Ministers are considering exempting military families from plans to impose VAT on independent school fees, a leaked email seen by The Telegraph suggests. In the message sent last week to a parent concerned about Labour's VAT policy, Ian Murray, the new secretary of state for Scotland, said: “I have two bits of information which may be of use. Firstly, it is unlikely that VAT will be added to school fees until 25/26 academic year... Secondly, I think there will be some recognition of the Armed Forces Covenant as there will for those pupils who have special education needs.” Labour has previously said that children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will be exempt from the policy. 

The cabinet minister added that he was feeding in concerns put forward by military families likely to be affected by the plans. The article references comments made by education secretary Bridget Phillipson who has also suggested that Armed Forces personnel could be exempt from the VAT policy. Speaking in January, Ms Phillipson said: “There are ways in which they can be carefully drawn to ensure that exemptions apply.” By Pieter Snepvangers.

The Jewish Chronicle takes a closer look at what Labour’s pledge to add VAT to independent school fees would mean for parents and Jewish school leaders. Head of Naima Jewish Prep School Bill Pratt is quoted on the potential impact on families, saying: "The vast majority have to make sacrifices to send their children to private school – it isn’t just for the very wealthy." An unnamed mother of three tells the paper she has sent all her children to Nancy Reuben Primary School and Immanuel College because of the "smaller, familial, positive approach – we were drawn to the academic side of things, the art and performing arts – mixed with a strong Jewish offering and smaller class sizes". Explaining that the likely rise in cost could be beyond the family's financial limit, she adds: "We can’t really afford it now... It’s the middle-of-the-road professionals who work hard to send their kids to private school who will be affected." The paper also talks to a number of school leaders including leadership group PaJeS, which has proposed that fees equivalent to the cost to the government of educating a child in the state sector should be exempt from VAT. By Simon Rocker. 

Head of Glenalmond College Mark Mortimer has a letter published in The Telegraph in which he agrees with Celia Walden that smartphones should be banned in schools, but adds that parents themselves could do more. Mr Mortimer points to a survey that found 58 per cent of parents would support a ban for under-16s, despite other research findings revealing that 25 per cent of children aged between five and seven - and 90 per cent of 11-year-olds - own a smartphone. Urging parents to take action, he warns: "It is not the schools that are buying smartphones for their pupils. I suggest more parents need to take the lead." The letter can be found halfway down the page.

Former education recovery commissioner Sir Kevan Collins has been appointed to the Department for Education (DfE) as a new non-executive board member to “provide scrutiny and advice on government’s delivery of high and rising standards in schools”. The department has also revealed plans to restructure special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision (AP) within its schools group in an effort to “ensure it can deliver improvements to inclusion in mainstream schools”. By John Roberts, Tes.

Addressing the crisis in SEND provision and funding must be a “first-order issue” for the new government, experts have warned. Speaking to Schools Week, research fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies Luke Sibieta said: “Trying to work out how to develop a system that meets children’s needs and is financially sustainable would be a good thing to do. It's clearly not functioning well at the moment, and they need to be thinking carefully about how to redesign the system." By Freddie Whittaker.

Schools Week reports that more than 100 organisations have called on the new government to ditch the Conservatives’ draft relationships and sex education (RSHE) guidance, which they say “falls short of what is required to help keep children safe, healthy and prepared for modern life”. Groups working across education, safeguarding, child sexual abuse, violence against women and girls, mental health, online safety and LGBT+ inclusion have warned the suggested age restrictions and topic bans “pose a threat to the preventative role of RSHE”. By Freddie Whittaker. 

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