ISC Daily News Summary

Some parents have said false positive lateral flow test results are "ruining" the return to school by forcing pupils to self-isolate at home unnecessarily. By Nick Triggle, BBC News.

The Times reports some parents are withdrawing their consent for COVID-19 tests amid concerns over false positive results. By Nicola Woolcock.

A number of children's groups have written a joint letter to prime minister Boris Johnson urging him to allow children to play together outdoors. By Harriet Grant, The Guardian.

Sally Cavers, head of inclusion with Children in Scotland, writes in Tes arguing: "It is important, now more than ever, that we ensure the voices of those with additional support needs, and their families, are heard."

According to a survey by the Office for National Statistics, 53 per cent of female parents who home-schooled a child during the lockdown say school closures have had a negative effect on their mental health. By Maya Oppenheim, The Independent.

Richard Russell, headmaster at Colfe's School, writes to The Times warning schools' assessment plans could be "thrown into chaos" if pupils are permitted to challenge the basis on which grades are awarded. The letter can be found halfway down the page.

David James, deputy head of an independent school in London, writes in Tes in response to reports highlighting the salaries of senior staff at independent schools, arguing the focus should be on "why state school colleagues are not paid more".

The Telegraph reports 55 students at Brampton Manor Academy in Newham have been offered places to study at Oxford or Cambridge this autumn, amid a drive by the country's top universities to accept more pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. By Camilla Turner.

In the ISC's latest 'Spotlight On' blog, James Mutton, deputy head (digital innovation and curriculum) at Putney High School, explains how an innovative robotics project is encouraging more girls to embrace STEM subjects.

Wes Streeting, Labour's shadow schools minister, is expected to call on the Government to do more to attract the "very best" teachers, support staff and leaders into schools in disadvantaged areas. By John Roberts, Tes.

Schools Week reports pupils will be "expected to know" up to 1,700 different words as part of the Department for Education's (DfE) proposed changes to GCSE modern foreign language (MFL) qualifications. By Freddie Whittaker.