ISC Daily News Summary

Boris Johnson has acknowledged there is anxiety over the awarding of grades this year, adding: "We will do our best to ensure that the hard work of pupils is properly reflected." BBC News. According to The Guardian, ministers are under pressure over the handling of A-level results in England, with a former head of Ofsted describing the system as "a mess". By Sally Weale. The Guardian also features accounts from A-level students, who fear their predicted results will be downgraded by Ofqual.

Tes reports on a new study, which describes predicting A-level grades as a "very challenging task" with high levels of inaccuracy. By Catherine Lough.

David James, deputy head (academic) at a UK independent school, writes in Tes warning that this year’s A-level and GCSE results days will be unlike any that have come before.

Higher education minister Michelle Donelan has written to university vice chancellors urging them to set aside space on undergraduate courses for students who have missed their offers and are appealing against their grades. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

Nicola Sturgeon has apologised for issues over Scottish exam results, acknowledging her government "did not get it right". BBC News.

The Times reports that official research being carried out by scientists at Public Health England suggests secondary school pupils are likely to transmit coronavirus as easily as adults. By Becky McCall, Chris Smyth and Tom Whipple. According to iNews, Gavin Williamson is now under pressure to back up his claim that Covid-19 does not spread through schools. By Will Hazell.

The authors of a report from Delve, a multidisciplinary group convened by the Royal Society, believe routine testing of teachers and pupils and a robust test-and-trace system are needed when when the majority of children return to school. By Nicola Davis, The Guardian.

The prime minister has called on teaching unions to help ensure children return to classrooms next month, adding that schools should be the last to close in local lockdowns. By Francis Elliott, The Times. The Times’ leading article outlines the importance of getting children back to school.

BBC News reports on the Scottish schools welcoming pupils back for the first time since lockdown began nearly five months ago.

The Telegraph reveals that a new entirely online, private secondary school - the Valenture Institute - is due to open in the UK this September. By Leah Hardy.

Political think tank Cieo has produced a report that claims there has been an “over expansion” of universities and that students are being left with “heavy debts for little economic benefit”. By Lizzie Roberts, The Telegraph.

Nicola Woolcock, education correspondent for The Times, looks at the benefits of going to university at a time when remote learning is on the rise and future lockdowns remain a possibility.