ISC Daily News Summary

GCSEs should not be taught in the first three years of secondary school, the new national curriculum is to say, amid concerns that extensive exam preparation causes pupils to become disengaged and bored. Set to be introduced in September 2028, the new curriculum will state that secondary schools should wait to teach the GCSE syllabus until Years 10 and 11. The guidance will not be a mandatory part of the curriculum, so schools could legally ignore it, although education secretary Lucy Powell has said "schools are expected to adhere to the national curriculum and teach the national curriculum". By Louise Eccles, The Sunday Times. 

Action from "across society" is required to help improve the educational outcomes of white working-class children, Baroness Morris, the co-chair of an independent inquiry looking into the issue, has said. Published this summer, the inquiry's first report concluded that once-in-a-generation reforms were needed to fix a system "not serving the interests of white working-class children". Baroness Morris, a former education secretary, said the next phase will consider "what needs to be done", adding "this isn't just the responsibility of schools but calls for action from across society". BBC News reports that under the new phase of the inquiry, practical recommendations for government, schools, colleges and other organisations working with white working-class communities will be developed. By Hayley Clarke.

Vinted and eBay could be included in the list of platforms set to be banned for under-16s, Lisa Nandy has said. In an interview with the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, the culture secretary said the government was "looking seriously" at including the retailing websites in the social media ban "to keep children safe". The UK's social media ban for under-16s is expected to come into effect in March next year, with young people barred from accessing platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. By Michael Race, BBC News. 

Queen Elizabeth's School in Barnet, widely known as QEB, has become the first UK state school to open overseas branches, launching fee-paying schools in Dubai and India as a new source of income. The revenue generated by the international schools is to be reinvested in the London campus, helping to fund facilities and opportunities for pupils. Speaking to The Sunday Times, Neil Enright, headmaster of QEB, explained: "We are a state school like no other state school but that does require investment in capital projects and we are not awash with cash." By Louise Eccles. 

In a letter to The Sunday Times, Andrew Mair, vice-principal of Berkhamsted School, says schools play a "vital" role in fostering a sense of responsibility, service and contribution among young people. He argues that education should not only equip pupils for personal success, but also help them understand the importance of giving back to their communities. "A nation flourishes when its citizens ask less what they are owed and more what they can give. This truth matters now more than ever before", he concludes. The letter appears just below halfway.