The Telegraph reports on the open letter to the Treasury that was written by leaders from the independent sector earlier this week. In it, they warned that the government is “risking the security of our nation” unless it raises the Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) from January, as military families who rely on the support scheme could be forced to quit the Armed Forces as a result of the VAT on fees policy. CEO of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Julie Robinson and director of the Boarding Schools' Association (BSA) David Walker have argued that because the levy is being imposed outside of the normal tax year, ministers could introduce an exemption outside of a spending review. The Telegraph states that increasing the CEA by 20 per cent for pupils who receive the taxpayer-funded support may be the simplest way to exempt children from military families, rather than a more complex process that would involve schools having to claim back VAT for each of its CEA pupils and reimburse parents. Reference is made to figures from the ISC. The letter can be read in full here. By Pieter Snepvangers.

Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England have slipped further behind their peers in reading, writing and maths, despite recent legislation and advances in teaching that have sought to make their education a high priority, research suggests. Using the records of 2.5 million Year 6 primary school pupils since 2014, the Durham University study identified “a concerning trend of increasing academic achievement gaps over time for most SEND categories”, prompting school leaders to call for increased funding and better support to prevent the specialist system from collapsing. By Richard Adams, The Guardian.

Writing in Tes, CEO of Turner Schools Trust Seamus Murphy outlines the trust's significant changes to its SEND provision. Adapting curricula, enhancing staff expertise, and investing in new facilities and mental health resources are some of the reforms that have been made, all with the aim of fostering inclusion and improving outcomes for pupils.

Teachers and school leaders share their views on the government's plans to address the education recruitment crisis, which include shorter hours and some home working. By Sally Weale and Richard Adams, The Guardian.

Ministers should trial £7.5 million “teacher in residence” secondments to businesses as well as a career break scheme to attract more “generation Z” teachers, according to the findings of research commissioned by Teach First. The suggestions are some of a series put forward by organisations within the sector as the government considers how to achieve its manifesto pledge of hiring 6,500 “new” teachers. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

Children in Sweden are to start school at the age of six from 2028, a year earlier than at present, in a reform of the country’s education system that signals a move away from play-based teaching for younger pupils. Sweden's education minister, Johan Pehrson, said “school must go back to the basics” adding that there would be a clearer focus on teaching children to read and write sooner, in addition to learning maths. By Miranda Bryant, The Guardian.

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