The National Education Union (NEU) has said that Kit Malthouse, the education secretary, has to meet its demands of increased pay for teachers and support staff by 14 October or it will ballot members on strike action. Schools minister Jonathan Gullis recently said the Government was “not going to budge” on its pay offer, worth 5 per cent for most teachers. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

BBC News reports that 12 October has been confirmed as the date for a statutory strike ballot in Scotland, with the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) poised to take industrial action if members support the strike.

The Office for Students, the regulator for higher education, has told universities to factor in 'easier grading' in Wales when offering places. It follows the news that the exam watchdogs in Wales and England announced different grading plans for GCSEs and A-levels next year. Dr Kevin Stannard, the director of innovation and learning at the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), is quoted, saying: "The unintended, undesirable, but inevitable result will be an increasingly complicated, onerous and expensive public exam system which awards qualifications that nobody actually needs." By Louisa Clarence-Smith, The Telegraph.

Kit Malthouse, the education secretary, has spoken of his ambition for all children and young people to have the chance to achieve their potential. Speaking at the Conservative party conference, Mr Malthouse said the education system in England needs “constant attention and constant pressure” from the Government in order to “drive it forward”. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

According to The Telegraph, it is unlikely the ban on the creation of new grammar schools will be lifted before the next general election. Liz Truss's plan to cease the grammar schools ban was not in the 2019 manifesto and so has only been endorsed by Conservative party members. By Ben Riley-Smith.

Figures released by the Department for Education show attainment for key stage 1 pupils has fallen in the first tests since 2019. The findings will 'fuel fears' about the effect of COVID on the youngest children, with those from poorer backgrounds even further behind. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

Addressing delegates at the Conservative party conference yesterday, Liz Truss said she was the 'first prime minister to have attended comprehensive school'. However, other commentators are referencing Theresa May and Gordon Brown's attendance at state schools. By Kate Devlin, The Independent.

Schools Week refers to research by the Sutton Trust which revealed 68 per cent of Ms Truss's cabinet were privately educated, compared to 30 per cent of Theresa May's first cabinet and over 50 per cent of David Cameron's 2015 cabinet. By Freddie Whittaker.

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.