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Kemi Badenoch says her first act as PM would be to reverse VAT on fees policy
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Independent sector
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Conservative leadership contender Kemi Badenoch has said her first action if she became prime minister would be to remove VAT on independent school fees, criticising Labour's plans as "cruel". In a leadership debate alongside Robert Jenrick on GB News, Ms Badenoch said Labour's policy is a “tax on education”, adding: “It is a tax on aspiration. Most people who go to private schools save a lot [and] work very hard. They’re not necessarily wealthy.” By Kate Devlin, The Independent.
Representatives from the Free Presbyterian Church have held discussions with Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn over Labour's plans to tax independent school fees. Education minister Paul Givan has previously said fee-paying schools are different in Northern Ireland from those in England and should not be subject to VAT, but independent Christian schools and grammar preps are among those set to be affected. A church spokesperson said: "One chief concern presented to Mr Benn was that the imposition of VAT on Free Presbyterian schools would mean that churches with attached schools would also have to register for VAT and charge the tax on additional services provided by the churches." They added: "The proposed taxation would place a very heavy burden on parents who are already sacrificing to have their children receive the education that the Christian schools offer." By Robbie Meredith, BBC News.
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Record number of parents appealing council EHCP refusals, data suggests
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SEND
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A record number of parents are appealing council refusals to issue education, health and care plans (EHCPs), with nearly all winning their tribunal cases, Schools Week reports. Figures suggest the Department for Education (DfE) had to pay the courts more than £13 million last year so it could deliver special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) tribunals, almost double that of 2022. The paper understands the judiciary is considering changing the rules to speed up tribunal decisions. By Samantha Booth.
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Quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds have vaped, NHS England figures show
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Health
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A quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds have now tried e-cigarettes, new NHS England figures have revealed. Commenting on the findings, Matt Fagg, the organisation's director for long-term conditions, said: "It is incredibly concerning that almost one in 10 young people regularly or occasionally vape - it means they are at risk of becoming hooked on one of the world's most addictive substances." By Martin Bagot, Daily Mirror.
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More than one in 50 pupils in England missing half the school year, warns DfE
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Attendance
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More than one in 50 pupils in England are now missing at least half the school year, according to official figures from the Department for Education (DfE). The proportion of pupils classed as “severely absent” rose to 2.1 per cent in the autumn and spring terms of 2023/24, approximately 158,000 pupils, up from around 139,000 absent children in the same periods the year before. By Poppy Wood, The Telegraph.
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Addressing misogyny is as vital as maths, London mayor tells primary schools
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Teaching and learning
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Sadiq Khan has written to every primary school in London to stress the importance of teaching equality and respect through new classes and workshops. The mayor of London has simultaneously launched a new toolkit for nine to 11-year-olds, which aims to combat the influence of online misogynists such as Andrew Tate. By Alexandra Topping, The Guardian.
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The Independent Schools Council (ISC) monitors the national and educational press in order to keep independent schools up-to-date with relevant education news. The DNS is a service primarily for schools in membership of ISC associations, although other interested parties can choose to sign-up. We endeavour to include relevant news and commentary and, wherever possible, notable public letters. Where capacity allows, we may include links to ISC blogs, press statements and information about school or association events. News stories are selected based on their relevance to the independent sector as a whole. Editorial control of the DNS remains solely with the ISC.
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Members can contact the ISC if they know in advance of news, letters or opinions that are likely to feature in the media, or are aware of existing coverage which they would like to see featured in the DNS.
Headlines and first-line summaries are written by the ISC with the link directing to the source material. You should read and comply with the terms and conditions of the websites to which we link.
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