ISC Daily News Summary

Under a new COVID-19 contingency framework published by the Department for Education (DfE), school rotas are to be banned but attendance will be restricted to pupils in priority groups, should schools in areas with high infection rates be forced to close. By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

The Independent Sage group has produced a list of recommendations for keeping schools safe, which includes encouraging secondary pupils to wear masks in classrooms and allowing schools in areas with high infection rates to move to blended learning. By John Roberts, Tes.

An article in Tes reports some headteachers are concerned that pupils and teachers could be forced to self-isolate over Christmas due to COVID-19 infection rates in schools. By John Roberts.

The Government has set out a "COVID workforce fund" to cover costs incurred due to coronavirus-related staff absences. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted's chief inspector, has warned the pandemic has "exposed an already crumbling educational infrastructure that fails to meet the needs of our most vulnerable families". By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times.

The Times reports infectious disease specialists have called on the Government to relax coronavirus guidelines for primary schools, arguing entire bubbles should not be made to self-isolate following a single confirmed case. By Kat Lay.

Kevin Courtney and Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretaries of the National Education Union, have urged ministers to reveal how many teachers and support staff have tested positive, been hospitalised, and died from coronavirus since the reopening of schools in September. By John Roberts, Tes.

According to Tes, Ofsted may conduct its school visits remotely when the national lockdown lifts later this week. By John Roberts.

MPs have been told nativity plays and outdoor carolling will be able to go ahead in England once lockdown ends on 2 December. BBC News.

IE Today explores the potential impact of the pandemic on the independent sector's ability to attract international pupils. By James Higgins. The article quotes Caroline Nixon, director of the British Association of Independent Schools with International Students and international director for the Boarding Schools' Association, and Mark Lauder, headmaster of Strathallan School.

An article in The Times reports Scottish ministers are considering extending the school holidays to 11 January. By Mark McLaughlin.

BBC News reports a number of universities across the UK have begun testing students for coronavirus before they travel home for Christmas. By Sean Coughlan. Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, has warned the Government's plans for mass testing "are a recipe for chaos that risk spreading the virus - the very thing they are designed to prevent". By Donna Ferguson, The Observer.

The Telegraph reports students in England will be told their exam topics in advance and will be marked more generously, under plans expected to be revealed by the DfE this week. By Christopher Hope.

In a letter to The Sunday Times, education secretary Gavin Williamson rejects calls for next year's exams to be cancelled, arguing: "Exams are the best and fairest way for young people to show what they know and can do." The letter can be found towards the end of the page.

Richard Cairns, headmaster of Brighton College, writes to The Times arguing the Government should ask schools to generate "contingency predicted grades" for pupils hardest hit by the pandemic, adding "schools should only be permitted grade inflation up to 10 per cent above the average of their 2018 and 2019 exam results". The letter can be found a quarter of the way down the page.

BBC News reports the University of Surrey is the second institution to announce it will lower its entry requirements by one grade to "relieve the pressure and anxiety" for students affected by the pandemic.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, has said plans to move to a post-qualification admissions system could be a "nail in the coffin" for GCSEs in their current form. By Will Hazell, iNews.

According to The Telegraph, exam boards and charities are discussing ways to update GCSE history courses to include more content on the histories of British black and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. By Camilla Turner.

John Swinney, Scotland's education secretary, has said the SNP will provide year-round free breakfasts and lunches to all primary school pupils in Scotland if re-elected in May. The Telegraph.

The Sunday Times continues its Parent Power tables, based the summer 2019 GCSE and A-level results of independent and state schools.

The paper names Brighton College as Independent Secondary School of the Decade, and lists George Heriot's School, Edinburgh, as Scottish Independent Secondary School of the Decade. A separate article in the paper breaks down the list of winners by region.

London Academy of Excellence Tottenham, a selective free school set up as a partnership between Highgate School and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, has been named Sixth Form College of the Year.

The paper reports on the bursary schemes and remote learning provision offered by some independent schools. Separate articles in the paper explore the some of the extra-curricular activities and sporting opportunities offered by independent schools.