ISC Daily News Summary

Simon Lebus, Ofqual's chief regulator, has said he is "very confident" that students receiving results this week can feel satisfied that their grades are fair. BBC News.

According to iNews, experts have said that a repeat of last year's exam results controversy is 'unlikely', though the switch to teacher assessed grades could lead to "significant grade inflation". By Will Hazell.

Clare Marchant, chief executive of UCAS, has said there may be hotspots where university clearing is "much more competitive" this year. BBC News.

Sir Keir Starmer has demanded more support from the Government for schools and pupils, warning "they have been let down time and time again by Boris Johnson's failure to stand up for their futures". By Chloe Chaplain, iNews.

Parents have been urged not to lash out at teachers if they are disappointed with their children's results, with Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union saying: "Any controversy about this year's exam results should be left at the Government's door, not the teaching profession." By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

Robert Halfon, the Conservative chairman of the Education Select Committee, has expressed conerns that this year's appeals system will benefit "the sharp-elbowed and well-heeled". By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has urged middle-class parents to open their minds to apprenticeships when their children receive their A-level results tomorrow. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the ISC, has suggested that boys will suffer most from A-level exams being cancelled this year, as many perform better when they have the pressure of a test. By Eleanor Harding, The Mail.

The Guardian reports the number of young people who called ChildLine with concerns about exam stress rose from 861 between April and June 2020 to 1,812 over the same period this year. By Aubrey Allegretti.

New research findings show almost a third of applications to Russell Group universities were rejected this year, with middle-class students thought to be the worst affected. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

Lord Wharton, chair of the Office for Students, has written in The Telegraph about the importance of universities honouring the offers they have made to students, saying: "If a student has kept up their end of the bargain and earned the grades they need to start their course this year, they should be certain there is a place waiting for them."

Julie Robinson, chief executive of the ISC, writes to The Times stating that removing independent schools' charitable status would "take away choice in education for many hardworking families and put increased pressure on state schools", adding that the sector works with state schools to support disadvantaged pupils, "whether through bursaries and scholarships, or through partnership work".

The Labour Party has warned the Government's "pitiful" catch-up funding will leave millions of children without support, as new analysis shows pupils in England lost eight weeks of school teaching this year. By Adam Forrest, The Independent.

According to a poll for The Times, 67 per cent of Britons support offering the vaccine to children aged 12 to 15. By Matt Dathan.

The Telegraph reports some schools are scheduling children's COVID vaccinations for the autumn term, even though approval is yet to be given. By Camilla Turner and Lois Heslop.

The Telegraph explores why some parents are choosing to send their children to schools that support proposals to abolish traditional exams. By Susie Mesure. The article mentions several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations.

According to a study conducted by the Commission on School Reform in Scotland, anonymously-marked exam papers are still the best way of guaranteeing consistent standards in schools. BBC News.

Sir Peter Lampl, the founder and chairman of the Sutton Trust, has warned that the number of school leavers seeking university places is now a "massive" problem for the country's finances, adding that many students would be "better served" by pursuing a degree apprenticeship. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

A study of government figures has found that just over 900,000 pupils are now in classrooms of more than 30, an increase of 150,000 since 2010. By Adam Forrest and Lamiat Sabin, The Independent.

Labour councillors have written to the Government accusing them of "failing to support our Olympic legacy" in providing access to sport for children and young people. By Michael Savage, The Observer.