The Government has confirmed that teachers will not get a pay rise this year, a decision described by union leaders as a "slap in the face" after all their efforts during the pandemic. By Sally Weale, The Guardian.

Joanna Williams writes in The Telegraph in response to the drop in pupil attendance during the pandemic, arguing "it will be hard to row back on the idea that turning up for school is something you can take or leave".

The Telegraph explores how the pandemic has contributed to a rise in the number of men applying to work in childcare. By Jack Rear.

The Scottish Government has clarified that testing pupils for COVID would be "encouraged" but "not mandatory", after official minutes stated a test would be "required" before the start of term. BBC News.

In a speech at the Social Market Foundation conference on Tuesday, schools minister Nick Gibb rejected calls to abolish or overhaul GCSEs, saying it would be a "huge mistake" to scrap the "tried and tested" qualifications. By Will Hazell, iNews.

On the subject of decolonising the curriculum, Mr Gibb said there is "no reason" why children from ethnic minorities should not study the works of "dead white men". He added: "We will not create a more harmonious, tolerant and equal society through promoting a curriculum based on relevance to or representativeness of any one group." By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Speaking to Tes, the schools minister suggested that the Government's consultation on banning mobile phones in schools may only amount to "revisions to the non-statutory behaviour guidance". By Amy Gibbons and John Roberts.

In the latest ISC 'Spotlight On' blog, Ishan Kapur, a boarder at Wellington College and recipient of the prestigious Diana Award, explains how he fundraised for and distributed digital devices to disadvantaged students in New Delhi.

If you would like to write a 'Spotlight On' blog about a state school partnership or outreach initiative taking place at your school, please email emily.roberts@isc.co.uk for further details.

Greg Threlfall, head of outreach at Shrewsbury International School, writes in Tes explaining how the school has revolutionised its outreach efforts with the help of its students.

According to a report by the Social Mobility Commission, while attainment gaps between children from different backgrounds in Scotland are narrowing, "these gaps are substantial and the pace of change falls far short of transformative". By Henry Hepburn, Tes.

Students wanting to study medicine at the University of Exeter are being offered free accommodation and £10,000 cash if they are prepared to defer their place until 2022, as applications for the course reach a record high. By Branwen Jeffreys, BBC News.

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