ISC Daily News Summary

Katharine Birbalsingh, the government's former social mobility tsar and current head of Michaela Community School, has told BBC Radio 4's Today programme she believes some independent schools are scrapping GCSEs because “they are failing to meet the standards they should”. Ms Birbalsingh was debating the value of GCSEs in light of two independent schools announcing this week they are moving away from GCSEs in favour of alternative qualifications. 

Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), told The Telegraph: “Independent school exam results continue to be very high across the board and the majority still choose to use the standard exams available to all schools. However, given the concerns that many across education have about GCSEs, it is unsurprising that a small handful of schools have chosen to explore what an alternative could look like." She added: "Independent schools have always been pioneers in looking at what is possible in education, and these new qualifications are no exception.” By Louisa Clarence-Smith.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner, has told The Telegraph there is “real confusion” in schools around how to respond to children questioning their gender identity and has criticised ministers for delaying trans guidance for education leaders. The guidance has been delayed by a Cabinet disagreement over whether a law change is needed to prohibit children from changing their gender pronouns at school. By Louisa Clarence-Smith and Catherine Lough.

Ministers have named the 15 schools in England chosen to become foreign language hubs aimed at helping to improve the take-up of Spanish, French and German. The schools will lead on encouraging more pupils to study languages from primary school up to GCSE over the next three years, furthering the work of the modern foreign language hub pilot. By Jasmine Norden, Tes.

Ministers are seeking to appoint a new tsar to strengthen schools’ role in safeguarding. The new “national child safeguarding facilitator”, who will help roll out social care reforms, will focus on the education sector up until March 2025.  By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.

Moving school can be a “low point” for teachers and prompt them to consider leaving the profession, according to new research. The University of Exeter study, which has yet to be published, comes as the latest government data reveals the number of state school teachers leaving the industry reached the highest rate in four years in 2022. By Matilda Martin, Tes.

A third of Russell Group universities are providing food banks to help students with the rising cost of living, research by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has found. By Louisa Clarence-Smith, The Telegraph.

Billy Huband-Thompson, an associate at the Centre for Education and Youth, writes in Tes on the ways that schools work with other schools, local authorities, charities and other local networks in England to offer children the best possible support. On the future of such partnerships, he warns: "If the government wishes to move towards a system of large trusts, we need a better grasp of existing ties between schools, and between schools and other local networks."

Lindsey Hughes, headmistress at [Channing School][1], speaks to Independent School Management Plus about her route into education, including an earlier career working for the Sutton Trust. A keen advocate of independent-state school partnerships, Ms Hughes says: “I want to keep working really hard to offer as many opportunities as possible to as many children as possible regardless of their backgrounds." By Irena Barker.

  [1]: /umbLink:true/target:_blank/extLink:https://www.isc.co.uk/schools/england/london-area/london-borough-of-haringey/highgate/channing-school/