ISC Daily News Summary

A group of school leaders has written to the education secretary warning an extra £5.8 billion is needed to help pupils recover from lost learning due to COVID. By Rachel Sylvester and Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

New analysis from the Education Policy Institute suggests funding an extended school day in an effort to boost education recovery is likely to yield "consistent and strong returns". By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

A report from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) has found that headteachers in poorer schools that narrowed the curriculum to help with education recovery "tended to regret that pupils were missing out and have concerns about staff becoming deskilled". By Catherine Lough, Tes.

According to iNews, the Government believes England can avoid a spike in COVID cases after schools return by using more effective testing measures than those deployed in Scotland. By Will Hazell.

Will Hazell writes in iNews arguing the Department for Education is "quietly confident" about the start of the new term, but could face "immense pressure" to reintroduce protective measures in schools should case rates surge.

Dr Yvonne Doyle, Public Health England's medical director, has said schools are not "drivers" or "hubs" of infection. By Doug Faulkner, BBC News.

Gavin Williamson has said the NHS is "ready and eager" to roll out COVID vaccines to schoolchildren between the ages of 12 and 15. By Adam Forrest, The Independent.

Professor Tim Sharpe, a government health adviser, has said teachers should consider opening classroom windows to minimise the spread of COVID in schools. By Tom Batchelor, The Independent.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Professor Carl Heneghan, director of Oxford University's Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, has suggested children not showing symptoms of COVID should stay in school. By Allison Pearson, Liam Halligan and Isabelle Bougeard.

Writing in iNews, Myron Jobson urges the Treasury to "recognise the social and economic blow COVID has dealt young people and come up with policies that will compensate them".

According to findings from Public Health Scotland, only about one in 20 pupils identified as contacts of children who had COVID-19 went on to test positive for the virus. By Simon Johnson, The Telegraph.

A study in Scotland has found that teachers are at no greater risk from COVID than other working adults. By Helen Puttick, The Times.

New research findings suggest UK schools were closed for longer than anywhere in Europe - apart from Italy - over the past 18 months. By Camilla Turner and Paul Nuki, The Telegraph.

According to The Guardian, Ofqual is aiming to recalibrate the distribution of grades towards those awarded in 2019, adopting a "soft landing" approach over the next two years. By Richard Adams.

Ofqual has reportedly opened a tender for researchers to explore grading options for next year. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

A report from the NFER has warned that exams in 2022 must take into account differential learning loss. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

Dorothy MacGinty, headmistress of Kilgraston School, writes in The Spectator reflecting on the impact of her decision to ban mobile phones during school hours.

New research findings suggest more than nine out of 10 children in England cannot swim 100 metres or tread water for half a minute, placing them at severe risk of drowning. By Patrick Sawer, The Telegraph.

Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has found that school spending in 2022-23 will be one per cent lower than in 2009-10, despite a recent £7 billion funding boost. By Rachel Hall and Richard Adams, The Guardian.

The Guardian reports many British students may be unable to complete their language courses or take up internships in the EU due to post-Brexit visa delays. By Richard Adams and Rachel Hall.