isc logo  

Daily News Summary
13 January 2022

Coronavirus: Social mobility expert calls for “urgent review” of the National Tutoring Programme
More students are choosing universities outside of the UK, survey finds
‘It’s a big mistake to overlook the arts and creative subjects’
'The evidence is that it absolutely improves academic standards'
Debate over school trust's transgender policy
Department for Education proposes changes to safeguarding rules
Schools minister rejects return of key stage 3 SAT exams

Coronavirus: Social mobility expert calls for “urgent review” of the National Tutoring Programme

 

Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at Exeter University, has called for a review of the National Tutoring Programme after official data revealed that the scheme had only met 10 per cent of its target. He said "the fear is that this will be a huge lost opportunity for the hundreds of thousands of pupils, particularly those from poorer backgrounds, who have suffered severe learning loss". By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

David James, deputy head at an independent school in London, writes for Tes outlining six key challenges facing independent schools. Mr James writes "while the short-term impact of the pandemic has not been as damaging as feared, the medium- to long-term consequences of COVID remain mostly unknown".

Graham Archer, director for education recovery at the Department for Education, has told MPs that schools could use tutors and mentors employed through the National Tutoring Programme to support teaching “where that is necessary” amid high rates of teacher absences. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

Robin Walker, the schools minister, has said that teacher absence rates in England are less than what the Government was expecting, despite 44,000 being off last Thursday. He said: “What we’ve seen so far this year is some challenging levels of staff absence, but actually less than we had been projecting before the end of the year." By Will Hazell, iNews.

The Government has said it will fund its breakfast clubs programme in full for another four months “in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges that schools have faced”. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

The British Lung Foundation has warned parents to be on high alert for a respiratory syncytial virus that is causing children breathing difficulties due to lowered immunity in the population caused by lockdowns and the pandemic. By Katie Gibbons, Paul Morgan-Bentley and Kat Lay, The Times.

 

More students are choosing universities outside of the UK, survey finds

 

According to a survey by the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), more students are choosing universities outside of the UK after leaving school. The annual survey found that while 96 per cent of school leavers are going to university, only 42 per cent of those are going to university in the UK, down from 50 per cent in 2020. The article quotes Colin Bell, CEO of COBIS. By Serena Haththotuwa, Independent Education Today.

 
IE Today

‘It’s a big mistake to overlook the arts and creative subjects’

 

Keith Chapman, creator of Bob the Builder and Paw Patrol, writes for The Times arguing creativity is the most important skill you can encourage in young people, adding that "our economic recovery depends on creative success".

 
The Times

'The evidence is that it absolutely improves academic standards'

 

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has called for the Government to recognise the transformative effect that classical music tuition can have on the lives of children in disadvantaged communities. He said: "It’s not about necessarily turning them into musicians, but the fact that music is something that liberates kids.” By Dalya Alberge, The Guardian.

 
The Guardian

Debate over school trust's transgender policy

 

BBC News reports on the debate which has resulted from a decision by the Girls’ Day School Trust to clarify its admissions policy that it will not accept applications from pupils who are legally male, even if they identify as female.

 
BBC

Department for Education proposes changes to safeguarding rules

 

Schools Week takes a closer look at the Department for Education's new draft guidance on safeguarding in schools. By Freddie Whittaker.

 
Schools Week

Schools minister rejects return of key stage 3 SAT exams

 

Robin Walker, schools minister, has appeared to rule out reinstating SATs at key stage 3, but said internal tests could be used to improve literacy. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

 
Schools Week

 

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.