In the latest 'Spotlight On' blog, Gilly Sargent, director of music at Withington Girls’ School, explains how a music partnership is bringing people together and supporting children’s wellbeing.

The blog marks the start of Partnerships Week and the launch of the Independent Schools Council's (ISC) 2022 Celebrating Partnerships booklet, which shines a light on the partnership projects taking place between independent and state schools.

Readers of The Sunday Times were invited to vote in a poll on whether independent schools should lose their charitable status and tax exemption. Based on 9,356 results, 53 per cent voted 'no' and 47 per cent voted 'yes'.

28 Conservative MPs including former education secretary Kit Malthouse have written to the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, calling for more rather than less spending on schools. By Henry Zeffman, The Times.

A study by the Liberal Democrats has found that more than 100,000 children in England are not receiving free school meals because of inflation. If the limit had been allowed to rise in line with inflation, it would now be £8,575, with around 110,000 more children eligible. By Adam Forrest, The Independent.

An article in The Observer reports some state schools may be forced to make cuts to subjects including German, French, art, drama and design technology to address budget deficits. By Anna Fazackerley.

According to an anonymous poll of over 300 composers who have either won or been nominated for an Ivor Novello Award, nearly two thirds of respondents were educated at state schools, with a further 20 per cent attending a fee-paying school on a bursary. The Ivors Academy said 'the figures made the case for strong music provision in state schools'. By David Sanderson, The Times.

Nick Gibb, the schools minister, has said 'we should all speak more German', as he leads an initiative to 'revive' languages in general, notably German. Compulsory language GCSEs were abolished in 2004 and Mr Gibb has not ruled out reversing this “mistake”. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Tes reports that the Department for Education (DfE) is to launch a three-year programme aiming to increase the number of pupils taking languages including French, German and Spanish at GCSE and A-level. Bids will open from today for organisations to work with up to 25 schools that are “leaders” in language, after ministers committed to extending the language hubs scheme in the Government's schools white paper earlier this year. By Callum Mason.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner, has recommended that schools should have a legal requirement to follow the mandatory guidance included in the “Parent Pledge”. The pledge aims to overhaul provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). By Rhodri Morgan, Tes.

Headteachers Caroline Barlow (Heathfield Community College) and Simon Smith (East Whitby Academy) suggest there is no excuse for any school not to be 'good with SEND'. Schools Week.

A survey by the Youth Endowment Fund, an independent charity backed by the Home Office, has revealed that 14 per cent of teenagers had missed school in the last year for fear of being a victim of violence. The research also suggests that over 50 per cent of young people have watched violent social media content including real-life fighting and sexual assault. By Louisa Clarence-Smith, The Telegraph.

Writing in Tes, Lisa Armstrong, joint interim director of respectme, Scotland's anti-bullying service, offers advice on how to support pupils in light of Anti-Bullying Week.

The head of the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) has said that teenagers in countries such as South Korea and Singapore are expected to pull even further ahead of their counterparts in England when the next set of rankings is published in 2023. Andreas Schleicher has called for British parents to adopt the traits of the 'demanding tiger mothers of east Asia' to help their children succeed. By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times.

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.