ISC Daily News Summary

Headteachers across England have reportedly cancelled school assemblies in an attempt to fight rising COVID infections among pupils and staff. Some councils, including Wiltshire Council and Staffordshire County Council, have now advised local schools to cancel assemblies and other “all school events”. By Will Hazell, iNews.

Sajid Javid, the health secretary, has told MPs that the national vaccination booking service will be opened up to teenagers to allow them to secure their COVID jabs outside of school. However, the NHS has said that children will not be allowed to access their jabs through walk-in centres and will be required to book their appointments in advance. By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

Tes takes a closer look at the key findings from the Government's latest school attendance figures. The data suggests that the increase in infections among pupils has slowed but COVID rates among teachers have more than doubled. By John Roberts.

Labour MP Stella Creasy has called for “buffer zones” to be established outside schools to prevent anti-vaccine protesters from targeting pupils. By Zoe Tidman, The Independent.

The number of children missing from state schools in England because of COVID has risen. Data has revealed that on Thursday 14 October, 209,000 pupils were not in school for reasons related to the virus. By Will Hazell, iNews. An analysis of COVID related absences by Schools Week takes a detailed look at the latest data. By Freddie Whittaker.

According to The Telegraph, Scottish teenagers may have to wear face masks in class until next year after the SNP rejected a recommendation to relax the mask mandate. By Daniel Sanderson.

Libby Nicholas, a managing director at Dukes Education, writes in Tes outlining key changes to the Independent Schools Inspectorate’s inspection framework following the Everyone’s Invited campaign.

Matthew Pearce, rector of The Glasgow Academy, writes in Tes detailing how the Global Youth Summit on Climate Change, which coincides with the COP26 conference, will bring thousands of pupils from across the world together to engage in “meaningful discussion” about tackling environmental issues.

School leaders have urged the Government to publish its ongoing special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) review after repeated delays during the COVID pandemic. Marijke Miles, the chair of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "It is hugely frustrating that two years on from starting the review, the Government seems no nearer to publishing its findings." By Amy Gibbons, Tes.

UK campaign group Liberty has said children should not be used as "guinea pigs" for facial recognition technologies, which have been introduced in nine schools in North Ayrshire to allow pupils to make contactless lunch payments. BBC News.

Knox Academy in Scotland has announced that the bell to denote lessons will be abandoned, though it will still sound for break, lunch and home time. Sue Cook, the school’s headteacher, said the trial was inspired by articles that claimed fewer bell alerts would ensure “a calmer atmosphere and transition between classes and less crowded corridors”. By Constance Kampfner, The Times.

Two new boarding houses, Northbrook and Saunderites, have been opened at Charterhouse by former pupil Jeremy Hunt MP. By Julian Owen, Independent Education Today.