Figures released by the Independent Schools Council (ISC) have shown that independent schools have boosted the value of means-tested bursary places for disadvantaged pupils by 30 per cent in a decade. £480 million has been given in means-tested help with fees this year, as experts warn that plans by the Labour party to add VAT to school fees could prove to be a financial burden that could affect schools’ ability to help fund places for poorer pupils. Julie Robinson, chief executive of the ISC, is quoted, saying: "These statistics clearly show Labour’s claims are not based in fact. Charitable investment – whether it is bursaries, donations or partnership work with state schools – is at the heart of the independent system". By Connor Stringer and Eleanor Harding, Daily Mail.

Barnaby Lenon, chairman of the ISC, has suggested the Government should restore the direct grant scheme rather than tax independent schools more. Warning that Labour’s plan to add VAT to independent school fees will only make them more expensive, Mr Lenon said it risks them becoming the ‘preserve of the rich’. Instead, he would like the Government to help private schools take poorer students, at ‘zero’ cost to the taxpayer. By Eleanor Harding, Daily Mail.

A comment piece in the Mail on Sunday argues that the Labour Party’s education policy is "damaging to the nation and highly hypocritical".

Speaking on the Today programme earlier this morning, Sir Keir Starmer said independent schools added “a huge amount” to the country. To listen please skip to 2:10:55.

Writing for Sky News, Adam Boulton has said there is no great evidence of widespread antipathy towards independent schools. He says: "Many of the bigger schools do provide facilities and expertise to the local community, under close scrutiny by the Charity Commission. One fifth of private school children receive assistance with the fees. The obligation and, perhaps, the inclination to do these things might disappear if charity status is abolished."

The Labour Party has called for independent schools to be investigated by the competition watchdog over fee increases. Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, said that 'costs have risen faster than wages, which could be the result of market failure that requires intervention from the Competition and Markets Authority'. Reference is made to figures from the Independent Schools Council (ISC). Commenting on the party's plan to add VAT to school fees, Julie Robinson is quoted, saying: “A gradual fee rise of 23 per cent over a decade is a very different prospect for parents‘ budgets than a sharp shock of 20 per cent overnight – particularly in a cost of living crisis." By Louisa Clarence-Smith, The Sunday Telegraph. In a comment piece in The Telegraph, James Tooley says that 'more children should be able to enjoy the massive advantages that an independent education confers'.

Shaun Fenton, head of Reigate Grammar School in Surrey, Sir Keir Starmer’s old school, has called for children to come before politics amid the row over Labour's plans to remove the charitable status of independent schools. By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times.

Peter Green, executive headmaster at Rugby School Group, has a letter published in The Times in which he warns that "if charitable status were withdrawn from independent schools and VAT added to their fees, this would represent more than a punitive action against those schools and their parents". In a letter to The Telegraph, Simon Shneerson says: "As an education consultant, I estimate that a quarter of independent schools could lose so many parents that their finances will be undermined. The published accounts of most charity schools show that they work to modest margins and have very limited cash reserves."

Writing in The Financial Times, Stephen Bush argues that "provoking an argument about ending the tax breaks for private schools and the families that use them is popular and easy for Labour. But it has the potential to turn into a row about raising taxes more broadly — and that conversation might not play out as well for the opposition".

Referring to Labour's proposal to add VAT to independent school fees, The Observer's editorial says: "As far as measures to crack the elitism of Britain’s education system go, it is fairly incremental. It would raise £1.7 billion, an amount dwarfed by the overall education budget, and do little to unpick the advantages of an independent school education. To combat inequality in the education system, there are bigger fish to fry." An accompanying comment by Catherine Bennett is also published in The Observer.

The Mirror invites readers to take part in a poll entitled 'should independent schools be exempt from tax?’ This is an incorrect premise. A recent report in the Daily Mail revealed that independent schools contributed £5.1 billion in tax to the UK economy. Respondents to a similar poll carried out by The Sunday Times narrowly voted that independent schools 'should not lose their tax advantages'.

The 2021 Census has revealed fewer than half the population in England and Wales describe themselves as Christian, prompting calls from some education leaders to end religious assemblies. By Anna Fazackerley, The Guardian.

The shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said Labour would oppose the expansion of grammar schools if elected, confirming that the party would look to block the creation of new selective schools and prevent existing ones from taking on more students in a move to improve standards across the state sector. By Dominic Penna, The Telegraph. This follows the news that the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has reportedly abandoned plans for new grammar schools despite pledging his support for their expansion during his Conservative leadership campaign. By Louisa Clarence-Smith and Catherine Lough, The Telegraph.

The word “blacklist” will no longer be used by the exam board AQA in its computer science GCSE in a move to stamp out racism. AQA is following guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre, which is no longer using blacklist and whitelist. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Five families who have lost children to online harms are supporting an amendment to the Online Safety Bill, which returns to the House of Commons after being changed by the Government to address freedom of speech concerns. By Mark Sellman, The Times.

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.

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