the school to ask their mothers, sisters and female friends about the sexual harassment they have suffered, stating: "I'll wager you'll find it eye-opening, and I am confident that you'll want to be part of the solution." By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

 
The Times

Predicted grades 'more an aid than a hinderance' in widening access to top universities

 

According to a report from the Higher Education Policy Institute, scrapping predicted grades could reduce black students' chances of getting into top universities by up to 20 per cent. By Will Hazell, iNews.

 
iNews

DfE hopes to announce 50 new school rebuilding projects this year

 

The Department for Education (DfE) has said it hopes to add 50 more projects to its school rebuilding programme this summer, though further funding has not yet been allocated. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

 
Schools Week

 

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.