ISC Daily News Summary

According to The Telegraph, Britain’s leading universities have been warned by the Government not to discriminate against grammar school pupils in an attempt to increase diversity, with sources at the Department for Education (DfE) adding that any move by universities to discriminate against these students would be wrong and spark serious concern. By India McTaggart, Robert Mendick and Nick Gutteridge.

Martin Stephen, author and governor of the London Academy of Excellence, writes for The Telegraph arguing that "if state schools are producing more viable candidates for top universities we should all be celebrating", adding that credit should be given to independent schools “for the contribution they have made to raising standards in the state sector”.

Sam Freedman, a former senior adviser on schools at the DfE, writes for the New Statesman arguing that people should “celebrate the success” of state school applicants to Oxbridge, adding “we should be advocating for a better funded state sector”.

Writing in The Times, three people share their experiences with the Oxbridge admissions system and suggest that the argument of independent versus state education 'does not give the full picture'. By Harriet Walker, Jo Kessel and Deanna Gillings.

Oxford University will be taking on 50 state school pupils per year with at least three B grades on a new fully funded Astrophoria foundation year, aimed at pupils with significant academic potential who have experienced “severe personal disadvantage” or a disrupted education. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Ofqual has said that GCSE and A-level assessment may switch to online as it explores the use of online adaptive testing, where digital exams adjust to suit a candidate’s ability in real time. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

The education secretary has written to schools setting out how they can best support pupils arriving from Ukraine who have fled the war, including lending laptops provided by the Government during the pandemic. By John Roberts, Tes.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) have written a joint letter to the education secretary accusing him of breaking his own wellbeing and workload commitments by writing to school leaders on bank holiday Monday to tell them school-level tutoring data will be made public in the autumn, as well as being shared with Ofsted. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.

Schools Week reports that former minister Sir Norman Lamb will lead an inquiry to examine whether school exclusions and isolation rooms affect pupil mental health. Mr Lamb said: "Many people are concerned that too often we punish children for the difficulties they face.” By Freddie Whittaker.

A new award has been launched by Children in Scotland and Scotland's national Inclusion Ambassadors Network, a group of secondary school-aged pupils with a range of additional support needs, to shine a light on schools that celebrate the achievements of a wide range of pupils not just those who get the highest marks. By Emma Seith, Tes.