Sir Keir Starmer has said he would roll out Labour’s plan to impose VAT on independent school fees “straight away” if the party wins the General Election. In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme (listen from 2:26:18) during which he was asked whether VAT would go on fees "from day one of a Labour government", the Labour leader replied: “As soon as it can be done. Obviously there will have to be financial statements etc. It is a question of the timetable in Parliament. But these first steps are intended to be done straight away.” By Jack Maidment, The Telegraph. The live article will continue to be updated throughout the day.

In a 'Lessons Learned' blog for the Independent Schools Association (ISA), principal of Ealing Independent College Allan Cairns responds to Tim Leunig's recent piece in Schools Week. Mr Leunig, an economist and the director of Public First, had argued that "VAT on private schools is perfectly defensible" and suggested that independent schools "meet the common-sense definition of a luxury good".  Reflecting on the wide range of backgrounds of pupils at his school, many of whom come from families making financial sacrifices to pay for fees, Mr Cairns says: "I know first hand from my connections within the ISA that ours is not a unique profile of students. There are hundreds of small schools up and down the country which form a lifeline for students, rather than a luxury."

In a House of Lords debate on school funding for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), Baroness Berridge said: "My Lords, will my noble friend the Minister join me in congratulating Thames Christian School, which has recently won a prestigious RIBA award for the architecture of its building? In the head teacher’s response to that award, he outlined that, of the 400 students in that fee-paying school, 200 have special educational needs. What advice is being given to schools such as that about how they might approach supporting parents who are unsure about whether their children can continue if the school fees are increased?"

In response, Baroness Barran said: "I am delighted to join my noble friend in celebrating that success. That matter will be for individual parents in independent schools to work through. Independent schools have focused very much on supporting children and their parents where bursaries are required, but that is up to the parents and those schools." Hansard.

Director of partnerships at Abingdon School Rob Southwell-Sander writes about the school's successful cross-sector partnership activity. Highlights include its own partnership programme, Abingdon School in Partnership (ASiP), as well as being a founding member of the OX14 Learning Partnership. Mr Southwell-Sander shares details of a forthcoming collaborative event, SupportEd, and explains: "The current landscape paints a dim picture of teenage mental health and this is an opportunity for students to learn how they can help themselves to be well."

In The Guardian's latest 'Today in Focus' podcast, sex and relationships educator Jo Morgan discusses what she believes a relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum should look like. Ms Morgan tells Helen Pidd why she believes pupils should be getting more comprehensive sex education, not less, and explains how limited RSHE education can leave children vulnerable to abuse and misinformation. 

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