ISC Daily News Summary

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Boris Johnson told schools to remain open amid the coronavirus pandemic, while millions of other employees were advised to work from home if possible as part of social distancing measures. By Rosemary Bennett, The Times. An article in Schools Week draws attention to the latest Government guidance, which advises pregnant school staff to speak with their employer about working from home.

As part of guidance issued by Public Health England, schools are being advised to send home pupils with a continuous cough or a fever. By Alan McGuinness, Sky News.

Scotland's schools have also been told to remain open while the rest of the population has been advised to stay at home where possible. By Mark McLaughlin, The Times. Tes reports first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said different parts of the country may be advised to take different approaches if the coronavirus forces the mass closure of schools. By Henry Hepburn.

Leaders from the two main headteacher unions have warned of the challenges of keeping schools open as growing numbers of teachers begin to self-isolate. BBC News.

The Independent reports on the reaction among parents and students to the Government's decision to keep schools open, with the hashtags #Covid19Walkout and #CloseTheSchoolsNow trending on Twitter yesterday. By Samuel Osborne.

Schools Week reports Ofsted is "putting a hold on all this week's routine inspections of schools, social care, early years and further education providers". By John Dickens.

A former exam board head has warned the exams system will struggle to cope with the large amount of students expected to apply for special consideration for their GCSE and A-level grades. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

Dr Tara Porter, a clinical psychologist, writes in Tes about the potential impact of coronavirus on pupils' mental health.

Findings from a new study suggest children who spend 15 minutes of their classroom breaks engaging in physical activity display greater improvements in attention, memory and wellbeing than their peers who do not exercise. By Will Hazell, iNews.

An article in the Financial Times explores how transforming attitudes towards women in STEM fields could encourage more young girls to consider pursuing careers in science. By Valentina Romei.

Speaking to The Guardian, leading sociologist John Goldthorpe challenges the idea that education is the engine of social mobility, arguing "nobody can move up without others moving down to make way". He adds that abolishing independent schools would not necessarily make much of a difference as they educate such a small proportion of children, but he expresses support for the idea of giving disadvantaged parents vouchers to pay for private tuition for their children. By Peter Wilby.