isc logo  

Daily News Summary
18 May 2021

Coronavirus: 'School leaders have been propping up the test and trace infrastructure'
Exams 2020: Ofqual publishes review of last year's grading
Scottish boarding schools report a 'remarkable' rise in enquiries
Spotlight On: Vaccine transport at Scarborough College
'Boris Johnson has a once-in-a-generation chance to overhaul education'

Coronavirus: 'School leaders have been propping up the test and trace infrastructure'

 

The National Association of Head Teachers has called on the Government to "remove the burden of running test and trace in schools", after it found that school leaders have spent an average of 44 extra hours running the scheme since September. By Will Hazell, iNews.

According to The Telegraph, Whitehall officials have agreed that masks should continue to be worn in schools in areas worst affected by the Indian variant of COVID-19. By Camilla Turner.

Former Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has said proposals to shorten the summer holidays to help pupils catch up are "long overdue". By Will Hazell, iNews.

Oak National Academy has created new online resources for schools planning to host catch-up lessons over the summer. By John Roberts, Tes.

 

Exams 2020: Ofqual publishes review of last year's grading

 

An Ofqual review has concluded that teachers are prone to "slight bias" in favour of girls and against boys when carrying out teacher assessments. By Will Hazell, iNews. The regulator also stated that bias against disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and disabilities was a "common finding". By Sally Weale, The Guardian.

According to other findings from Ofqual, last year, 31 per cent of teachers felt "pressurised in relation to their judgements", and the threat of senior staff lowering centre-assessed grades was "strongly felt and not popular". By Amy Gibbons, Tes. A separate Tes article explores the 'diverse' ways in which schools calculated GCSE and A-level grades in 2020. By Catherine Lough.

 

Scottish boarding schools report a 'remarkable' rise in enquiries

 

A number of Scottish boarding schools are reporting a surge in interest from parents wanting their children to be educated outside large English cities. By Daniel Sanderson, The Telegraph. The article mentions Gordonstoun, and quotes John Edward, director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools, Dorothy MacGinty, headteacher at Kilgraston School, and Jonathan Hewat, the registrar at Lomond School.

 
The Telegraph

Spotlight On: Vaccine transport at Scarborough College

 

In the ISC's latest 'Spotlight On' blog, Remco Weeda, director of marketing and admissions and houseparent at Scarborough College, explains how the school has been using its minibuses to support the vaccination effort.

 
ISC

'Boris Johnson has a once-in-a-generation chance to overhaul education'

 

William Hague writes in The Times calling on the Government to prioritise education reform as part of its levelling-up agenda.

 
The Times

 

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.