Teacher strikes are likely to draw to a close in England, after union leaders came out in support of a new pay offer of 6.5 per cent. The four unions involved, which had been considering more strikes next term, will now go back to their members and recommend they accept the deal. By Hazel Shearing and Nathan Standley, BBC News.

According to Schools Week, the government will only provide extra funding for 3 per cent of the pay offer. Schools will be expected to fund 3.5 per cent of the rise from their own budgets, which the Department for Education (DfE) said is “affordable” given the £2.3 billion funding boost announced last year. By Freddie Whittaker.

The School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) is reportedly "deeply concerned" about recruitment levels and is calling for ministers to consider “targeting” pay to address “persistent” shortage subject recruitment and other workforce challenges. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.

Tes features an article with details of the 6.5 per cent pay offer, considering questions including how it will be funded, whether it is affordable for schools and if all teachers will receive a raise. By Matilda Martin.

Independent school pupils were more than twice as likely than their state school peers to go to a top university during the pandemic, according to government figures, with the gap widening for A-level pupils applying to university with teacher-assessed grades. In 2021-22, independent school pupils had a 63.2 per cent success rate for going to a “higher tariff” institution in comparison to state school pupils who had a 30.4 per cent progression rate. By Louisa Clarence-Smith, The Telegraph.

Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, has suggested people should not "waste their money" on independent education, claiming children can do just as well at state schools and "we should celebrate that". Ms Rayner was speaking to Sky News following Carol Vorderman's criticisms of Felicity Cornelius-Mercer and her husband Johnny, the veterans' minister, both of whom did not go to university after attending fee-paying schools. By Dominic Penna, The Telegraph.

Schools minister Nick Gibb has said it is wrong to teach GCSEs over three years and reduce the Key Stage 3 curriculum to only two years of secondary school. Addressing peers at the Lords’ Education for 11- to 16-Year-Olds Committee, Mr Gibb also defended the introduction and impact of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). By John Roberts, Tes.

Disruption to children's education caused by the pandemic will hold back economic growth for years, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said. Experts have warned the damaging impact of lockdowns on schooling was partly to blame for the weakest outlook for global economic growth in decades. By Tim Wallace, The Telegraph.

The government is facing pressure to see through its commitment to provide equal access to school sports after the latest figures suggest girls’ interest in football is outgrowing opportunities to play. A recent Football Beyond Borders survey suggested interest is outweighing access, while Ali Oliver, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, has said the disparity between men and women’s football sends the message that girls do not belong in the sport. By Sam Cunningham, iNews.

The Daily News Summary will take a break over summer, and normal service will resume at the start of term in September 2023.

From everyone at the Independent Schools Council, we hope you all have a peaceful summer break, and we wish pupils well as they prepare to receive their exam results.

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