ISC Daily News Summary

A number of reforms are to be made to Ofsted inspections in response to the death of headteacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life while awaiting her school's inspection report. Schools in England given an Ofsted rating of inadequate for child welfare will be re-inspected within three months to give them a chance to improve. By Branwen Jeffreys, BBC News.

In an interview with The Times this weekend, headmaster of Eton College Simon Henderson explains why the intention of a new strategy, 'Honouring Tradition, Inspiring Change', is for Eton to become known as a charity for the advancement of education, rather than as a school with charitable activities on the side. Mr Henderson says: “I firmly believe that the way you increase educational opportunity is by getting really high-performing state and independent educational providers to work together. The more positive education you can put into the system, the better it is."

Headteachers have told The Independent that the UK is facing a “dangerous” teacher shortage as the recruitment crisis in the sector worsens, with recent figures suggesting teacher vacancies in English schools have doubled in the past two years. Falling pay and conditions make recruitment increasingly difficult, they have claimed. By Archie Mitchell.

NHS England has announced that puberty blockers will only be given to children attending gender identity services as part of clinical research. This comes after an interim report into children's gender services said there were "gaps in evidence" around the drugs, which are used to "pause puberty" and work by suppressing hormone release. By Lauren Moss and Josh Parry, BBC News.

According to neuroscience and psychology experts, pupils who are allowed to take a smartphone to school will have a lower IQ. Academics are also warning that there is a growing urgency to ban the devices in schools, as studies increasingly suggest they are “extremely dangerous” for young people’s learning, social skills and mental health. By Louisa Clarence-Smith, The Telegraph.

Independent School Management Plus (ISMP) features a tribute to Emma Pattison, after a service was held to remember her and her daughter, Lettie. Haileybury master Martin Collier writes: "Emma was a wonderful person to work with. She was relentlessly positive and upbeat; her smile and her laughter were infectious."