The Independent Schools Council is a politically independent, not-for-profit organisation representing 1,270 independent schools educating more than 500,000 children. It exists to promote choice, diversity and excellence in education, developing talent at all levels of ability and from all backgrounds.
Archive for the ‘News’ Category
In-fee-lation?
Posted on July 17th, 2008 by Hayley Dunlop, under NewsWe discovered last month that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has risen to 3.3% - the highest it has been since records began more than 11 years ago. Using this as a guideline, it would be easy to presume that average…
JAGS: Bridging the gap in more ways than one
Posted on July 8th, 2008 by Hayley Dunlop, under NewsWriting the ISC Daily News Summary every day means that I don’t get many opportunities to get out and about. However, having been educated entirely in the state sector I felt it was finally time to step foot inside an…
Get school pupils cycling during Bike Week
Posted on June 17th, 2008 by Rosie Keeling, under NewsWith childhood obesity at an all time high we need to be thinking about how our children can have happier and brighter futures. According to the British Medical Association, there are around 1 million obese children under the age…
Independent Schools and Early Years Foundation Stage
Posted on June 9th, 2008 by Rosie Keeling, under NewsBy definition independent schools have the freedom to set their own curriculum and have freedom in their choice of pupils and are not dependent on Government or Local Authority finance.
Why then are they now being told that they will…
Debate on the bus goes round and round
Posted on May 7th, 2008 by Holly Harris, under NewsThe Simpsons regularly features Otto the school bus driver – a staple part of the local community. Admittedly he is a zoned-out hippy but he illustrates a part of childrens’ life in the States about which nobody thinks twice: taking…
SEN pupil gets support needed at independent school
Posted on April 11th, 2008 by Sarah McKimm, under NewsIndependent schools are often branded the preserve of the rich and talented. But, in fact the sector caters for those of all levels of ability and often provides ideal settings for those with special educational needs.
I am touched to…
Eco schools – ISC schools get involved in debate
Posted on March 7th, 2008 by Hayley Dunlop, under NewsLast month, the Evening Standard printed an artist’s impression for the most expensive school ever to be built in Britain’ (The £72m school , Evening Standard). The Holland Park School in Kensington, which is apparently referred to as ‘the Eton…
Transforming the curriculum through the Extended Project
Posted on March 5th, 2008 by Patrick Derham - Rugby School, under NewsThe law of unintended consequences is responsible for much of the world’s evil. One of those misfortunes, it could be argued, is the existence of an overly prescriptive, over-loaded curriculum. If you were sitting down to design the curriculum, where…
ContactPoint review ignores independent schools’ concerns
Posted on February 26th, 2008 by Andy Cook, under News, PoliticsDeloitte’s security review of the children’s database system, ContactPoint makes worrying reading for parents. It identifies a number of security failings; points to significant risks to the database caused by lack of expertise and resource; notes the limits on the ContactPoint…
Ofsted regulation.. hands off!
Posted on October 25th, 2007 by Rosie Keeling, under Inspection, News, PoliticsLast week, ISC kicked back against government proposals to make the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) answerable to Ofsted.
At the end of July, just as schools had closed their doors for the summer holidays, the DCSF issued a consultation on…