ISC Daily News Summary

Schools minister Nick Gibb has said all schools will reopen next month, including those in areas currently subject to localised lockdowns. However, he added the Government cannot "decree" that schools will be the last to close "in every single case" in the event of future lockdowns. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, has called for local authorities and schools to decide whether to reopen this September, warning some schools will find it "impossible" to welcome all pupils back. By Hayley Dixon and Gordon Rayner, The Telegraph.

The Guardian reports Professor Neil Ferguson, a former government adviser, has suggested the reopening of schools in September could pose "a real risk of amplification of transmission", as some study findings indicate older teenagers can spread coronavirus as easily as adults. By Haroon Siddique.

Ministers have been urged to consider making face masks compulsory for secondary pupils when they return to school next month. By Chris Smyth and Patrick Maguire, The Times.

An article in Tes reports teachers at Buckswood School in East Sussex will be the first to try new contact-tracing Bluetooth wristbands, which are designed to "immediately detect and isolate" staff and students who may be at risk of coronavirus if there is an infection. By Amy Gibbons. The article quotes Kevin Samson, the school's co-principal.

According to Tes, Ofsted will not be checking schools' compliance with the Government's coronavirus safety guidelines when it resumes visits next term. By John Roberts and Catherine Lough.

Kate Green, Labour's shadow education secretary, has urged the Government to set out how they will ensure GCSE and A-level results "will not exacerbate existing inequalities", amid concerns pupils in Scotland were treated unfairly under this year's exam system. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

The Association of School and College Leaders has published guidance advising schools in England to tell students what grades they were originally predicted in cases where they miss their offers to get into college or university. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Keir Bloomer, one of the authors of the national Curriculum for Excellence framework, has described the moderation process used by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) as "reasonable and fair". By Mark McLaughlin, The Times.

Martin Stephen, a former independent school head, writes in The Telegraph expressing his concern that this year's exam system is "deeply flawed", leaving pupils with "no effective right of appeal". Ian Power, the general secretary of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, has suggested some parents may decide to take legal action against exam boards. By Greg Wilford, The Times.

Schools Week provides a breakdown of the changes made to next year's AS and A-level assessments, subject by subject. By Freddie Whittaker.

Cat Davison, director of service and social impact at Sevenoaks School and chair of the ISC Community Action Group, considers how local groups created during the coronavirus pandemic could inspire lasting positive change.