Military families could face financial strain over independent school fees as the government declines to fully offset the effects of its VAT policy. Although ministers have increased taxpayer-funded support for the children of service personnel, the funding falls short of covering fee rises caused by the tax on independent schools. In a letter to parents obtained by The Telegraph, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed it will increase funding under the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA). For secondary boarding school pupils, the maximum subsidy will increase to £30,633 per year before the VAT policy takes effect on 1 January - a 12.5 per cent rise from the previous cap of £27,240. For primary boarding schools, the allowance will rise by 16.6 per cent, from £22,467 to £26,190. The RAF Families Federation said: “Whilst we recognise that the MoD has moved to review CEA rates, RAF families will still be paying more overall, despite us requesting an exemption for military families from [the] Treasury.” By Poppy Wood.

Council deficits in England could exceed £8 billion within three years without major reforms to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) funding, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned. Spending on SEND pupils has risen nearly 60 per cent over the past decade, with the government announcing a further £1 billion in the October Budget. The IFS attributes strain on the system to the “rocketing” rise in children and young people with education, health and care plans (EHCPs), which cater to those with the highest needs. Councils are legally obligated to fund the support detailed in these plans. In its new report, the IFS argues that the SEND funding system is fundamentally flawed. It urges the government to establish a "clear, long-term vision" for "urgent, radical change", including "maybe reducing the statutory obligations currently attached to EHCPs". By Sally Weale, The Guardian.

Education minister Catherine McKinnell has told MPs that work is underway to recalculate teachers’ pensions and the government is making “good progress”. Answering education questions in the House of Commons yesterday, Ms McKinnell said that changes to the teacher pension entitlement have caused a “significant backlog in processing”.

In a separate question, Esther McVey, Conservative MP for Tatton, raised concerns that independent schools in her constituency had yet to receive their VAT number when registering for tax, saying: “Having met with private schools in and around Tatton, they have all told me that despite having applied for a VAT number, not one of them has received it.” Education secretary Bridget Phillipson responded that she would be “happy” to investigate the issue raised by Ms McVey. By Cerys Turner, Tes.

Universities should expose students to differing viewpoints, Bridget Phillipson has stated, amid mounting pressure over the future of free speech legislation. The education secretary reaffirmed to the House of Commons on Monday that the government remains “absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom”. This comes as the education secretary faces legal action over her decision to pause "and consider repealing" the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act aimed at tackling cancel culture on campuses, which was set to take effect in August. By Poppy Wood, The Telegraph.

Dr Susan Tranter, chief executive of academy trust EdAct, has been appointed as the new chair of the board for exams regulator Ofqual. Dr Tranter also serves on the National Child Safeguarding Practice Panel, where she has been a member since 2018, and is an expert advisor on Ofsted’s reference group for behaviour and attendance. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson, who selected Dr Tranter after an “open recruitment competition and assessment process”, praised her “over three decades of invaluable experience in education, from the classroom to senior leadership, along with a deep understanding of wider system improvement”. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week. 

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