ISC Daily News Summary

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted's chief inspector, has confirmed schools will be able to reduce their curriculums to help pupils catch up on their education. She said the decision "should be made in the interests of each individual child, not in a blanket way to do what is convenient for the school". By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, has said reintroducing Ofsted inspections in January is "the wrong priority", adding the union 'welcomes the commitment to keeping the date under review'. By John Roberts, Tes.

Speaking on the latest edition of the Tes Scotland podcast, education secretary John Swinney said there is "a really strong argument" to reform exams in Scotland. By Emma Seith.

The Times reports 25,000 laptops, bought by the Scottish Government to help disadvantaged pupils with their learning during the pandemic, remain in storage. By Kieran Andrews.

According to Anne Longfield, the children's commissioner, 120,000 vulnerable teenagers are at risk of never returning to full-time education. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

The Mail reports most children on the official coronavirus shielding list will no longer have to shield after July. By Sam Blanchard.

An article in The Telegraph explores how home schooling can have a positive impact on teenage boys. By Leah Hardy.

Brad Brasseur, a humanities teacher at an international British school in Lima, Peru, writes in Tes about how he has built relationships with his students while teaching remotely.

Figures show the average scores for this summer's International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma are the highest they have been in four years. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

A separate article in Tes reports some school leaders are unhappy with their results, and have called for more transparency over this year's grading process. By Catherine Lough. The article quotes David James, deputy head of Bryanston School.

The Independent reports hundreds of schools are still waiting to be rebuilt or refurbished after the Building Schools for the Future programme was scrapped in July 2010. By Rob Merrick.

Unity Howard, director of the New Schools Network, writes in The Times claiming rebuilding existing schools "will not address our nation's skills deficit". She argues setting up new schools "would provide countless opportunities for the most disadvantaged pupils".