Seamus Murphy, chief executive of the Turner Schools multi-academy trust in Kent, writes in Tes calling for a debate about the persistence of grammar schools. He adds: "If Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is serious about smashing the class ceiling, then what better way to prove it than to seize this opportunity and end selection once and for all." 

In an interview with The Telegraph, Jude Lowson, the new head at The King's School, Canterbury, discusses her vision for the school, Labour's VAT plans and the wait for government guidance on transgender issues in schools. By Peter Stanford. 

According to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas), a record number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds have applied for the most selective UK universities and courses. By Nathan Standley, BBC News. 

The Department for Education (DfE) has said parents in England will be able to use an online eligibility checker to see what childcare provision they are entitled to, with £100 million being made available for nursery and early years places. By Aine Fox, The Independent. 

Tes reports a contract notice for the testing of key DfE special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms has been rewritten, prompting concerns that the government is pursuing a hidden cost-cutting agenda. Union leaders raised the alarm after references to the "cost burden" caused by demand for services were removed. By John Roberts. 

Christina Astin, of Astin Consulting, offers schools a 7-step plan for developing an effective partnerships strategy in the latest addition to the ISC's blog series. 

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