Speaking to iNews, a mother explains how her family is being impacted by the government's plan to impose VAT on independent school fees. Sarah, whose child attends a local independent school, has been unable to find a nearby state school place for her son. The nearest comprehensive school is a 90-minute commute away, which she says is "just not doable". She continues: "When I have applied for state schools at primary and secondary level in the past, I have never, ever got my first choice, or even anywhere near it. In our area, they’ve been building new schools because they can’t keep up with the already high demand for state school places. The infrastructure is already straining. Our local schools are oversubscribed." By Eleanor Peake.

Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice has described the VAT on fees policy as "deeply misguided", warning that state schools face a "capacity crisis" as pupils are displaced from the independent sector. Speaking in the Commons, Mr Tice said 20 schools in Buckinghamshire have "no places whatsoever", adding: "Bristol City Council is considering buying places from an independent school, to put back in the school, on taxpayers’ expense, a child that has just recently left at the parents’ expense." By Harry Taylor, The Standard.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson and her ministerial team addressed their first set of education questions from MPs yesterday after winning July's election. Schools Week features a summary of the questions and answers, which explored topics including special educational needs and disabilities provision (SEND), funding, and independent schools. By Samantha Booth.

Education Support, a charity focused on teacher wellbeing, has called on the government to devise a "clear and explicit strategy" to protect the mental health of the school workforce. The charity identified 153 callers to its helpline as being at risk of suicide in the past quarter - the highest figure for a three-month period on record. Speaking to Tes, CEO of Education Support Sinéad Mc Brearty said the latest rise shows “the critical need for open dialogue and supportive environments in schools, and an explicit suicide awareness campaign across education”. By Matilda Martin.

Hundreds of children with special educational needs (SEN) are missing from education in England, according to a report from the children's commissioner's office. Children with SEN make up 22 per cent of the 2,900 children not enrolled at a school or being suitably educated elsewhere. Dame Rachel de Souza, who produced the report, has warned this figure is disproportionately high as 16 per cent of children in state education have SEN. The Department for Education has said the findings reveal there are "far too many children falling through the cracks". By Kate Berry and Nathan Standley, BBC News.

Paralympic swimming champion Brock Whiston has urged the prime minister to listen to British athletes’ call to ensure children with disabilities have equal access to sport. She said: "We will never be equal, because you can’t possibly be equal, but you should always get the same opportunities." The day the team returned home from Paris with 124 medals – 49 gold, 44 silver and 31 bronze – ParalympicsGB posted an open letter to Sir Keir Starmer, calling for him to “act now” and establish a “clear plan from across Government with concrete steps for change”. By Rachel Steinberg, The Independent. 

Teenage girls who lived through Covid lockdowns experienced more rapid brain ageing than boys, according to research from the University of Washington in Seattle. MRI scans found that girls’ brains appeared on average 4.2 years older than expected after lockdowns, compared with 1.4 years older for boys - suggesting they were disproportionately impacted by the social restrictions. By Ian Sample, The Guardian.

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