ISC Daily News Summary

A new report by the University College London Institute of Education has found that many families were heavily reliant on schools to meet their basic needs like access to food and support services during the pandemic. The report highlights the "weaknesses in our current welfare system that urgently need repair". By Catherine Lough, Tes.

New research by Imperial College London and Ipsos Mori suggests that the COVID infection rate is growing among those aged under 18 and falling among those aged 18-54. By John Roberts, Tes.

The campaign Protect Student Choice, which aims to stop BTEC vocational qualifications from being scrapped, has gained the support of a number of MPs and Lords. Bill Watkins, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said the plan to get rid of BTECS would be a "hammer blow for social mobility". By Branwen Jeffreys, BBC News.

David Blunkett and Kenneth Baker write for The Guardian arguing that the Government’s skills and and post-16 education bill, which would scrap most of the technical qualifications available in this country, is a disaster for young people.

British teacher David Swanston has been shortlisted for the Varkey Foundation’s global teacher prize, an award offering $1 million in prize money. Mr Swanston was nominated for his work at St Vincent’s School in Liverpool where he teaches visually impaired children and is developing a way for blind pupils to play rugby. By Arthi Nachiappan, The Times.

A survey by More Than a Score suggests that almost nine in 10 reception teachers think the reception baseline assessment for four and five-year-olds is a waste of teaching time. The survey found that 85 per cent of teachers believe that the tests are not as useful as their own classroom-based observations. By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

A number of new GCSE subjects are being launched in Wales as part of a new curriculum in 2025. The new GCSE subjects will include engineering and manufacturing, film and digital media. BBC News.