Students are to be told for the first time the actual A-level grades that universities accept for courses rather than just the formal entry requirements. The move is intended to increase transparency around admissions, which are based on a combination of predicted grades, GCSE results and personal statements. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Education secretary Gillian Keegan has warned that parents working from home have contributed to an “unacceptable” rise in children missing school on Fridays, after analysis of government figures found school absences increase by 20 per cent on that day of the week. Ms Keegan also said schools are facing "major challenges" as parents opt to take their children out of lessons for holidays and long weekends. By Chris Smyth, Max Kendix and Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner, has called for the government to fund pupils who arrive in alternative provision (AP) late or face disruption to their GCSE exams to repeat Year 11. She also said funding should be offered to enable a “graduated stepdown programme of support for all Year 11 leavers”, amid concerns AP schools lack the resources to support the transition into post-16 education. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

Ministers have heard that schoolchildren are pretending to eat out of empty lunchboxes and eating rubbers because they do not qualify for free school meals. During a House of Commons debate, Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Munira Wilson said the situation "has to stop". By Jabed Ahmed, The Independent.

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.