ISC Daily News Summary

According to figures from Randstad, the company the Department for Education (DfE) has tasked to deliver its COVID recovery efforts, just 8 per cent of the pupils the Government aimed to reach with its COVID catch-up tutoring programme in 2021-22 have started their tuition. By Catherine Lough and Mary-Louise Clews, Tes.

In the wake of the murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, Nadhim Zahawi has assured MPs that the Department for Education is working with other agencies to identify children who have dropped off the radar during the pandemic and get the 100,000 “ghost” children back to school. By Harry Yorke, The Telegraph.

Matt Hancock is set to introduce a bill in the House of Commons today that would make it mandatory to test all children for dyslexia before secondary school. He said: "It is quite a scandal that an estimated four in five dyslexic children leave school with their dyslexia unidentified." Oliver Wright, The Times.

Hélène Bonsall and Cat Davison, of Sevenoaks School, detail how the school is putting sustainability at the forefront of its curriculum, ensuring students play a lead role in creating positive change.

According to data from the NSPCC children’s charity, more than 850 calls, many alleging sexual abuse and harassment in schools, have been made to a national helpline that was set up in light of the Everyone's Invited campaign. By Sally Weale, The Guardian.

Katharine Birbalsingh, who was appointed as the chair of the Social Mobility Commission in October, has said she ‘feels sorry’ for some children in independent schools, claiming they are having to rely on their parents to hire personal tutors to support their learning. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

Stephen Morgan, Labour MP for Portsmouth South and a former shadow defence minister, has been appointed the new shadow schools minister. Commenting on his new position, Mr Morgan tweeted: "I want schools to be the place where children aim high, work hard and achieve their dreams, regardless of their background." By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

Caitlin Brown, education manager at the British Science Association, explores how teachers can raise awareness and celebrate the work of black scientists in the curriculum. Independent Education Today.

Schools Week takes a closer look at the Government's newly published targets for its flagship teacher training reforms. By Tom Belger.

Scottish Conservatives have called for a school survey that asks pupils about their level of sexual experience to be withdrawn after it emerged that the results are not confidential. Meghan Gallacher, the Scottish Conservative children’s spokeswoman, said: "A number of questions are overly intrusive and inappropriate for children to answer." By Kieran Andrews, The Times.