Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has been urged to "act swiftly" after a child was reportedly denied treatment because he goes to an independent school. The eight-year-old boy was unable to access occupational therapy for his hypermobility syndrome because the specialist unit "[does] not provide a service to school-age children who attend an independent school". A spokesman for the Independent Schools Council (ISC) said: "Any child coping with ill health should receive equal access to NHS services. We would urge the government to act swiftly to ensure no child is denied care they are entitled to." Commenting on the case, a spokesman for Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust said the boy was not denied treatment due to his school, stating that occupational therapy is available to all children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), regardless of school type. Questions remain over why the child was not treated directly by the NHS but instead directed to seek care at a school site. According to the Daily Mail, similar cases include an autistic girl in Somerset denied NHS mental health support and told, "If you can afford school fees, you should pay privately," and a child in Norfolk refused a standing frame because he went to an independent school. Last month, it was also reported that young cancer patients attending independent schools had to pay £115 an hour for tutoring on the wards of an Edinburgh hospital, while it is provided for free to state school pupils. By Eleanor Harding and Shaun Wooller.

Two independent preparatory schools have announced they are to close as a result of financial pressures including the government's VAT on fees policy. Park Hill School in Surrey and Falcons School in London both cited the new tax as one of the factors leading to a decline in pupil numbers. In a letter seen by The Telegraph, Amit Mehta, chief executive of Inspired Learning Group, which owns Park Hill, said pupils would be relocated to join sister school Westbury House School from January 2026. "We are incredibly proud of everything Park Hill has achieved over the years. However, like many schools, it also faces challenges, and this evolution offers fresh opportunities for all our pupils," he said. Justin Spanswick, the group's chief operating officer, added: "The decision was made because of the downward trend in pupil numbers at Park Hill, due in part to the introduction of VAT on school fees." Commenting on the closure of Falcons, a spokesman for the school said: "The consultation took place as the school has been loss-making since we acquired it, with enrolment under 50 per cent over the last two years. This has been intensified by the recent government changes such as VAT." The article refers to analysis by the Independent Schools Council (ISC), which suggests the tax policy could lead to 40,000 children being displaced and 11,000 jobs being lost. Pieter Snepvangers.

Writing in The Critic, Steve Beegoo, head of education at Christian Concern, says the government's claim of raising £1.8 billion through VAT on independent school fees faces serious scrutiny. He points to the recent ISC census data, which reveals a drop of around 13,000 pupils in just one year – over four times the government’s original estimate. With more parents reconsidering the affordability of school fees, he says the "flawed" policy risks driving tens of thousands of pupils into the state sector, costing the Treasury far more than it hoped to gain. "Even if the promised investment could have ever materialised, it would amount to fewer than one additional teacher per school. This was never a serious solution to the challenges facing the state sector, let alone the increased demand it now faces due to the VAT policy," writes Mr Beegoo.

Kilgraston School, one of the first independent schools in the UK to close amid the VAT on fees policy, has been put up for sale at auction. The school in Perthshire closed with immediate effect last August after a planned sale failed to go ahead. It had a £2 million funding gap at the time and a school spokesman said the introduction of the new tax would push costs even higher. The Times states that following the school's closure, pupils were offered places at nearby Glenalmond College and Craigclowan School and Nursery. By Lizzie Roberts.

The Sunday Times visits Maple Hayes Hall School for Dyslexics and meets its founder, Neville Brown, who explains how the school's methods ensure all pupils leave with at least seven GCSEs. A total of 90 pupils are taught at Maple Hayes Hall, where word structure and meaning are taught instead of phonics. Children are also shown how to learn a word visually, rather than by sounding out individual letters. The students, all of whom have an EHCP, have average or above-average oral language skills and IQ when they start, verified by an independent assessment. Mr Brown tells the paper he and his late wife, Brenda, a domestic science teacher, set up the school because they felt dyslexic children were being failed by traditional teaching methods. "Most children’s brains are able to rebel against the phonics rules when they start to learn more complex words and make progress. For children with dyslexia, they are being asked to use a certain part of their brain that doesn’t work like that, so what chance do they have of being literate?" he says. Highlighting their positive experience at the school, one pupil says they "loved it from the first day". By Louise Eccles.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who is dyslexic, has called for mandatory early screening for dyslexia. Writing in Schools Week, he also calls for better support for teachers, saying: "Dyslexia-friendly teaching must be at the heart of initial teacher education, early career development, and ongoing professional development." Jamie Oliver's Dyslexia Revolution will air tonight at 9pm on Channel 4. 

A national watchdog for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is the only way to guarantee young people receive the support they need, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said. Commissioned by the LGA, a new report by Isos Partnership, obtained by iNews, calls for "significant initial investment" in SEND settings and services. It also urges ministers to create a national body with the power to enforce standards and protect families’ rights, especially those whose children do not have an EHCP. Cllr Arooj Shah, chair of the LGA's Children and Young People Board, is quoted, saying the new SEND system should be an "inclusive system where an EHCP is not necessary". 

Children could be set an "app cap" or curfew under government plans to prevent them becoming addicted to social media, Peter Kyle has suggested. The technology secretary, whose department is responsible for online safety, said he wanted to do more to protect young people from excessive use of smartphones, and help them develop a healthy relationship with technology. He is understood to be considering proposals such as two-hour curfews for social media apps, or blocks on children accessing content after 10pm or during school hours. By Rowena Mason, The Guardian.

An analysis of January’s school census data, which covers more than 21,500 primary and secondary schools, shows that in 25 per cent of them, the majority of students are from ethnic minority or white non-British backgrounds. In 72 schools, no white British pupils were recorded at all, while in 454 schools, they represent fewer than two per cent of students. Released last week by the Department for Education (DfE), the figures follow a report from Buckingham University predicting that white British people will become a minority in the UK population within the next 40 years. By Julie Henry and Ben Butcher, The Telegraph.

Childhood vaccination rates in the UK have fallen to their lowest point in over 10 years. Uptake for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab stands at just 84 per cent, which is below the 95 per cent threshold recommended by the World Health Organisation for all routine vaccines by the age of five. Last year alone, confirmed cases of measles reached 2,911 in England – the highest number since 2012. There were 14,894 cases of whooping cough in 2024 and 11 babies died. Ministers now plan to empower health visitors to deliver vaccinations during home visits and pilot other community outreach programmes to reverse the troubling trend. By Shaun Lintern and Joey D’Urso, The Sunday Times. 

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