As part of a wider feature on the Labour Party's potential financial policies, Telegraph Money explores the plans it has revealed so far, which include imposing VAT on independent school fees. Reference is made to figures from the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and an accompanying graph displays how much fees could increase by. Financial expert Harry Bell warns: “Not all parents who send their children to private schools are sufficiently wealthy to wear this extra cost easily, leading to many scrutinising their spending and delaying big one off purchases." By Charlotte Gifford.

Amanda Spielman has said parents are increasingly willing to challenge school policies in England, warning that the "unwritten agreement" between families and schools has been fractured. The final report from Ofsted's chief inspector is said to reflect a "broadly positive picture" but draws particular attention to a worrying shift in behaviour, attendance and attitudes towards education since the Covid pandemic. By Vanessa Clarke, BBC News. 

Ms Spielman is also quoted in The Telegraph, warning: “The idea that school can be a pick and choose exercise needs to be debunked. The benefits of school go well beyond specific lessons and exam results." An accompanying graph shows that persistent absence at secondary schools is still rising. By Louisa Clarence-Smith and Ollie Corfe. 

Writing in Independent School Management Plus on his move from working at independent schools abroad to a state-funded academy in London, Dr Paul Wood reflects positively on his own experience of a recent Ofsted inspection.

Tes outlines the key findings from Ofsted's 2022-23 annual report. By Cerys Turner.

The rate of pupils being excluded from school has soared back to pre-Covid pandemic levels, and suspension rates have also continued to rise, according to recent figures published by the Department for Education (DfE). The data also found that disadvantaged pupils were suspended more than four times the level of their peers. By Matilda Martin, Tes. 

Analysis by SchoolDash has found the quota of pupils leaving school without a GCSE grade in English has almost doubled since before the pandemic. In 2023, 3.3 per cent of pupils received no grade in English, compared with 1.7 per cent in 2019, prompting concerns about the “new normal” of teenagers left behind. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week.

The proportion of Year 4 pupils achieving full marks in the government’s times tables checks has risen by two percentage points, figures published this morning by the Department for Education (DfE) have revealed. Commenting on the results, schools minister Damian Hinds said they show the government's “reforms are driving up standards in our schools”. By Jack Dyson, Schools Week. 

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