The Sunday Times features its Parent Power tables, based on the academic outcomes of state and independent schools in the UK. This is the first time that performance in this summer’s A-levels and GCSE examinations have been compared with results in 2019, the last time teenagers sat traditional examinations before the pandemic. The paper names St Paul’s Girls’ School as the Independent Secondary School of the Year and Francis Holland School, Sloane Square is named Parent Power Independent School of the Year. By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times.

A supplementary piece outlines how families can access scholarships at top independent schools and references recent figures from the Independent Schools Council (ISC). By Sian Griffiths.

Separate articles in the paper explain how the best schools of 2023 were chosen (by Helen Davies); how to keep your child happy and help them succeed at school (by Sian Griffiths) and everything you need to know when applying for school places (by Julie Henry and Sue Leonard).

According to the tables, 'girls triumph', with single-sex schools leading the league tables in both the independent and state sectors. A separate article quotes Donna Stevens, chief executive of the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA). By Sian Griffiths.

In a debate in the House of Commons yesterday, Brendan Clarke-Smith, Conservative MP for Bassetlaw, referred to Worksop College which does "excellent partnership work with many local schools", and said that many parents are concerned about Labour’s policy to add VAT to school fees. Mr Clarke-Smith asked: "Will the Leader of the House find time for a debate on the benefits of independent schools to wider society?"

Penny Mordaunt, leader of the House of Commons and Conservative MP for Portsmouth North replied: "The fact that the issue is being debated and that its profile has been raised as a result of Labour party policy is an opportunity for the independent sector. Some schools do a huge amount for other schools and for their community—this is their opportunity to talk about it." Hansard.

Figures from over 4,000 schools have revealed that one in 10 pupils was off school on Tuesday as cases of Strep A and winter respiratory viruses have increased. There have been 652 recorded cases of iGAS since September, compared with, on average, 311 in the same timeframe over the past five years. By Amy Walker, Schools Week.

In an interview with LBC, Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, has said that white privilege is not “a fact” and should not be taught as such in schools. Ms Keegan said people needed to be able to have “open discussions” around issues such as white privilege, but that children should not be taught things as fact that are "debates". By Louisa Clarence-Smith, The Telegraph.

Active Lives, an annual survey of children's fitness by Sport England, has found that there are now 100,000 more girls playing football than there were five years ago. It also revealed that secondary school girls are more active than they have ever been. In contrast, pupils aged seven to nine have been found to be lagging behind, with their activity levels 4.5 per cent below where they were before COVID. By Sally Weale, The Guardian.

The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has predicted that every girl in the city will have access to school football within 12 months as he urges more equality in the sport. The move comes after the England Lionesses wrote to the prime minister calling for girls in schools to have equal access to football. By Tom Garry, The Telegraph.

Writing in Tes, Sam Freedman, a senior fellow at the Institute of Government, considers the possible, far-reaching consequences of the "demise" of the Schools Bill. In a separate item, John Roberts looks at what the end of the Schools Bill means for schools. Tes.

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