ISC Daily News Summary

George Finch, Reform UK leader of Warwickshire County Council, has called for local authorities to be given powers to extend the distance children can legally be expected to make their own way to school up to five miles. Statutory walking distances help determine if a child is eligible for free home-to-school transport, provided by their local authority. Mr Finch has argued that extending the distance would enable cash-strapped councils to reduce their school transport spend. Responding to the call, education secretary Bridget Phillipson accused Reform of "taking our children back to the Victorian era", while Liberal Democrat MP Manuela Perteghella described the idea as "cruel, short-sighted" and dangerous for children. By Lydia Chantler-Hicks, Schools Week. 

iNews reports 38 state primary schools have closed in the last two years because there are not enough children to attend them. The closures have left parents fighting for places at other local schools, while some children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have struggled to find new placements. By Connie Dimsdale. 

The Telegraph speaks to a group of Ukrainian teenagers who have travelled from Kyiv to Rugby School for a cricket tour. The school invited the children to use their indoor sports facilities and stay on-site for a week. Highlighting the contrast between the realities of cricket in Ukraine compared with the UK, one coach says: "A lot of our cricket is done in bomb shelters." Reflecting on her favourite part of the sport – batting – Vladyslava says: "I like how it feels. It's loud and, if you're angry or if you're sad, you can just hit and your emotions go away. It makes me relax, actually, because we have a lot of stress and you need something to feel better." By Tim Wigmore. 

Matthew Owens – a world-renowned conductor, composer and organist – has been named as Gordonstoun School's new artistic director. The appointment marks his return to Scotland after nearly two decades of critically acclaimed performances and directorships across the UK and overseas. By Garrett Baylor Stell, The Herald.