ISC Daily News Summary

One in four teachers surveyed by the British Council said they believe the aftermath of Brexit has resulted in fewer pupils studying any foreign languages. Respondents also cited the difficulty of new GCSE and A-level exams as another discouraging factor. By Richard Adams, The Guardian.

The publication of the British Council's annual Language Trend Survey has prompted claims that language exam results are skewed by bilingual pupils. By Rosemary Bennett, The Times.

What does your school do to encourage more pupils to study modern foreign languages? Has your school launched any initiatives to improve access to language learning as part of a state school partnership? If you would like to write a 400-800 word blog on your project, please email [email protected]

The acting head, Deirdre Rowe, is due to hand over to an interim head this summer. An Independent Schools Inspectorate report from May 2019 found the school had not implemented its safeguarding policy effectively. By Rosemary Bennett, The Times.

John Edward, director of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools, writes in The Herald responding to an article claiming independent schools are complicit in the "gerrymandering of influence". He argues much of the data cited does not reflect the Scottish education system, adding: "Weaponising children's education is a cheap shot and no way to take a country forward."

In a report written with the Tide migration and mobility project at the University of Liverpool, race equality think tank Runneymede Trust concluded lessons on empire should be mandatory in England's secondary schools. By Sally Weale, The Guardian.

Drawing on last year's figures from the Government's Race Disparity Audit, Dr Tony Sewell, chief executive of the charity Generating Genius, stated liberal teaching methods are to blame for a higher rate of exclusions among black Caribbean pupils. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

According to a new study conducted at Washington State University, dogs can help stressed students concentrate, learn and remember information, with participants claiming to "feel calmer and more socially supported". By Sean Coughlan, BBC News.