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Daily News Summary
8 July 2019

Eton College to offer 12 free sixth form places to state school pupils
Letters: 'Independent schools have always sought to help disadvantaged children'
Girls can 'be themselves' in single-sex schools
'Attacking the independent sector will not improve state schools'
'Negative perceptions of language GCSE exams are putting off students'
Figures show decline in number of prep school pupils
New mortgage rules disadvantage fee-paying parents
'The Government must save state school cricket'

Eton College to offer 12 free sixth form places to state school pupils

 

The Orwell Award bursary, launched in The Sun on Sunday, will be offered to students at non-selective state schools and will cover all boarding costs. By Claire O'Reilly and Ben Griffiths, The Sun. The article quotes head of Eton College, Simon Henderson.

 
The Sun

Letters: 'Independent schools have always sought to help disadvantaged children'

 

Lord Lexden, former general secretary of the Independent Schools Council, writes in The Telegraph highlighting historical examples of independent schools sponsoring boarding places for children. He says independent schools want to do more, adding: "There exists today immense potential for cooperation if the new prime minister is interested." The letter can be found halfway down the page.

 
The Telegraph

Girls can 'be themselves' in single-sex schools

 

Tes features a profile piece on Sue Hincks, president of the Girls' School Association and head of Bolton School Girls' Divison. In it she highlights the reasons why a single-sex school is better for her pupils, saying girls can benefit from a curriculum tailored to their gender. By John Roberts.

 
Tes

'Attacking the independent sector will not improve state schools'

 

In an interview with Sunday Politics West, Isabel Tobias, head of Redmaids' High School, argued closing independent schools would result in more financial strain on the state sector. She added independent schools should not be considered "bastions of privilege" but as "places where people can exercise choice". The episode can be viewed here, with the clip starting at 18:55.

 

'Negative perceptions of language GCSE exams are putting off students'

 

Mike Buchanan, executive director of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, has said the perceived difficulty of language GCSEs is discouraging students from taking them, and this must be addressed to prevent these subjects from dying out. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

 
The Telegraph

Figures show decline in number of prep school pupils

 

According to new data, prep schools have lost 3,000 pupils in one year, with the overall pupil number figure falling to its lowest in six years. By Rosemary Bennett, The Times.

 
The Times

New mortgage rules disadvantage fee-paying parents

 

Almost all banks and building societies now include school fees in their mortgage affordability calculations, categorising them as a fixed outgoing. The Sunday Times warns of the impact this could have on the amount parents with children in independent schools are able to borrow. By Kate Palmer.

 
The Sunday Times

'The Government must save state school cricket'

 

Writing in The Telegraph, Simon Heffer draws upon findings from the social mobility report "Elitist Britain 2019", arguing government initiatives are needed to bring cricket back to state schools.

 
The Telegraph

 

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