ISC Daily News Summary

Ed Dorrell, a director at Public First, discusses the proposal to remove independent schools' charitable status, arguing the existence of independent schools "simply doesn’t impinge on the lives of people in the constituencies that should matter most to Labour’s strategists". The Independent.

Cameron Wyllie writes in The Scotsman reflecting on the debate surrounding Labour's proposal, saying: "Currently, private school parents (most very willingly) contribute to state education through taxation without using it: that would change and it could be very expensive."

Wes Streeting, the shadow education secretary for child poverty, has said that a Labour government would ensure every child has access to "opportunities that set them up for learning and for life", making an independent education "redundant". By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to reform Ofsted and recruit thousands of new teachers as part of a "national excellence programme". By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

Shadow education secretary Kate Green's speech to the Labour Party Conference is featured in Schools Week. By Freddie Whittaker.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), Richard Backhouse, chair of the HMC for 2021-22 and principal at Berkhamsted School, has said that remote learning provision offered by the best independent and state schools at the start of the pandemic led to better online learning for all pupils in the second lockdown. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care has warned that a hoax vaccine consent form sent to headteachers could "cost lives". By James Carr, Schools Week.

Kate Green, Labour's shadow education secretary, has said it is "inexplicable" that stricter guidance on mask-wearing in schools is not in place this term. By John Roberts, Tes.

According to poll findings from Teacher Tapp, three quarters of school staff do not think children should be expected to attend school if there is a COVID case in their household. By John Roberts, Tes.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that more than one in 10 secondary school pupils and over a third of school staff who had COVID have suffered ongoing symptoms. By Sally Weale, The Guardian.

The Independent reports on calls for teachers to be a priority group for petrol and diesel, as the fuel crisis forces school buses to be cancelled. By Zoe Tidman.

Jason Whiskerd, headmaster of Brentwood Preparatory School, and Irfan Latif, principal of DLD College and a founding member of the ISC's Inclusion and Diversity Group, are featured on Attain's Fresh Thinking podcast, where they discuss diversity, tolerance and equality in the independent sector. The episode can be found at the top of the page.

Tes features a profile piece on Dr Jo Saxton, the new chief regulator at Ofqual. By Jon Severs.

BBC News reports police are investigating allegations of sexual assault among pupils in Wales after more than 90 schools in the country were named on the Everyone's Invited website. By Will Fyfe.