An extensive feature in The Telegraph explores how online independent schools could be an alternative for families set to be impacted by the government's VAT on fees policy. The paper states that online independent schools have boomed since the Covid pandemic and can be a lifeline for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who may have struggled in mainstream state schools. A former student explains that attending the Harrow Online School, which ran in partnership between Harrow School and education firm Pearson, was beneficial as she needed to be more housebound during the pandemic. Reference is made to data from the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations are mentioned. By Pieter Snepvangers.

The authors of Born to Rule: The Making and Remaking of the British Elite have argued that Oxbridge should replace its interview-based admissions system with a merit-based lottery, and universities in the Russell Group should restrict their independent school intake to 10 per cent. Writing in Times Higher Education, Aaron Reeves and Sam Friedman claim that Oxford and Cambridge remain "remarkably resilient as the central switchboard of the British elite", adding that an admissions cap "would reduce the proportion of privately educated students at Russell Group universities as a whole by around 50 per cent". By Nicola Woolcock, The Times. 

With follow-up Ofsted inspections currently on hold, analysis by Tes sets out the range of problems in areas found to have widespread special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) failings. The paper highlights six recurring issues, which include problems with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) and pressure on special school places. By John Roberts. 

President of PRUsAP Sarah Johnson reflects on a recent BBC Woman's Hour special on the SEND system. Ms Johnson, whose young daughter is likely to have SEND, writes: "One of the most glaring oversights in the SEND conversation is the lack of focus on early years. While early intervention was briefly mentioned, it wasn’t given the weight it deserves." Schools Week.

Pupils are missing school on Fridays because families are taking term-time holidays or trying to avoid bank holiday traffic, research from the University of Bath has found. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson and her predecessor, Gillian Keegan, have both suggested parents working from home are contributing to school absences. However, economists from the University of Bath found the "Friday effect" to be more common ahead of bank holidays and half-term breaks. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times. 

A total of 99 per cent of more than 43,000 playgrounds in Britain exceed World Health Organization recommended limits on air pollution, according to Asthma + Lung UK. Research by the lung charity, which is calling on the government to publish new plans to protect individuals from air pollution, found Manchester to be the most polluted city in the UK. By Andrew Dawkins, BBC News.

The Telegraph talks to parents and pupils from Fulham Boys School about their reactions to its recent smartphone ban. The Church of England free school, which was founded by local parents in 2014, now only allows students a basic "brick phone" that can only be used to text or call and has no access to the internet or social media. Reference is made to other schools that have drawn up similar plans, including Eton College. By Maria Lally. 

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