ISC Daily News Summary

Greenwich Council, which along with the boroughs of Islington and Waltham Forest told schools to move classes online for the remainder of the term, has been told by the Government to keep schools open or face legal action. BBC News.

Amanda Spielman has said remote learning is “no substitute” for the classroom, as research from Ofsted inspectors found that “repeated absences due to COVID-19 outbreaks have resulted in pupils losing more learning". By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

Tes rounds up five key findings from Ofsted's report, which indicate how teaching has become harder during the pandemic. By John Roberts.

An article in The Guardian details "what we know about the spread of coronavirus in children and its implications". By Natalie Grover.

Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has rejected calls to close classrooms, saying: "I do think educating our kids is essential and I think having them in school is essential to their wellbeing, so as far as it is possible to do that we want to maintain that." By Mark McLaughlin, The Times.

A new report called Build Back Fairer has warned that unless urgent action is taken, the health and wellbeing of a generation of children and young people in England will be damaged as a result of the pandemic. BBC News. The report's author, professor Sir Michael Marmot, writes in The Times following the publication of his report.

The Independent speaks to parents to find out why they are not sending children into school in run-up to Christmas. By Zoe Tidman.

Laura McInerney writes in The Guardian urging parents to say thank you to their local headteachers for all they have done to help educate children in such a challenging year.

A major new Ofsted report reveals that the DfE's lack of clarity on exams was highlighted as a problem by almost all secondary schools. By John Roberts, Tes.

A review carried out by Ofqual has concluded that large-scale standardised tests cannot be moved online in the “immediate future”, following suggestions that on-screen assessments could be an alternative for pupils unable to attend schools to sit exams in 2021. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.

Tes reports on criticism of the DfE for its "unacceptable" secrecy over discussions about 2020's exams grading process. By Catherine Lough and John Roberts. Tes has also published an article featuring email correspondence between the DfE and Ofqual about the A-level grades received by independent schools this summer. By John Roberts and Catherine Lough.

A commission set up by the Fawcett Society, a gender equality campaigning charity, has warned that “harmful” gender stereotyping is fuelling mental health issues among the UK's younger generation. By Rebecca Smithers, The Guardian.

Damian Collins writes in The Times saying that as the Government moves forward on online harms legislation, there is an opportunity to "do more to protect schoolchildren from information chaos online".