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Daily News Summary
17 May 2023

'Taboo' preventing discussion of dangers posed by online porn, head warns
In conversation with GDST CEO Cheryl Giovannoni
Spotlight On: Maths partnerships at Bolton School
Government reforms aided England's success in global reading ratings, says schools minister
Where do British universities rank on the world stage?
‘Mental health is at the core of all we do’
International students boosted UK economy by £42bn in 2021/2, research finds
School absence fines make the issue worse, ministers told

'Taboo' preventing discussion of dangers posed by online porn, head warns

 

Nick Hewlett, head of St Dunstan’s College, has said the taboo around talking to pupils about the effects of online porn means the issue is being “woefully neglected” in schools. Mr Hewlett expressed concern that while schools had got “much better” at dealing with issues around misogyny and toxic masculinity, they have failed to address the real causes, including readily available and often violent pornography. By Irena Barker, Independent School Management Plus.

Writing in Tes, Luke Ramsden, a deputy head and senior safeguarding lead at an independent school, explores the new report from the children’s commissioner on the harmful impact of pornography on children and summarises the key findings for schools.

 

In conversation with GDST CEO Cheryl Giovannoni

 

In an interview with Tes, CEO of the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) Cheryl Giovannoni answers 10 questions on subjects ranging from her own reasons for moving into education to what school policies she would reform. Keen to see less division in the sector, Ms Giovannoni says: "I think the best aspect happened during Covid, actually - the collaboration and the work to try to get children an education through what was such an incredibly difficult period, and the sort of collaboration that happened across sectors, and people forgetting about [the concept of] independent and state [schools] and working in a way that was totally collaborative and supportive as much as we possibly could." By Dan Worth, Tes.

 
Tes

Spotlight On: Maths partnerships at Bolton School

 

In the ISC's latest 'Spotlight on' blog, coinciding with National Numeracy Day, assistant head Jon Hitchin and maths teacher Stephen Wrigley explain how Bolton School’s maths partnership programme has gone from strength to strength.

 
ISC

Government reforms aided England's success in global reading ratings, says schools minister

 

Writing in The Telegraph, Nick Gibb says England's success in the latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study - known as Pirls - has been aided by government reforms that include a focus on phonics, which is one of the schools minister's "driving ambitions".

 
The Telegraph

Where do British universities rank on the world stage?

 

According to the Centre for World University (CWU) Rankings, which list the top 200 universities worldwide, British universities are slipping down the table. The Telegraph includes an interactive tool to see where each university has been ranked, with three American institutions at the top and Cambridge University in fourth place. By Catherine Lough.

 
The Telegraph

‘Mental health is at the core of all we do’

 

In a blog for Mental Health Awareness Week, Emma Gill, headteacher at Wakefield Grammar Pre-Preparatory School, explains how the school prioritises the mental wellbeing of pupils and staff.

 
ISC

International students boosted UK economy by £42bn in 2021/2, research finds

 

A report by analysts London Economics suggests the economic benefit international students bring to the UK has increased by a third in three years, boosting the economy by an estimated £42 billion in 2021/2. By Sally Weale, The Guardian.

 
The Guardian

School absence fines make the issue worse, ministers told

 

MPs have been told that fining parents whose children are persistently absent from school does not work and can make the problem worse. Ministers on an inquiry into persistent and severe absence heard from charity leaders who said penalties often put more pressure on already struggling families. By Sallie George, BBC News.

 
BBC

 

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