In a speech today, Sir Keir Starmer is outlining the first actions he would take if the Labour Party wins the next general election. The six commitments include the recruitment of 6,500 teachers, which he claims would be funded by imposing VAT on independent school fees. By Kate Whannel, BBC News. In an accompanying analysis (half-way down the page), political editor Chris Mason notes that the Labour leader's first steps are "very personal". Mr Mason adds: "The aim of today isn't to say anything brand new. But to turn existing plans [...] into sentences of digestible policy they can repeat over and over again over the coming months."

Simon Larter-Evans, principal at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, spoke to Martin Stanford on LBC yesterday about Labour's plan to tax independent school fees. He raised concerns about the basis of the proposal, saying: "The premise of the VAT policy is based on a study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and that study is very carefully worded, it's full of 'ifs', 'buts' and 'maybes'... the closing statement and the executive summary of the study make clear there is still lots of uncertainty around these estimates." He added “the concern here is that the VAT proposal is going to cause damage to a sector that the Labour Party wants to support, and that’s the arts”. (Listen from 00:31:18).

Schools in England should not teach about gender identity, according to new draft guidance from the government, and secondary school pupils should instead be taught about protected characteristics, such as sexual orientation and gender reassignment. Prime minister Rishi Sunak has said the new guidance will ensure children are not "exposed to disturbing content". By Alice Evans, BBC News.

The relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance will also tell pupils to ration the amount of time they spend online. Children are also to be warned that pornography teaches distorted attitudes to sex. By Steven Swinford and Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Education and medical experts have warned that the new guidance could risk making some children vulnerable and "lead to more unanswered questions". By Richard Adams, The Guardian.

A UK-wide report shared exclusively with iNews suggests almost half of girls (44 per cent) leave school without knowing about safe sex and healthy relationships. The survey by charity Plan International UK, which will be published next month, also found that one in five girls and young women (17 per cent) feel that boys and men are taught what they need to know about issues relating to those areas. By Connie Dimsdale. 

Education think tank EDSK has called for GCSEs and A-levels to be replaced by a four-year baccalaureate as part of curriculum reform that would also see 14-year-olds sitting “digital SATs”. It has also recommended that ministers set “an immediate goal” of reducing the syllabus content in all key stages by at least 10 per cent in all subjects. By Jasmine Norden, Tes.

Free school meal allowances are not enough for pupils from lower-income backgrounds to buy healthy school lunches, according to research showcased at the European Congress of Obesity. The researchers concluded that the allowance meant children were mainly restricted to meal deals, despite the fact that non-meal-deal items may have been healthier. By Tobi Thomas, The Guardian.

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