ISC Daily News Summary

New figures published today reveal that between 95,000 and 135,000 children did not return to school this term as a result of the pandemic. The article quotes Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, who said head teachers are “extremely worried” about keeping track of missing pupils. By Sian Griffiths and Shanti Das, The Sunday Times.

The education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, has indicated that to keep schools open, children could be asked to wear face masks in the classroom again if COVID cases surge. By Lucy Fisher, The Telegraph.

Ministers are considering proposals to bring back Sats for 14-year-olds and to scrap the current 1,265-hour “directed time” limit on teaching hours. By Sally Weale and Richard Adams, The Guardian.

School staff union leaders have criticised the proposal to remove the limits. Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, highlighted that teachers in England already "work double the amount of other high-performing countries". By Catherine Lough, Tes.

Former headteacher Mark Lehain has been appointed as the special adviser to the education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

Educators have warned that black supplementary schools are “more essential than ever,” as fear grows that mainstream education fails black students. Recent data indicates that the attainment gap for black GCSE and A-level students has “significantly” widened in the past year. By Nadine White, The Independent.

Leia Zhu, a 14-year-old violinist who attends St Edward's School Oxford, has become the youngest artist in residence at the leading orchestra the London Mozart Players. By Poppie Platt, The Telegraph.

A study has found that children who have more books at home form more resilience against degenerative processes that can lead to Alzheimer's disease later in life. By Phoebe Southworth, The Telegraph.

Hannah Cusworth, head of history at a south-east London school, writes for iNews arguing that "black history is broader than just teaching about 'significant' black people from the past and it is certainly more than just the transatlantic slave trade".

An AQA survey has found that the majority of students are glad they studied for GCSEs, but would have preferred to be assessed in practical skills such as teamwork and communication instead of just academic subjects. By Arthi Nachiappan, The Times.