BBC News reports a decision on whether to vaccinate healthy 12 to 15-year-olds against COVID is expected within days, as the Government awaits advice from the UK's chief medical officers.

England's chief medical officers are reportedly under pressure after the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) refused to approve COVID vaccines for under-16s. By Richard Vaughan and Arj Singh, iNews.

According to The Telegraph, the Government is expected to be given the green light to vaccinate millions of schoolchildren, despite the JCVI's conclusion that the benefits are "too small". By Christopher Hope and Lizzie Roberts.

Three former ministers and the chair of the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs have written a letter to Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, saying children aged 12 to 15 should only be vaccinated if it is in the interests of their health. By Sian Griffiths, Chris Smyth and Steven Swinford, The Times.

Professor John Edmunds, a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, has said schoolchildren should be given the vaccine to prevent the virus from 'running through the population'. By Tom Ambrose, The Guardian.

Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, has said that 12 to 15-year-olds judged to be "competent" would be able to overrule their parents when deciding whether to have a COVID vaccine. By Sophie Barnes, The Telegraph.

Some parents are reportedly vowing to keep their children at home for the duration of any vaccination programme to avoid them being "peer pressured" into having a COVID jab. By Camilla Turner and Henry Bodkin, The Telegraph.

More than 30 scientists from around the world have written a joint letter accusing the Government of ignoring COVID safety recommendations from the World Health Organisation and "endangering the health of hundreds of thousands of children". By David Parsley, iNews.

Dorothy MacGinty, headteacher at Kilgraston School, writes in Tes reflecting on how pupils have overcome the challenges of the past 18 months, adding "the strength, compassion and sheer sensibility of the next generation never ceases to astound me".

A report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies has found that two in five children failed to meet government guidelines for remote learning during school closures earlier this year. The Telegraph.

BBC News reports on the return to school in England and Wales, amid concerns over a spike in COVID cases. By Hannah Richardson and Jeanette Long.

Samantha Price, the incoming president of the Girls' Schools Association (GSA), has suggested that students should apply for university after receiving their A-level results, arguing that negotiating predicted grades "puts some young people under an enormous amount of pressure". By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

The Guardian reports Ms Price has called for changes to the way students are examined, arguing the current assessment system is 'no longer fit for purpose'. By Richard Adams.

Ms Price, who is also head of Benenden School, has called for an "era of opportunity" for young people affected by "one of the most disruptive periods in the history of UK education". By Jo Golding, IE Today.

Reflecting on the return to classrooms this term, Ms Price said there is a "degree of caution" across GSA schools. She added that pupils at Benenden School will be asked to clean their desks and wear masks in corridors and public areas. By Catherine Lough, Tes.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason, the cellist who played at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, has warned that government cuts to music funding in schools risk creating a 'racial divide' between those who can afford to have lessons and those who cannot. By Liam Kelly, The Sunday Times.

According to figures obtained by BBC Panorama, reports of children sexually abusing other children rose from almost 8,000 in 2016-17 to 16,000 in 2018-19.

The Telegraph explores the rise in the number of children prescribed psychiatric medication for mental health issues. By Miranda Levy.

According to The Telegraph, schools could be set up in newly created refugee camps for hundreds of Afghan evacuees. By Charles Hymas and Mason Boycott-Owen.

An article in The Sunday Times offers advice to parents on how to prepare for the cost of an independent education. By Imogen Tew.

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