ISC Daily News Summary

The Welsh exams regulator is calling on the Government to replace next summer's GCSE and A-level exams with moderated assessments. By Hannah Richardson, BBC News.

Analysis by the Education Policy Institute has found secondary school attendance rates vary considerably across England, prompting concerns that pupils in some areas are more likely to be left behind. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

Helen Pepper, assistant headteacher in charge of teaching and learning at Ampleforth College, writes in Tes about the benefits of 'hybrid-flexible' teaching during the pandemic.

An article in The Telegraph explores how schools can safely bring back playtime for children during coronavirus restrictions. By Anna Turns.

Schools Week reports four MPs have been removed from the board of food poverty charity Feeding Britain, after they voted against a motion to extend free school meals provision over the school holidays. By Freddie Whittaker.

A Sky News article reports more than a million people have signed Marcus Rashford's petition urging the Government to provide free school meals during the holidays. By Aubrey Allegretti.

According to research carried out by the YMCA, 95 per cent of young black people in the UK have experienced racist language at school. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Olivette Otele, professor of history and memory of slavery at the University of Bristol, writes in The Guardian arguing black history should be taught in schools year-round, adding "temporary representation does not guarantee structural changes".

According to a study by the Sutton Trust, 66 per cent of students believe a post-qualification approach to university applications would be fairer than the current system based on predicted grades. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.

Findings from UCAS suggest applicants are making "aspirational" university choices for 2021, as the number of students applying to competitive courses with an early deadline has increased by 14 per cent since last year. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Debra Humphris, vice-chancellor of the University of Brighton, writes in The Guardian advocating a "standardised, high-quality package of financial and pastoral support" for care leavers going to university.

BBC News reports on the London Interdisciplinary School, a higher education institution set to open next autumn. Instead of offering traditional degree subjects, the college is expected to teach a combined arts and science course focusing on problem-solving skills. By Sean Coughlan.

According to a study by the UCL Institute of Education, headteachers are among the happiest professionals, and teachers are less likely than those in other occupations to report feelings of low self-worth. By Will Hazell, iNews.