ISC Daily News Summary

The driver of a car which crashed into the grounds of The Study Preparatory School, killing two eight-year-old girls, has been charged by prosecutors. Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau died after a Land Rover driven by Claire Freemantle crashed into an end-of-term tea party at the school in July 2023. The 48-year-old was charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Her lawyers said she would deny all charges. In a statement, the girls' parents said: "Despite overwhelming grief, we have been forced to fight for the most basic clarity about what happened. With the decision to charge Freemantle, the case will now proceed to trial. We are one step closer to understanding why Nuria and Selena were killed and why so many others were harmed." By Lucy Manning and Winnie Agbonlahor, BBC News.

The Community Security Trust has hired former Royal Marines and veterans of the Parachute Regiment to protect synagogues and Jewish schools amid a spike in antisemitic violence. This comes after the stabbing of two Jewish men in a suspected terrorist attack in Golders Green, and a recent spate of fire bombings in the surrounding area. On Thursday, the government raised the terrorism threat from substantial to severe, and MI5 stated on its website that there was an "elevated threat to Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions". By Dipesh Gadher and Louise Eccles, The Sunday Times. 

Teachers will "almost certainly strike" later this year over their new pay deal because it will fall well below inflation, The Sunday Times reports. Last week, the Bank of England said the consumer price index (CPI) could peak at around 3.6 or 3.7 per cent by the end of this year, potentially climbing to 6.2 per cent next year. Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), warned: "Unless any pay award is both above inflation and fully funded, it's hard to see any outcome other than strike action... The reality is stark: schools are running on empty." By Lara Spirit and Louise Eccles. 

Tes reports delegates at the NAHT union's annual conference in Belfast have voted in favour of an indicative ballot on industrial action, calling for "all steps necessary" towards a fully funded, inflation-plus pay award. By Jabed Ahmed. 

More than half of primary school children do less than 60 minutes of at least moderate-intensity physical activity per day, according to research by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ). The study points to the rise in smartphone ownership among younger children; two-thirds of children aged 10 to 12 have a mobile phone, while only 43 per cent know how to throw a ball properly. The CSJ has urged the Department for Education to introduce a national school activity standard, saying: "In an increasingly sedentary world, where too many children spend large parts of their day inactive, schools must play a central role in ensuring every child has opportunities to move." By Charles Hymas, The Telegraph. 

Colin Bell, CEO of the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), writes in Tes about his experiences working in international education over the last 15 years, and highlights the importance of optimism, patience, and integrity. He concludes: "I often say that people in education work in the futures market, because what we do is about developing the next generation. At a time of global uncertainty and geopolitical volatility, there’s no more important role than helping young people to develop stability, curiosity, compassion and determination."