Yesterday, Ofqual and the Department for Education (DfE) revealed that GCSE and A-level grades could be awarded by teachers again if exams are cancelled for a third year because of COVID. The DfE and Ofqual will have a two-week consultation on whether teacher-assessed grades should be used in 2022. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

Schools Week summarises what "Plan B" for next year's exams could look like. By Samantha Booth.

In a letter to The Times, Chris Jeffery, head of Bootham School calls on ministers to bring forward the deadline for telling teachers what the exams will test from February 28. He also urges the Government to make a decision about whether “Plan B” will be needed as soon as possible, arguing that teacher-assessed grades "should be avoided unless they are absolutely necessary". The letter is the third featured on the page.

Teachers and parents have expressed frustrations about finding out confirmed changes to GCSE and A-level exams in 2022 from the media, before any official announcements were made. By Zoe Tidman. The Independent.

A last minute U-turn decision by the Department of Education means schools will have to continue to report COVID attendance data daily instead of weekly. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

Following a surge in cases, Staffordshire County Council is believed to be the first local authority to call for wider ranging measures in schools to prevent infections. By Tom Belger, Schools Week.

Headteachers say Ofsted is failing to 'take into account' the toll of COVID on schools as it previously promised it would before inspections were reinstated last month. By James Carr, Schools Week.

Frances Ryan writes in The Guardian arguing that the pandemic could be a "turning point" in tackling educational inequality.

In the latest ISC blog, Dr Malcolm Cocks, head of inclusion and teacher of English at St Paul's School, explains how a programme of events taking place at the school throughout October will celebrate the important contributions black people make to British culture.

Is your school involved in any projects or initiatives to celebrate Black History Month? If you would like to write a blog for us on the subject please get in touch with us at press@isc.co.uk.

The Welsh Government has announced it will become the first UK nation to make the teaching of black histories and experiences mandatory in schools. The new curriculum is set to be introduced from September next year. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Sir Michael Barber, an adviser to Boris Johnson, has drawn up a plan for children to take up to 10 days off school for "bucket list" cultural visits, including tours of Parliament and placements with orchestras. By Nicola Woolcock and Oliver Myers, The Times.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Arlene Phillips, the former Strictly Come Dancing judge, expresses her concerns about cuts to arts funding in schools. By Claire Allfree.

A survey has found that 86 per cent of teachers are aware that children are attending school without having eaten breakfast, with nine in 10 teachers having spoken to a child with concerns about how little they were eating. By Sarah Lumley, The Mirror.

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.

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