ISC Daily News Summary

New figures from the Department for Education show less than one per cent of children are attending school during the lockdown, despite the fact that around 20 per cent of pupils are considered eligible for a school place. By Rosemary Bennett, The Times. The number of teachers in schools has dropped by around 80 per cent since schools began to close. By William Stewart, Tes.

John Swinney, the Scottish education minister and deputy first minister, has said schools in Scotland are expected to remain closed "until at least the summer break". By Simon Johnson, The Telegraph. Stefan Flasche, a member of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's modelling team, writes in The Telegraph arguing 'playgroup clustering' could improve children's mental health and social development. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, has suggested pupils in Year 10 and 12 should be among the first to return to school once lockdown restrictions are relaxed. By Sally Weale, The Guardian.

Ofqual has pledged to work with exam boards to ensure pupils in Year 10 and 12 are not "unfairly disadvantaged" if their exam performance is affected by this year's disruption. By Catherine Lough, Tes. Sir Michael Wilshaw, former Ofsted chief inspector, has warned students in Year 10 and 12 might have to retake a year after missing GCSE and A-level lessons. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph. Mark Dutton, an English teacher and director of the scholars programme at Queen Elizabeth's Hospital, Bristol, writes in The Telegraph arguing the cancellation of exams provides an opportunity to consider scrapping GCSEs altogether.

According to a new report from the Education Endowment Foundation, remote learning can produce results "either higher or the same as traditional instruction". By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

Natasha Devon, an author and former government children's mental health tsar, offers advice to teenagers on how to cope during the lockdown. By Etan Smallman, iNews.

Professor Daniel Willingham, a neuroscientist and psychologist, has said knowledge and critical thinking skills are key to pupils understanding how to navigate information online. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

New findings suggest air pollution levels around schools during drop-off and pick-up times are three times greater than in the off-peak period. By Ben Webster, The Times.