isc logo  

Daily News Summary
15 February 2019

'End cliff-edge of GCSEs to make education fit for the 21st century'
Teachers’ union backs duty of care to protect children from online dangers
Letters: The writer and former teacher who 'deserves a statue'
Black pupils disproportionately identified as having a special need
Pupils come together to strike about climate change
Universities lower entry grades for students from deprived backgrounds

'End cliff-edge of GCSEs to make education fit for the 21st century'

 

Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow and chair of the Commons Education Select Committee, defends why he feels the current GCSE system is not working. Tes.

Ryan Kelsall, principal of Impington Village College, responds to Robert Halfon's proposals in an article for Schools Week.

 
Tes

Teachers’ union backs duty of care to protect children from online dangers

 

The National Association of Head Teachers has said social media firms have been too slow to combat online dangers and has backed a statutory duty of care to protect children online. By Charles Hymas, The Telegraph.

 
The Telegraph

Letters: The writer and former teacher who 'deserves a statue'

 

Angela Drew, head at Bromley High School GDST, writes a letter to The Times supporting the view that Richmal Crompton Lamburn, a former classics mistress at the school and author of the 'Just William' series of books, deserves a statue erected in her honour. Letter towards the bottom of the page.

 
The Times

Black pupils disproportionately identified as having a special need

 

A study has found black Caribbean pupils were twice as likely as white British pupils to be identified as having one of a range of special needs. By Hannah Richardson, BBC News.

 
BBC

Pupils come together to strike about climate change

 

Climate strikes across the UK will see thousands of schoolchildren taking part. By Matthew Taylor, The Guardian.

Judith Wood writes for The Telegraph questioning whether pupils understand what they are protesting about.

 
The Guardian

Universities lower entry grades for students from deprived backgrounds

 

Applicants from disadvantaged areas will be set lower entry grades to gain a place on some of Scotland's most prestigious university courses. BBC News.

The principal and vice-chancellor of Edinburgh University has written in The Telegraph that lowering entry grades could mean others miss out.

 
BBC

 

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) monitors the national and educational press in order to keep independent schools up-to-date with relevant education news. The DNS is a service primarily for schools in membership of ISC associations, although other interested parties can choose to sign-up. We endeavour to include relevant news and commentary and, wherever possible, notable public letters. Where capacity allows, we may include links to ISC blogs, press statements and information about school or association events. News stories are selected based on their relevance to the independent sector as a whole. Editorial control of the DNS remains solely with the ISC.

Sign-up to the email service is available on our website.

Members can contact the ISC if they know in advance of news, letters or opinions that are likely to feature in the media, or are aware of existing coverage which they would like to see featured in the DNS.

Headlines and first-line summaries are written by the ISC with the link directing to the source material. You should read and comply with the terms and conditions of the websites to which we link.