ISC Daily News Summary

The Association of School and College Leaders has published a summary of their members' responses to questions about school reopenings, in which they claim it is "imperative that government articulates clearly the aim of gradually re-opening schools". By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week. An article in The Guardian features quotes from headteachers who are concerned it could be too soon to ease the school shutdown. By Sally Weale. The Guardian also invites parents and teachers to share their views on school reopenings in an online poll.

iNews reports that while education unions would not be able to encourage teachers to stay at home once schools reopen, school staff could be reminded of their right to withdraw from a workplace if they believe it is unsafe. By Will Hazell.

Headteachers are calling on the Government to clarify whether they should fine parents who refuse to send their children to school once lockdown ends. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

The Telegraph reports parents who have continued to pay nursery fees while they are closed could lose thousands of pounds, as a quarter of childcare providers face collapse. By Harry Brennan.

The Office for Students has warned colleges and universities could face fines of up to £500,000 if they change their admissions strategies amid increasing financial pressures. By Kate Parker, Tes.

Schools Week summarises the key findings from a survey conducted by the Sutton Trust social mobility charity, which explored the impact of the coronavirus crisis on university applications. By Freddie Whittaker.

An article in Tes outlines the main findings from a survey of 18,000 UK school staff about the reality of lockdown. By William Stewart.

BBC News reports on the challenges faced by children with additional support needs during the lockdown. By Gillian Sharpe. The Guardian reports on the difficulties some disadvantaged students are encountering with online learning. By Rachel Hall and David Batty.

Magnus Bashaarat, head of Bedales School, writes to The Times in response to comments from Robert Verkaik, co-founder of the Private School Policy Reform think tank, who described independent schools as "multimillion-pound corporations masquerading as charities". He argues schools with charitable status aim to build a surplus to "reinvest" in education, adding more than 176,000 pupils across the sector received financial support last year. The letter can be found halfway down the page.

David Weston, chief executive of professional development charity Teacher Development Trust, has claimed expert teachers are more likely to view pupil performance as "fixed", whereas less experienced teachers "overwhelm themselves by taking total responsibility" for their pupils' failures and successes. By Catherine Lough, Tes.