- School uniforms limit physical activity of children, especially girls, study finds
- Schools reject 1 in 3 flexible working requests from women, survey suggests
- Antisemitic incidents in and around British schools 'have tripled since 2022'
- Teach pupils about heroes who stopped slavery, campaigners tell education secretary
- International student applications to UK universities rise for second consecutive year
- A closer look at emerging international safeguarding issues
- How school holidays are approached by the rest of the world
School uniforms limit physical activity of children, especially girls, study finds
Primary education and early yearsResearch by Cambridge University has suggested that young girls are less likely to be active if they have to wear a skirt to school. The study says restrictive school uniforms can be a barrier to exercise, confirming earlier evidence that girls feel less comfortable running and climbing in the playground when they are wearing skirts or dresses. By Rachel Hall, The Guardian.
Schools reject 1 in 3 flexible working requests from women, survey suggests
Recruitment and retentionA survey by Unison has revealed that 37 per cent of women working in schools had their requests to work flexibly denied. The union said its survey of 44,000 women working in the public sector shows that employers have been “inconsistent, rigid and unimaginative” when handling requests from staff. Tes.
Antisemitic incidents in and around British schools 'have tripled since 2022'
SecurityReports of antisemitic incidents in the UK reached a record high in 2023, according to figures from the Community Security Trust. The data also revealed that such incidents in and around British schools have more than tripled since 2022, with many Jewish schools increasing security since last October. By Christina McSorley and Elaine Dunkley, BBC News.
Teach pupils about heroes who stopped slavery, campaigners tell education secretary
Teaching and learningCampaigners from the West Africa Squadron Memorial Fund have formally requested that its history be included in the national curriculum. In a letter to education secretary Gillian Keegan, the group's chairman, Colin Kemp, said the nation's role in ending slavery should be included in school texts. By Craig Simpson, The Telegraph.
International student applications to UK universities rise for second consecutive year
Higher educationThe number of international applicants to undergraduate courses at UK universities has risen for a second year running, with new data showing that 115,730 overseas students applied to start in September, up from 114,910 in 2023. The figures follow accusations that universities have lowered standards to recruit international students, who can be charged more than their UK peers. By Hazel Shearing, BBC News.
A closer look at emerging international safeguarding issues
SafeguardingIn the final instalment of Tes’ Safeguarding Around the World series, senior designated safeguarding lead at a school in Saudi Arabia Yasir Alsharif explains how the school has instilled a strong safeguarding focus across its campuses. In response to the question "how do you as a leader ensure your safeguarding knowledge is kept up to date?", Mr Alsharif says the key is "curiosity", adding: "Nothing stays static for long, so we all need to embrace lifelong learning to become and remain leaders in our field of interest and expertise."
How school holidays are approached by the rest of the world
General educationAs the Welsh government plans to reduce the length of school summer holidays, The Telegraph explores the approach taken by other countries, and what can be learned from Sweden. The article notes that "two-week October half terms have already been quietly adopted by [...] many private schools". By Amanda Hyde.