ISC Daily News Summary

Three quarters of senior leaders say challenging behaviour from parents has negatively affected their mental health, according to a new survey by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL). The research, released as the association begins its annual conference in Liverpool today, asked 1,759 members about their experiences of parental behaviour over the past year. Most school leaders (88 per cent) said parental behaviour has increased their workload and distracted them from teaching and learning, while 78 per cent reported that it has harmed their mental health and wellbeing. The findings have prompted ASCL president Jo Rowley to call for a national campaign encouraging parents to support their children’s schools and colleges. School Management Plus.

In a written question in the House of Commons, Conservative MP Esther McVey asked what help the government will offer to parents at independent schools that are closing to help them take over their management. Responding, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Olivia Bailey said: "It is for private schools, as private businesses, to manage their operations and take decisions on closure. All children of compulsory school age are entitled to a state-funded school place, should they need one. The department continues to support local authorities to ensure sufficient places for pupils." Hansard.

Writing in Tes, Richard Watts, a teacher of business at Richard Taunton Sixth Form College in Southampton, warns that while artificial intelligence (AI) can be a huge help for teachers, it must not replace the hard-won professional wisdom that educators bring to the classroom. "The question is not whether AI belongs in education. It is whether we are willing to decide when it should be introduced and what must be built first," Mr Watts concludes.

An incident at a secondary school near Norwich in which a teenage girl was stabbed has raised questions about how staff respond to such incidents in order to protect pupils and others, and whether the government's guidance goes far enough. BBC News notes that the school's procedure would have been based on a 60-page document from the Department for Education, which outlines protective security and preparations for emergencies. Speaking to the broadcaster, Norfolk County Council said it expected all schools to follow the "comprehensive guidance" that includes having a plan and possible drills for lockdown and evacuation, and providing additional support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). By Laura Devlin and Neve Gordon-Farleigh.

In a new blog for the ISC, Anna Williamson, head of chemistry at Loughborough High School, shares how the school is breaking down barriers to STEM participation for young women and girls. "This British Science Week, we celebrate not only scientific discovery, but the girls who will shape its future," she explains.