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Free boarding school places for care system pupils

Boarding schools in England are to offer free places to children with links to the care system, the Department for Education has announced.

Local authorities will work with children's charities to put forward pupils for bursaries and scholarships.

It is part of a government pledge to get independent and state schools working more closely together and help students from "vulnerable" backgrounds.

About 1,000 young people are already being supported by similar schemes.

The DfE said the Boarding School Partnerships aimed to help children of both primary and secondary age who have previously been in care or are at risk of going into care.

It says research shows a correlation between the boarding environment and improved educational outcomes for vulnerable children.

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System Lord Agnew said: "Children who have previously been in care or are at risk of care have often gone through difficult, challenging experiences that can have a lasting impact throughout their lives.

"These placements won't be right for every child, but the pastoral care and educational support provided by our top boarding schools can have profound benefits for some young people."

Both independent boarding schools and state boarding schools - those funded by local authorities but where fees are charged for accommodation - are taking part in the scheme, which is backed by the Boarding Schools' Association.

Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-42467208

Leading private school uses Greek philosophers to teach pupils how to spot 'fake news'

A leading private school will use Greek philosophers to teach pupils how to spot "fake news" on social media, as it prepares to launch a new course in the new year.

 Brighton College, a co-educational school in East Sussex, will begin offering the course next term as a way to encourage children to think critically about the information they receive online.

Aristotle’s teachings about truth are to feature on the course, which will be overseen by Leak Hamblett, the school's deputy headmistress. Ms Hamblett, a philosophy teacher, hope the children will learn how to tell the difference between "what is real and what is true".

She said: "I want to teach them to go looking at resources, looking at where your source comes from, are they respectable?

"If you're going to read something check it out on a few different platforms, don't necessarily think it's true because it's come through social media."

Read more at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/12/29/leading-private-school-uses-greek-philosophers-teach-pupils/