Melvyn Roffe, former principal of George Watson's College and current CEO of Clifton College Education Group, has been awarded an MBE for services to education and to the community in Edinburgh. The award recognises the contributions he made during his 10 years of leadership at the school, where he supported several partnership projects that focused on improving access to education in Scotland. On receiving news of his award, Mr Roffe said: "I am thrilled and humbled to be honoured in this way. For me, education has always been much more than just a career, as fulfilling as my career to date has been, so it means a great deal that this honour also recognises service to the community in Edinburgh." He added: "In accepting this honour, I would like to pay tribute to all those who are working in state-funded and independent schools across the UK to make communities stronger and to secure better opportunities for young people."

Coverage of the High Court judgment has continued since it was first reported on Friday. Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), told The Telegraph schools were "right" to have escalated the challenge. She said: "This is an unprecedented tax on education and it is right that its compatibility with human rights law was tested. Thousands of families have already been negatively affected by the policy, with more than 11,000 children leaving independent education since last year – far more than had been anticipated by the government. As the court noted, there was interference with human rights and this policy is likely to have an outsized impact on families of faith and children with SEND but without an EHCP." By Natasha Leake, Pieter Snepvangers and Mattie Brignal.

In an interview with Aasmah Mir on LBC, Ms Robinson reflected on the High Court ruling, saying the ISC will be "carefully considering" the next steps and that the "focus remains on supporting schools, families and children". Referencing parents of children with specific learning requirements, she highlighted the group of Haredi Jews involved in the case as an example of those who "simply could not get that kind of education in the state system". She also reiterated concerns that the VAT on fees policy disproportionately affects children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), many of whom rely on the independent sector for specialist education. Noting that the policy is unlikely to generate meaningful revenue and could cause long-term harm to educational choice and access, she added: "The court judgment recognises the very damaging effect VAT will have on many children."

Speaking to Matthew Wright on LBC, the ISC’s head of media and communications, Sarah Cunnane, said the VAT policy has already caused far greater disruption than the government anticipated. Referencing the impact on the education ecosystem, Ms Cunnane said: "If children are moving from the independent sector to the state sector… that is going to increase pressure." She added that the tax policy will have "ripple effects" across education, impacting SEND provision and intensifying competition for state school places. With regard to the High Court ruling, Ms Cunnane concluded: "We will be considering our next steps but we feel it’s very important to hold the government to account. They have made some claims about how much this policy would raise, how many children would leave the sector, the improvements that they plan to make to the SEND system – and we think it’s important to highlight where the rhetoric is not being matched with action or cash."

Keith Metcalfe, head of Malvern College, has revealed that the VAT on fees policy has already cost the school around £2 million. This includes approximately £1 million lost due to pupils leaving and higher bursary costs since the tax was introduced in January. As a result, the school is relocating its prep school, The Downs Malvern, from its historic Victorian building to share facilities with the senior school. Mr Metcalfe told The Telegraph: "We are seeing schools close and hearing others that are cutting back, and it’s sad to see." He added that the school's move is "a strategic decision based on the fact that down the line it’s going to become harder and harder [for prep schools to attract pupils]. The last few years have been pretty tough on any school, but particularly those smaller, more rural schools where the market is changing." By Pieter Snepvangers, The Telegraph.

Queen Margaret’s School for Girls in York has announced its closure after 125 years, saying it has been "unable to withstand" the impact of the government's VAT on fees policy. Governors have described the decision as "heart-wrenching" after pursuing "every possible avenue". Additional factors cited include rising national insurance and pension contributions, the loss of business rates relief, and increasing estate maintenance costs. By Constance Kampfner, The Times. 

In an opinion piece for The Telegraph, George Trefgarne, a parent and supporter of the Education Not Discrimination group, reflects on the High Court ruling. He notes that the court recognised the "fundamental rights" of children with SEND have been "interfered with" under the tax. Warning that policy may "raise very little money and might even lose revenue", he concludes: "There is no tax on education in any civilised country and, sooner or later, we must hope that a future government will reverse this cruel and costly measure."

In a letter to The Telegraph, Lord Lexden, president of the Independent Schools Association (ISA), says it is "sheer fantasy" that the VAT on fees policy will raise £1.5 billion every year. He warns that "the unprecedented education tax is forcing families to take their children out of independent schools in far larger numbers than the government predicted," significantly reducing any revenue raised from the policy. Lord Lexden also questions how the "imaginary" £1.5 billion figure can fund the wide range of initiatives outlined by ministers, which include 6,500 new teachers, more than 3,000 new nurseries, and mental health support for every school. 

Dr Priyad Ariyaratnam from Plymouth also writes to the paper, warning that VAT on fees harms middle-income families and risks deepening inequality. Reflecting on policy changes within Britain's education system, Dr Ariyaratnam argues that the "almost complete abolition" of grammar schools and the "undermining" of small independent schools has "thwarted the upward social mobility of the next generation".

Both letters appear at the end of the page.

A new public inquiry into grooming gangs will focus on areas where councils are believed to have concealed abuse scandals. Baroness Casey, who previously led an audit into the extent of grooming, has recommended establishing the national inquiry to coordinate a series of targeted local investigations that will be overseen by an independent commission with full statutory powers compelling witnesses to testify. Announcing the nationwide probe, Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, said: "The vulnerable young girls who suffered unimaginable abuse at the hands of groups of adult men have now grown into brave women who are rightly demanding justice for what they went through when they were just children. Not enough people listened to them then. That was wrong and unforgivable. We are changing that now." By Charles Hymas and Genevieve Holl-Allen, The Telegraph. 

In an article for Schools Week, Mark Grogan, head of film studies at Alleyn's School, challenges the growing belief that artificial intelligence (AI) will render coursework obsolete. He argues that such a view is short-sighted, ignoring the valuable role technology can play in enriching learning and strengthening assessment. As Mr Grogan puts it: "We don’t have to choose between the rigour of the final exam and creative practice. What we need is non-examined assessment that rewards hard thinking and hard work." 

Parents should book holidays in places with bad wi-fi signals and mobile phone reception in a bid to get their children away from screens, Elizabeth Stone, the head of Winchester College, has said. Ms Stone is also keen for parents to enforce 20 minutes of reading a day to build up their children’s stamina and continue to monitor the books they read. Speaking to The Times, she said: "Nothing is fun when you’re out of practice: 20 minutes a day of reading is going to keep them in the zone and get them through at least 10 books a year." From September, Ms Stone will be overseeing the arrival of the first female boarders at the school, after day girls joined Winchester’s sixth form in 2022. By Nicola Woolcock.

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