ISC Daily News Summary

The education secretary has urged parents to make sure their children are regularly tested and ensure they do not get "carried away" as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. By Katie Gibbons, The Times.

The World Health Organization and Unicef have said schools across Europe must stay open and be made safer for staff and children. By Jon Henley, The Guardian.

Teaching unions have warned that the return of children to the classroom will force hundreds of schools to reintroduce tougher COVID measures within weeks. By Harry Yorke and Lizzie Roberts, The Telegraph.

The Telegraph has published its view on the "morally complex" issue of vaccinating children.

The Guardian details ways in which schools can improve air quality to reduce COVID-19 transmission. By Nicola Davis.

Schools Week rounds up key findings from primary test analysis, including a warning that younger primary school pupils will need the "most support" to recover from the pandemic. By Freddie Whittaker.

According to new figures from the NHS, children are being prescribed antidepressants in record numbers - with studies suggesting that lockdowns and missed schooling, as well as the pressure of social media, could be behind higher rates of mental distress. By Kat Lay, The Times.

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, writes in The Times outlining his hope that "this year’s fiasco will at least catalyse a serious reappraisal" of the way in which schoolchildren and sixth form students are assessed.

The Times reports that close to 30,000 students are deferring their places at university this year. By Nicola Woolcock.

Putney High School has announced it will let sixth-formers choose what to wear from this September having already brought in the option of trousers instead of skirts for younger pupils and scrapped blazers and ties. Headteacher Suzie Longstaff said: "It is a more modern approach to dress in schools and more relevant for today’s world." By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times.

The Times reports on the work of the Mossbourne Federation, which spends about £1,000 per head on pupils from poorer backgrounds selected for a bespoke medicine programme. By Nicola Woolcock.

According to The Telegraph, a scholarship programme enabling Afghan women to study at Oriel College is to be expanded in light of the Taliban’s rule. By Mason Boycott-Owen.

Sally Martin, who previously taught in East London before joining the PSHE Association as part of its subject specialist team, writes in Tes detailing what schools and teachers need to know about the new relationships and sex education guidance.

A survey by Perspectus Global has found that many parents are unable to help their children with schoolwork because they have forgotten most of the basics from their schooldays. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.