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Coronavirus: Record number of pupils off school last week with confirmed or suspected infections
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General education
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Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, has said the Government must be on "high alert and ready to react quickly" to curb COVID outbreaks in schools, after it emerged that more than 100,000 children were absent with confirmed or suspected infections last week. By Richard Adams, The Guardian.
According to figures from the Department for Education, more than nine in 10 state school pupils in England were in class last week. By Will Hazell, iNews.
Maggie Throup, the vaccines minister, has condemned "threats and intimidation" against school staff, after Liz Kendall, Labour's shadow health minister, warned of "deeply concerning and troubling" abuse being aimed at school leaders over the vaccination of 12 to 15-year-olds. By Ewan Somerville, The Telegraph.
According to The Telegraph, health officials have had to correct "easy read" consent forms distributed to 12 to 15-year-olds, which claim having a COVID vaccine will free them from government rules that apply to the unvaccinated. By Laura Donnelly.
A new survey has found that two thirds of adults in the UK have seen an improvement in their children's mood since they returned to school this month. By Tom Bawden, iNews.
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Reference test to measure impact of COVID on learning next year
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General education
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According to Tes, the National Reference Test will be used to measure the impact of the pandemic on pupils' education in 2022, though it remains unclear whether it will shape next year's exam grades. By Catherine Lough.
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Survey of prep school staff reveals concerns over pupils' wellbeing as they return to the classroom
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Child welfare
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A new survey by the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) and Tooled Up Education has found that the majority of prep school staff are worried about pupils' screen time, mental health and social skills, following the impact of COVID disruption on schools. By Irena Barker, Independent School Management Plus. The article quotes Christopher King, chief executive of IAPS.
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'Dame Rachel de Souza should go all out to boost funding for schools'
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Funding
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An editorial piece in The Guardian reflects on the children's commissioner's call for a major funding boost for schools, adding "Dame Rachel's focus on mental health is welcome, as is her recognition that young people are entitled to expect more from the Government".
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Rashford's food campaign added to GCSE media studies syllabus
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Examinations
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Pupils starting media studies GCSEs this year will study the media impact of Marcus Rashford's food campaign as part of the AQA syllabus. By Branwen Jeffreys, BBC News.
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Scottish ministers urged to "go back to the drawing board" on tackling educational inequality
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Examinations
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The Scottish Government has been met with criticism after figures from the Scottish Qualifications Authority highlighted a gap in the proportion of Higher A grades awarded to independent schools when compared to state schools. By John-Paul Holden, The Herald. The article references a quote from John Edward, director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools.
Tes reports the gap in the Higher pass rate between state and independent schools more than halved between 2019 and 2020, dropping to 8.9 percentage points. By Emma Seith.
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"The arts have a crucial part to play in every young person's development"
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Teaching and learning
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Rufus Norris, artistic director of the National Theatre, writes in The Times reflecting on the impact of COVID disruption on children. He argues "the arts, as part of a broad approach to creative learning, offer an unrivalled opportunity to support young people in the recovery".
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'How to use your home to pay for an independent education'
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Independent sector
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An article in The Telegraph explains how families can use their homes to fund school fees, either through an equity release or a remortgage. By Harry Brennan.
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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.
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