Fiona Boulton, chairwoman of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC), has said “the policy of destroying great independent schools is a vote-loser”. Speaking at the organisation’s annual conference, Mrs Boulton referenced findings from a ComRes poll published by the HMC, which revealed 68 per cent of respondents support the principle of parents being able to pay for private education. By Sean Coughlan, BBC News.

The BBC's Sunday Politics South East show featured a segment yesterday on Labour's plans for private schools. The programme spotlighted a partnership taking place between Benenden School and John Wallis Academy. Referencing Labour's proposals, Samantha Price, head of Benenden School, argued 'the real problem is the lack of funding for state schools'. In a discussion that followed, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown, said "when the arguments are made and the statistics laid out, the grammar school system is far more dangerous than the private system". Listen from 9:40.

Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the Independent Schools Council, has warned independent schools could leave the UK if their assets come under threat, 'hitting the British economy and universities'. By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times. The article references a letter in the paper written by the heads of a number of ISC schools, which argues ‘adding endless taxes is simply abolition by another name’. In a separate letter, Mr Lenon responds to reports that Cambridge University is considering 'pushing up' grade requirements for privately-educated applicants. He argues 'contextual admissions are sensible, but dividing the world into state and private is not'. Both letters can be found halfway down the page.

Savills, an estate agency, has calculated the average property price premiums between good and outstanding schools across the country, and worked out how many years of private schooling that could buy. By Jessie Hewitson, The Times.

Oxford University is set to publish a "family guide", translated into Bengali, Urdu and Hindi, in an effort to encourage more teenagers from low-income households to apply. By Camilla Turner, The Telegraph.

According to figures obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, the number of Russell Group undergraduates challenging their degree classification has risen by 49 per cent since 2014. By Camilla Turner and Ed Southgate, The Telegraph.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, has said vaccinations could be made compulsory for all schoolchildren in England, warning those that are unvaccinated are "putting other children at risk". By Anna Mikhailova, The Telegraph.

According to a new study conducted by the London School of Economics, poor air quality could have a negative impact on students' exam performance. By Rhys Blakely, The Times.

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