Figures shared with iNews suggest more than a quarter of all independent schools in England and Wales have withdrawn staff from the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS). According to a freedom of information request from Wesleyan Financial Services, a total of 480 independent schools have now pulled out or partly withdrawn from the scheme, or have notified the government of plans to do so.

Chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Julie Robinson said schools' first choice would be to remain in the TPS where they can, though this is becoming increasingly difficult as employer contributions rise. Ms Robinson explained: "Most independent schools are small community schools that are already operating on tight margins, and they will be looking for ways to cut costs while keeping fees low. Like all responsible employers when faced with such increases, they will be considering alternative schemes available to them. Teachers are schools’ most valuable resource, and schools will be doing all they can to ensure their staff have fair pay and conditions." The article also quotes the headteacher of an independent secondary school, who says: "If Labour hits us with VAT next autumn and the employer contribution goes up for the TPS, those two things loaded up together would present quite a big financial shock to us." By Callum Mason.

Former schools minister Nick Gibb reflects on the results of the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) survey, which found that England rose from 17th place to 11th place in maths. Mr Gibb, one of the key architects behind the education reforms of the last 13 years, argues that "there is more to do to spread and embed the reforms, but what is now absolutely clear is that yesterday’s controversies have led to today’s success". The Telegraph.

Today's Telegraph View focuses on the Pisa results and says they are the "real legacy of Covid lockdowns".

BBC News reports that 11 per cent of pupils in the UK told the Pisa survey they are skipping more meals because of poverty. The average across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which runs Pisa, was 8 per cent. By Christina McSorley, Elaine Dunkley and Marthe de Ferrer. 

Writing in Tes, research methods specialist Christian Bokhove says the latest Pisa rankings need to be read carefully to determine the true performance of the UK nations.

Analysis published today by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) suggests independent schools in Scotland continue to be more successful than maintained schools when it comes to challenging pupils’ exam grades. The figures show that schools in the independent sector had success with 12.8 per cent of their appeals, while 9.8 per cent of state schools' appeals resulted in an improvement. By Emma Seith, Tes.

Pupils are to sit a GCSE exam fully online for the first time, the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations board (OCR) has announced. It will offer a digitally-assessed GCSE in computer science for pupils commencing their course in 2025, with OCR chief executive Jill Duffy praising digital exams for bringing “greater clarity to the marking progress”. By Louisa Clarence-Smith, The Telegraph. 

MPs have warned that schools are shunning exchange visits and trips as a result of red tape and increasing costs. Group passports and visa waivers are no longer allowed between the UK and all European Union countries, prompting concerns over the feasibility of trips to the continent. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times. 

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