ISC Daily News Summary

Prime minister Boris Johnson has confirmed Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, will outline the Government's education catch-up plan next week. iNews reports the Government is considering summer camps, a national tutoring service and extra funds for schools as part of the recovery plan. By Will Hazell and Nigel Morris.

The Times reports headteachers have warned summer school will not help pupils who are already falling behind, with some suggesting it could widen the attainment gap between students. By Nicola Woolcock.

According to a poll of secondary school staff, 13 per cent of respondents said their school does not plan to reopen to Year 10 and 12 pupils on 15 June, the date proposed by the Government. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week. Christopher King, chief executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools, has suggested some prep schools may take their own approach to reopening more widely due to the absence of a "coherent and obvious strategy" from the Government. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

Academy leaders have warned secondary pupils in England will not be able to return to school full time in September if the two metre social distancing rule is still in place. By Sean Coughlan, BBC News. Mark Waldron, headmaster of Ryde School, writes to The Telegraph calling for more flexibility over school reopenings, arguing school leaders should be "trusted to make the right decisions" for their communities.

The NEU has written to the Government outlining their 10-point recovery plan for schools post-coronavirus. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

The Telegraph reports teaching unions have been accused of celebrating the announcement that primary schools would not be reopening fully until September. By Hayley Dixon.

Professor Russell Viner, SAGE adviser and president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, has acknowledged children face "a whole series of harms" due to school closures. By Henry Bodkin, The Telegraph.

A report published by Public Health England has found the number of coronavirus outbreaks linked to schools has remained the same despite the wider reopening of primary schools. By James Carr, Schools Week.

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, has warned some schools have been "acting as clinicians", with poll findings suggesting 20 per cent of clinically vulnerable teachers have been asked to return to work. By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson has urged the Government to consider opening school sport facilities over the summer break to support children deprived of "structured and enriching activities outside their home". By Jeremy Wilson, The Telegraph.

Megan Dixon, senior associate at the Education Endowment Foundation and director of English/co-director of the Aspirer Research School, writes in Tes arguing teamwork between teachers "has never been more important".

Paul Topping, executive headteacher of the British School in the Netherlands, reflects on his experience of welcoming secondary students back to school. By Dan Worth, Tes.

Tiwa Adebayo, a former independent school pupil, has written in The Independent calling on independent schools to "listen to and acknowledge the experiences of black students" to help address racism within the sector.

Lord Kenneth Baker, the former education secretary who helped to introduce GCSEs, has said they have "run their course", amid calls from state and independent schools to scrap the qualification. By Catherine Lough, Tes. The article quotes Jonnie Noakes, director of teaching and learning at Eton College, and mentions several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations.

According to statistics published by Ofqual, the number of appeals against exam grades rose by 45 per cent last year, with the number of successful challenges increasing by 152 per cent. By James Carr, Schools Week.

According to provisional A-level entry figures for England, the number of students taking humanities subjects like geography and history has declined. By Will Hazell, iNews.

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced the third wave of education providers selected to deliver new T-levels. Four providers who were due to start delivery of the qualification this year have deferred the roll-out to 2021 due to the pandemic. By Julia Belgutay, Tes.

Our latest 'Friday Feature' explores the important work school communities are doing to support charities and those in need during the pandemic.