ISC Daily News Summary

Peter Green, head of Rugby School, writes to The Times arguing independent schools provide "thousands of educational, sporting and arts opportunities" to their state counterparts. He adds that Rugby School hosts an annual arts festival which enables over a thousand local pupils to participate in "professionally run workshops that their own schools are unable to offer". The letter can be found halfway down the page.

Writing in the New Statesman, Andrew Halls, head of King's College School in Wimbledon, responds to an article by Francis Green and David Kynaston, "The 7 per cent problem: how to reform private schools". He argues their focus should instead be "on the struggling academic performance of too many schools catering for the statistically rather more important 93 per cent". This is the second letter on the page.

Writing in The Spectator, Toby Young challenges some of the claims made in the Sutton Trust and the Social Mobility Commission's report published earlier this week, arguing Britain is in fact becoming a more merit-based society. The article references the Independent Schools Council.

The chair of the Government's public accounts committee, Meg Hillier, referenced ongoing financial strain, a "lack of grip" over academies, and an apparent inability to improve children's social care as important issues facing the Department for Education (DfE). Schools Week.

Lawyers representing three families are challenging the Government's funding of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), arguing they are being denied school places as a result of financial cuts. By Hannah Richardson, BBC News.

Research published in the British Journal of Religious Education has found that 71% of teachers believe a law allowing selective removal from RE is no longer needed. The study also revealed that Islam is the "dominant focus" of parental withdrawal requests. By Eleanor Busby, The Independent.

The recent publication of the Government's longitudinal educational outcomes (LEO) data revealed significant variations in incomes and sustained employment five years after graduation. In response to the findings, education secretary Damian Hinds said: "All students should feel they are getting value for money and the stark disparities between some degrees show there are universities that need to improve and maximise the potential of their courses." By Andrew Jack, Financial Times.