In an extensive article on the government's VAT on fees policy, the Financial Times speaks to families forced to move their children out of independent schools. Parent Sarah Lambert, a mother of three who works two jobs and is struggling to find a state school place for her 13-year-old daughter from January, tells the paper the introduction of the tax has "blindsided" the family, adding: “I just feel sick, no one wants to have to take their child out of a school they’re thriving in.” Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), warns that thousands of children are expected to leave the independent sector at Christmas as a result of VAT being introduced in the middle of the school year. She says: “Heads are already telling us that parents are giving notice to remove their children in January. The fact children are moving mid-year shows you how many just cannot afford this increase. We weren’t bluffing about the impact this would have on parents already making huge sacrifices.” The paper also talks to Karen Burns, whose daughter has dyscalculia and attends an independent school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Cambridge. Ms Burns believes it is “just wrong” to levy the new tax on specialist schools which exist because “government-funded schools just can’t provide adequate support for these kids”. The article includes comments from tax and finance experts who warn that parents face a "double whammy" with VAT on fees and increases to national insurance contributions, with financial strategies like trusts or prepayment schemes offering limited relief. Laura Suter, head of personal finance at investment platform AJ Bell, suggests parents reach out if the tax is forcing them to move their child. "It’s worth going to the school to see what discretionary funds might be available", she advises. Reference is made to data from the ISC. The article concludes with a live poll asking readers to vote on whether or not VAT should be added to independent school fees. By Laura Hughes.

Writing in the Evening Standard, Anna van Praag reflects on the recent Budget, which included Labour's VAT on fees policy. Ms van Praag says "the flagship policy... is causing mayhem for parents up and down the country." Noting that the policy will "make us the only country in Europe to tax education", she adds: "Imposing the sharp rise in fees in January, in the middle of the school year, means many children are having to leave their schools in part way through their GCSEs and A-levels." Anna van Praagh is the Evening Standard's chief content officer.
Several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations are mentioned in today's coverage.

During a House of Lords debate on the recent Budget (Arts, Heritage and Cultural Organisations), The Lord Bishop of St Albans noted the impact of the introduction of VAT on school fees for cathedral choir schools. He said: "These schools are often not well known but, by and large, they are not in the top rank of schools for the privileged. Many of them offer an outstanding musical education for local pupils. Often, we have to raise money for bursaries to keep them going. They are running on very tight budgets, but they are a fundamental part of providing musical education." Continuing, he warned: "There is a real threat to this, as we look at the resources, and a danger that, should choir schools be forced to close, state-funded schools will not be able to plug the gap."

Responding to a question posed by Baroness Lady Fleet and others, who asked about specialist schools and VAT increases, Baroness Twycross (the parliamentary under-secretary of state for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport) said:  "As set out in the Treasury’s response to the technical consultation on the VAT changes, performing arts schools that offer full-time education to children of compulsory school age and/or 16 to 19 year-olds for a charge will remain in scope of this policy. This is to ensure fairness and consistency across all schools that provide education services and vocational training for a charge."

In a House of Lords written question, Conservative life peer Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie asked what evidence has been used to conclude that the impact of applying VAT to independent school fees will be smaller in Scotland than in England, and whether this will be case for all local authority areas in Scotland. Responding, Labour life peer Lord Livermore said: "The impacts of this policy may vary between different parts of the UK as a result of different local circumstances. Some areas of the UK have a higher concentration of private schools and a higher proportion of local pupils attending private schools; there are also variations in local state sector capacity. Impacts in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will generally be smaller than in England because those nations have a lower proportion of pupils in private schools, but again there will be regional variation. National differences in education policy will also shape impacts." 

In a House of Commons written question, Conservative MP for Huntingdon Ben Obese-Jecty asked for the cost of the Continuity of Education Allowance to the Ministry of Defence, and a recent estimate of the impact the VAT policy will have on this cost in the next financial year. In response, minister for veterans and people Alistair Carns said: "For Academic Year 2023-24, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) paid £88.6 million for Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) to support the education of 4,005 children for 2,666 Service personnel. Following the Budget statement by the Chancellor on 30 October, the MOD confirmed that it would carry out an in-year re-rating of CEA. The increased cost of the allowance to MOD is unknown until the exercise completes in early December." Hansard. 

In an article for Tes, CEO of Nexus multi-academy trust Warren Carratt looks at the crisis facing the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. Mr Carratt outlines nine steps to help ensure every young person is supported, which include reviewing the existing mainstream schools’ accountability measures and carefully considering the unintended consequences that may arise with the development of the Ofsted schools’ scorecard. 

Children are among thousands of individuals being investigated by police for non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs), The Times has revealed. According to freedom of information requests to police forces, cases were reported against a nine-year-old who called a primary school classmate a “r****d” and against two secondary school girls who said that another pupil smelt “like fish”. Government guidance states that NCHIs are supposed to be recorded for incidents "clearly motivated by intentional hostility" and where there is a real risk of escalation "causing significant harm or a criminal offence". The Times reports classroom incidents that do not amount to crimes are not supposed to be recorded, though there is "widespread confusion" among police over the guidelines. By James Beal. 

More than a quarter of primary teachers and SLT members (27 per cent) have used a form of restraint on a child since the new academic year started in September, a survey by Teacher Tapp for Tes has revealed. The figure is three times higher than the proportion of respondents in secondary school who reported needing to use restraint (nine per cent). By Cerys Turner.

In the ISC's latest 'Spotlight On' blog, Scott Crawford, deputy head (education development) at Magdalen College School (MCS), shares his school’s approach to measuring the impact of partnerships, and considers how artificial intelligence could be used to enhance and streamline this work.

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