In a series of written questions in the House of Commons, Labour MP James Naish asked what steps ministers are taking to ensure universities and employers understand the differences between GCSEs and IGCSEs. He also asked if IGCSEs result in higher grades than GCSEs, and the potential benefits of state schools offering IGCSEs. Mr Naish concluded by asking what evidential basis the government has used to assess GCSEs and IGCSEs as comparable qualifications. 

Responding to all four questions, schools minister Georgia Gould said: "GCSEs are long-standing, credible and well-respected by students, teachers, parents, further and higher education providers, and employers. International GCSEs, which include IGCSEs, are different qualifications. International GCSEs were introduced to serve the large international market for British qualifications and are also offered by some independent schools." She added that, unlike GCSEs, International GCSEs are not regulated by Ofqual or funded to be taught in state schools, and they have not counted in school performance tables since the last reform of GCSEs. Ms Gould concluded by referencing the 2019 analysis of GCSE and International GCSE progress and attainment data, which stated that "it is difficult to make precise judgements about how standards in these qualifications compare given the clear differences between them". Hansard.

iNews visits the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, which admits around 1,700 teenagers each year. The UK is the only military in Europe still to permit under-18s, although they cannot be deployed until they are 18. Harrogate is the only site dedicated to training teenage recruits and contributes about 20 per cent of the Army’s annual intake. Junior soldiers live on site in 12-person dormitories and are paid £1,200 to £1,500 per month, in addition to funded tickets to travel home. The UK is in the process of developing a military gap year to encourage more youngsters into the forces and equip them with life skills. Speaking highly of his experience at the college, Olly, 17, says it "gives you a taste of real soldiering". By Molly Blackall.

Autism could be more equally distributed among girls and boys than previously thought, according to research from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and published in the British Medical Journal. Previous research had found that four boys were diagnosed with autism for every girl diagnosed, but the new study shows a clear "catch-up effect" during adolescence, highlighting that the difference could be the result of diagnosis rather than prevalence. The researchers noted that the study was observational and did not account for conditions often associated with autism, such as ADHD or intellectual disability. By Poppy Koronka, The Times. 

A woman with autism who describes her schooldays as "challenging" has welcomed extra funding for teacher training. Speaking to BBC News after ministers announced a £200 million investment in a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) training programme, Alison Mason from Cheltenham said the funding was "great news" and could "lead to a huge shift" in the experiences of neurodivergent pupils. All teachers will be required to receive SEND training as part of a new expectation set out in the SEND Code of Practice. By Daisy Bodkin.

More primary school pupils will be able to have a free breakfast amid the expansion of a government scheme targeting areas with higher levels of disadvantage. Ministers are rolling out the free breakfast club scheme to a further 500 schools in England, with the aim of every primary school in the country having access to one. BBC News talks to staff at Handale Primary School, one of four across Teesside to receive the funding from April. Headteacher Rio Lily Farrier says it would enable the school to expand its current breakfast scheme, which has had a "massive positive impact" on learning. By Naj Modak.

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