Writing for Independent School Management Plus, Jaikuran Randhawa, media and communications officer at the Independent Schools Association (ISA), explores how schools can reduce their energy consumption and save money, with cost-saving tips from Helen Illingworth at Hemdean House School and Amna Qureshi from CATS College Cambridge. Rudolf Eliott Lockhart, chief executive officer of the ISA, is quoted.

In separate letters published in The Times, Dr Joseph Spence, master of Dulwich College, and Matt Godfrey, deputy head of Downe House School, respond to recent research findings which suggest independently educated pupils are more likely to have connections to professionals because of 'flourishing old boy and girl networks'. Dr Spence, who is also a co-director of the Southwark Schools’ Learning Partnership (SSLP), highlights the benefits of sharing networking opportunities across state and independent schools. Mr Godfrey explains that independent schools "are careful to keep in close touch with their alumni", and urges others to do the same. Both letters can be found halfway down the page.

Schools Week reports that the Department for Education (DfE) has taken a reference to the transgender rights charity, Mermaids, out of its mental health and wellbeing resources for schools and those working with children and young people. The move is described as 'a precautionary measure' following the ongoing investigation by the Charity Commission. By Samantha Booth.

The Independent has joined with a coalition of campaigning organisations coordinated by the Food Foundation in calling for the Government to provide free school meals to children who are living in poverty but are not currently eligible to receive them. By David Cohen.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has called for free school meals to be given to all children in households on universal credit. By Sallie George, BBC News.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, has called for 'ambitious and transformative reform of the childcare sector', questioning prime minister Liz Truss’s proposal to abolish the regulations on child-to-staff ratios in nurseries. By Sally Weale, The Guardian.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) and Lindsay Paterson, professor of education at Edinburgh University, have criticised the SNP's proposal to raise the school starting age in Scotland to six amid concerns the move could "dumb down" early years education. The plan has cross-party support, giving the SNP enough votes for it to be carried through. By Mark McLaughlin, The Times.

A survey of seven to 16-year-olds by Sport Wales has found that children in the country are taking part in less sport than they were four years ago. 36 per cent of the children surveyed are not doing any sporting activities outside their school PE classes, compared with 28 per cent in 2018. BBC News.

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