isc logo  

Daily News Summary
23 August 2022

Exams 2022: Ofqual to review why some students are still awaiting BTEC results
'GCSEs and A-levels should be replaced with a broader new qualification'
'Overseas students play a critical role in widening choice for domestic students'
Union to ballot school support staff on whether to accept pay deal
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge choose co-educational prep school for their children

Exams 2022: Ofqual to review why some students are still awaiting BTEC results

 

Sky News reports Ofqual will review why some students in England and Wales have been left waiting for their BTEC results. By Amar Mehta.

Fabienne Fontaine, the IB Diploma coordinator at Southbank International School in London, writes in Independent School Management Plus arguing: "The achievements of the IB students across the world have been remarkable and they must be applauded for their successes."

Speaking to The Guardian, some headteachers claim that pupils who sat GCSEs this year were so nervous about their exams that they suffered from anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia. By Rachel Hall.

James Bullous, a lead practitioner for science in the Midlands, writes in Tes offering a guide for teachers on what to expect this GCSE results day.

 

'GCSEs and A-levels should be replaced with a broader new qualification'

 

Writing in The Telegraph, Sir Tony Blair calls for a new approach to education reform, arguing that 'the present exam system is not equipping students for the world they will work and live in'.

The article follows a new report from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which recommends replacing existing exams with a new system that involves "rigorous" forms of continuous assessment between the ages of 16 and 18. By Adam Forrest, The Independent.

In an Institute for Government report published today, senior fellow Sam Freedman warns that an exams revolution is the "last thing schools need", arguing that proposals to overhaul the current system "typically exaggerate the benefits while failing to acknowledge the costs". By Matilda Martin, Tes.

 

'Overseas students play a critical role in widening choice for domestic students'

 

Lord Johnson of Marylebone, former universities minister and visiting professor at King's College London, writes in The Times condemning a proposal to cap the number of overseas students admitted to UK universities, arguing it is "based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the role international students play in our knowledge economy".

 
The Times

Union to ballot school support staff on whether to accept pay deal

 

GMB, a union representing school support staff, has said it will ballot members on whether to accept a £1,925 flat rate pay rise offer. By Matilda Martin, Tes.

 
Tes

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge choose co-educational prep school for their children

 

The Telegraph reports Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are to attend Lambrook once they relocate to Windsor. By Hannah Furness. The article quotes Jonathan Perry, headmaster at the school.

 
The Telegraph

 

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.