Pupils at Winchester College are being taught "essential life skills" that include how to iron shirts, write thank-you letters and shake hands properly. Elizabeth Stone, the school's headmaster, explained: “If you want to future-proof young people, you have to teach them these skills of relating to people." In a separate comment on Labour's plans to impose VAT on independent school fees, Ms Stone said: “I do not think there is any independent school in the country that would say that [the proposed VAT rise] is not a worry. We are very conscious of affordability and this will make it harder for families." By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times.

Young people born after 2010 - the so-called "Alpha" generation - need to take life less seriously and not carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, head of Alleyn's School Jane Lunnon has warned. Ms Lunnon's comments came in the wake of a report published last month by NHS England that revealed one in five children aged between 8 and 16 had a probable mental health disorder, as opposed to one in eight prior to the pandemic. Ms Lunnon said Alleyn’s encourages fun every day through extracurricular clubs, adding: “They [young people] do have pressures and there are important things to do but it’s absolutely OK not to take everything seriously.” By Louisa Clarence-Smith and Elizabeth Ivens, The Telegraph. 

The family of Ruth Perry have called on Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman to resign immediately after it was revealed the watchdog's lead inspectors will spend 90 minutes on a briefing to address concerns raised by the headteacher’s suicide. By Richard Adams, The Guardian.

The number of schools in England submitting complaints to Ofsted about bullying inspectors has risen to “ridiculous” levels, education leaders have warned. The inspectorate's annual report shows that a total of 747 schools filed formal complaints about Ofsted inspections in 2022-23, up from 454 the previous year. By Anna Fazackerley, The Observer.

The school day needs to be extended in order for a significant expansion of co-curricular activities that include music, art, drama and sport, according to a major policy report commissioned by the Laidlaw Foundation. It has also found that parents and teachers wish to see Ofsted inspections and the school accountability system to be more transparent and well-rounded. By Cerys Turner, Tes.

In an article in Schools Week, former senior His Majesty’s Inspector (HMI) Frank Norris suggests a return to the local model of inspection. Mr Norris writes: "It is vital we manage to strengthen and reposition the role of HMI so that it is renewed, more locally focused and insightful."

Writing in Tes, Jon Severs says the verdict in the inquest into Ms Perry's death calls for wider change in the system than simply a re-invention of the inspectorate. Mr Severs, editor of Tes, writes: "If the movement Ruth’s death catalysed becomes about Ofsted alone, we would do her a disservice."

A report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has found that secondary schools in the poorest areas have seen spending per pupil fall by more than twice as much as those in the wealthiest areas over the last 10 years. The report also suggests rising costs have meant that the purchasing power of school budgets will be lower in 2024 than they were in 2010, despite recent increases to government spending. By John Roberts, Tes. 

Writing in The Sunday Times, Martin Ivens asks how the wealth gap can be closed and points to the worrying fact that "a mere 57 per cent of the most disadvantaged pupils leave primary school with the expected standards in reading, writing and maths". Mr Ivens concludes by expressing his hope that next year's Social Justice Commission report (on which he is a commissioner) will prompt urgent action to address inequality.

Teenagers are set to work in school classrooms as trainee teachers under a new apprenticeships scheme in an attempt to tackle recruitment problems. Teaching degree apprenticeships are be laid out to appeal to those deterred from university by tuition fees and living expenses and to attract a wider diversity of candidates into the profession. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times. 

Gillian Keegan has said Scotland’s school standards have “plummeted” because SNP ministers prioritised “nationalist politics”. Her comments came after Scotland recorded its worst ever results in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study. English pupils outperformed their Scottish counterparts in all three areas, with the gap growing since 2018. By Simon Johnson, The Telegraph. 

In an extensive interview with The Telegraph, former schools minister Nick Gibb talks about his own personal struggles, reform of the national curriculum and why he has decided to leave politics after 26 years. By Louisa Clarence-Smith.

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