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Daily News Summary
24 August 2022

Exams 2022: "Harsh" to claim independent schools inflated grades more than other schools, research finds
University admissions: Record number of school leavers remain in clearing
Exam results for non-binary pupils could be recorded separately for the first time
'Is private education divisive?'
'Schools are doing all they can to close the destinations gap'
'Tony Blair has put himself on the wrong side of the education debate'
Schools across Scotland set to close in a fortnight under planned strike action

Exams 2022: "Harsh" to claim independent schools inflated grades more than other schools, research finds

 

According to new analysis by the FFT education datalab, claims that independent schools inflated teacher-assessed grades more than state schools and colleges are "harsh", as independent schools are "somewhat middle of the road" when looking at the "relative risk" of getting an A*/A grade in 2021 compared with 2022. By Matilda Martin, Tes.

In an update to schools yesterday, Pearson said it "can't guarantee" all pupils will receive their Level 2 BTEC grades on Thursday, following delays with Level 3 results last week. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.

According to iNews, GCSE pupils have been told to prepare for disappointment as the Government's attempts to combat grade inflation will likely mean a drop in top grades and an increase in appeals. By Poppy Wood.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), has claimed that GCSE results will be uneven across the country due to the varying impact of the pandemic. By Geneva Abdul, The Guardian.

ASCL has raised concerns over the decline in provisional entries for some creative arts subjects at GCSE. General secretary Geoff Barton has called on the Government to "make state education a priority and fund it properly" to prevent these subjects from disappearing from the curriculum. By Aine Fox, The Independent.

 

University admissions: Record number of school leavers remain in clearing

 

According to The Telegraph, over 43,000 18-year-olds are still "waiting in limbo" for university places almost a week after A-level results were published. By Gabriella Swerling.

BBC News reports students still awaiting their BTEC results say they are missing out on university places through clearing. By Manish Pandey.

Mark Leppard MBE, headmaster at The British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi, writes in Independent School Management Plus in favour of post-results university applications, arguing "if university applications were left until after exam results, students could concentrate better on their studies".

 

Exam results for non-binary pupils could be recorded separately for the first time

 

According to The Telegraph, JCQ is looking at "collecting data" to include non-binary pupils as a separate category in future exam years. By Gabriella Swerling.

 
The Telegraph

'Is private education divisive?'

 

David James, deputy head at Lady Eleanor Holles School, features opposite education campaigner Fiona Millar on the latest episode of BBC Radio 4's Across the Red Line, where they debate the question: 'Is private education divisive?' The pair discuss the importance of partnership working between the sectors, parental choice, school funding and proposals for education reform.

 
BBC Radio 4

'Schools are doing all they can to close the destinations gap'

 

Russell Hobby, chief executive of Teach First, has said schools are doing "all they can" to close the destinations gap, after research revealed that disadvantaged young people are twice as likely to be out of work or education compared with their more advantaged peers five years after taking their GCSEs. By Matilda Martin, Tes.

David Johnston, Conservative MP for Wantage, writes in The Times in response to the research findings, calling on schools, employers and the Government to do more to close the destinations gap.

 

'Tony Blair has put himself on the wrong side of the education debate'

 

Nick Gibb MP, a former minister for school standards, writes in The Telegraph criticising Tony Blair's recommendations for overhauling exams, saying "his calls for reform are the last thing England's education system needs".

Dr Martin Stephen, chair of governors at Regent High School, writes in The Telegraph in response to the new report from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, arguing: "The report is highly fashionable in its references to disadvantage. What it does not mention is the plight of the more able student, who is just as likely to come from the ranks of the disadvantaged as from anywhere else."

 

Schools across Scotland set to close in a fortnight under planned strike action

 

Catering staff, cleaners, janitors, teaching assistants and early years practitioners are set to walk out of Scottish schools for three days from 6 September under planned strike action. By Kieran Andrews, The Times.

 
The Times

 

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