Around 100 independent schools are expected to shut over the course of three years as a result of the VAT on fees policy, Treasury minister Torsten Bell has admitted. It is the first public acknowledgment by a minister that any school will close because of the tax. Responding to Mr Bell's admission, the Independent Schools Council (ISC) warned that the impact of the Labour policy on school closures is still being underestimated by the government, with the Independent Schools' Bursars Association (ISBA) forecasting that 286 independent schools could close, 11 per cent of Britain's 2,600 total. Speaking to the Daily Mail, ISC chief executive Julie Robinson said: "It is frustrating to discover the government has been planning in private for what it rejected in public. The loss of any independent school has a huge impact: for local employment, businesses and, most importantly, families. This tax on education will not raise money, not benefit state schools and not improve outcomes for children." By Harriet Line.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, a father-of-three explains how the government's VAT on fees policy has led to him withdrawing his son from independent school. Matt Harris says his son Tiger "is being forced to leave the many friendships he has built over the years at his school, his place of familiarity and his routine through no fault of his own". Pointing out that independent school parents are "paying three times" for their children's education, he says: "We pay our income tax, which includes a provision for education, even though we're not using it, then we pay for school fees, and now we're being asked to pay VAT on top of that and it's just not fair." Describing the dedicated efforts of the independent sector, he adds: "There are so many ways the private sector can support the state by taking in SEND children 'at cost', for example, and children from really disadvantaged backgrounds to turn their prospects around." Mr Harris also tells the paper he is raising money to mount a protest outside the High Court next month, where the ISC's legal challenge against the policy will be heard. By Nick Craven. 

One in five independent school teachers say they have seen redundancies at their school due to the VAT on fees policy, according to a survey by the National Education Union (NEU). Responding to the poll, 26 per cent of teachers said their school had frozen recruitment, and 30 per cent said inflation-related pay rises had been impacted. The survey also found that almost a third of respondents said the cost of living had forced them to take on extra paid work. Julie Robinson, chief executive of the ISC, said: "School leaders and governors will always do everything they can to invest in teachers and staff, which are the most valuable resource any school has. However, as this poll shows, the government's choice to tax education is already having an impact on jobs and opportunities in independent schools." By Eleanor Harding, Daily Mail. Also covered by Nicola Woolcock for The Times and Cerys Turner for Tes.

Early figures from councils in England suggest that concerns over a significant shift of pupils from independent to state schools following the VAT on fees policy have not yet materialised. While critics including former chancellor Jeremy Hunt warned that up to 90,000 children could move to the state sector, most councils have reported little to no impact on applications for state secondary school places this year, The Guardian reports. Some areas have seen a slight drop in first-choice school offers, while others - notably London - have reported an increase. By Richard Adams.

The Sunday Times' deputy money editor Holly Mead discusses strategies for funding independent school fees through Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and dividend income. By investing in dividend-paying stocks within an ISA, Ms Mead says parents can potentially accumulate a tax-efficient fund for their education costs, but emphasises the importance of early planning and understanding investment risks to effectively utilise this approach.  Reference is made to data from the ISC. 

In a written question in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat MP Will Forster asked if the education secretary will take steps to ensure drug education is delivered effectively in independent schools. Responding, education minister Catherine McKinnell said: "Independent schools have a statutory duty to teach personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, under the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014. Independent schools have discretion over how they teach health education, but they are encouraged to read the statutory curriculum for health education, which is part of the statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). The guidance sets out that pupils should be taught the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and the associated risks to physical and mental wellbeing, including smoking, alcohol use and drug-taking. Independent schools are subject to the relationships and sex education aspects of the RSHE statutory guidance, which is clear that pupils in secondary schools should understand how the use of alcohol and drugs can lead to risky sexual behaviour. The guidance also sets out that pupils should understand the law on criminal exploitation, including through involvement with gangs or ‘county lines’ drugs operations." Hansard.

During a debate on Independent Schools’ VAT Liability (Impact on State Schools) as part of Question Time in the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party MSP Miles Briggs asked ministers, in light of the potential impact on state schools of the UK government’s decision to make independent schools liable for VAT, how they plan to use any Barnett consequential funding resulting from this decision to support state schools. Responding, education minister Jenny Gilruth said: "The Barnett formula does not entitle the Scottish government to consequentials that are raised under reserved powers. Block grant changes are calculated with reference to the UK government spend in devolved areas. The UK government had previously indicated the VAT revenue would be ring fenced and applied to the Department of Education budget to increase teacher numbers in England. His Majesty’s Treasury has now advised that there will be no ring fencing of that revenue. Although the autumn budget contained additional funding for the Department for Education, which led to Barnett consequentials, I am not able to confirm the proportion that was funded by VAT on school fees." The debate can be read in full on the Scottish Parliament website. 

In a written question, Mr Briggs asked for the most recent data ministers have regarding the number of (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils leaving the independent sector and enrolling in state schools, broken down by local authority. Ms Gilruth responded, explaining that ministers continue to engage with local authorities to understand the impact on the Scottish state sector to date, although the Scottish government does not routinely collect this information. She added: "As part of ongoing work to receive assurance from local authorities that they have the capacity to support increased school rolls, a small number of local authorities have provided indicative figures for the number of pupils enrolling in state schools from independent schools. This information is limited and is not broken down by primary and secondary for all areas." Ms Gilruth provided statistics for Edinburgh, where there have been 58 pupil enrolments from the independent to state sector in 2024-25, of which 22 are primary and 36 are secondary pupils. The Scottish Parliament. 

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of "pulling up the drawbridge behind him" by scrapping a Latin programme for state schools. Shadow education secretary Laura Trott described the decision to end the Latin Excellence Programme mid-year as a "vindictive" move that would restrict opportunities for some of the country’s most disadvantaged children. Ms Trott made the comments in an interview with The Telegraph during a visit to Phoenix Academy in west London, one of the 39 state schools that had participated in the scheme before it was cancelled last month. She said: "Even a cursory glance at the results of the Latin Excellence Programme will show it’s had a massive impact up and down the country, disproportionately in deprived areas." By Poppy Wood. 

In a letter to The Telegraph, principal and CEO of Stamford School Mark Steed expresses his concern that government policies are leading to the closure of Latin departments in both state and independent schools. He explains that, with the VAT on fees policy, loss of charitable business rate relief and higher national insurance contributions, independent schools are struggling to maintain smaller A-level subjects. He writes: "We are closing the German department and will no longer offer Latin A-level. We have battled hard to keep Latin GCSE. The government’s approach to British education is nothing short of vandalism." The letter appears near the end of the page. 

A private members' bill designed to reduce smartphone use among teenagers has been watered down to gain government support. Labour MP and former teacher Josh MacAlister had originally planned for the Safer Phones Bill to include a ban on smartphones in schools, but dropped the proposal after the government signalled it "was not something they were going to consider". During a debate on Friday, former education secretary and Conservative MP Kit Malthouse said the watering down amounted to the "gutting of what could have been a landmark bill". Mr MacAlister said he had been working closely with the government to put forward "practical measures", adding that it was important that MPs made progress on the issue "at every possible opportunity". By Alex Boyd and Hope Rhodes, BBC News. 

Mainstream schools should be given more opportunities to offer early interventions for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), according to Pepe Di'lasio. In an article for Tes, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders calls on policymakers to promote a whole school approach to inclusion, ensuring mainstream schools "can meet the majority of pupils' needs without unnecessary legal fights or funding delays". 

Writing in Tes, Clare Jarmy warns that labelling essential competencies such as communication, collaboration, and creativity as "soft skills" diminishes their perceived importance in education. Ms Jarmy argues that this terminology implies these skills are secondary to traditional academic subjects and emphasises their crucial role in pupils' personal and professional success, calling for their full integration into the curriculum. Ms Jarmy is director of innovation at Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools.

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