Two Cumnor House School pupils, Sebastian and Dian, recently interviewed viral science creator Emanuel Wallace, known to his 3.6 million followers as Big Manny, after a recording of the podcast Beyond the Grade.

The pupils, who host their own podcast Cumnor Unwrapped, attended a session in which Big Manny was interviewed by Andrew Hammond, group director of inclusive learning at Outcomes First Group, on how to engage young people with science. They then recorded their own interview with Big Manny, asking about his own inspiration and the realities of producing viral science content.

Reflecting on the experience, Sebastian said: "To be able to meet and interview such a passionate educator of young minds was truly inspiring and a moment I will never forget." Dian added: "The entire experience was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we learnt how to enhance our own skills for Cumnor Unwrapped."

The visit reflects the school’s focus on encouraging curiosity and developing skills beyond the classroom.

If you have a good news story you would like to share with us, please email [email protected] to be considered for inclusion.

North London Collegiate School (NLCS) is to open a new site in Phuket, Thailand. Opening in 2028, NLCS Phuket will be the group’s seventh school, with others already established in Dubai, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam. Commenting on the expansion, NLCS managing director Daniel Lewis told Tes: "Our aim is to deliver an education that develops scholarship, in a joyful and exciting environment, that celebrates every individual for who they are, and that is rooted in a genuine love of learning." By Dan Worth.

Pupils using a new app to access their GCSE results will be able to bring their phone into school, ministers have clarified. The "education record" app will be rolled out nationally this summer, giving schools, colleges and Year 11 students the choice of whether to view their results digitally. According to the government's guidance, pupils will have to scan a personal QR code on the mobile app ahead of results day to access their results, although their teachers will have to provide them with the QR code in school to verify their identity in person. By Esmé Kenney, Schools Week.

A student has died and two other young people are receiving treatment following a meningitis outbreak in Reading, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said. One of the confirmed cases is meningitis B (MenB), the same strain connected to fatal cases in Kent earlier this year. Close contacts are being offered precautionary antibiotics, though the agency reassures the public that the risk remains low. By Holly Evans and Press Association reporter, The Independent. 

Tes outlines what schools can expect from the coming academic year's major education policy changes, which include reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. The paper notes that the £200 million ministers are investing in SEND training for teachers will come over three years from this September, and £3.7 billion is also being spent until 2030 in capital funding to create more specialist places. By Jasmine Norden.

North Somerset has become the first council area in England where every mainstream state school has converted to an academy. It has 81 schools overall, including 64 primary schools, 11 secondary schools, three special schools, two independent schools and one pupil referral unit (PRU). Tes says the shift raises questions about the future role of local authorities, which retain statutory duties relating to areas including SEND, even where most schools are outside direct council control. An accompanying interactive map shows England's most academised councils.

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.