A senior Labour MP has suggested the party should reconsider its VAT on fees policy if it fails to generate the expected revenue. Addressing ministers yesterday during a Westminster Hall debate (Independent Schools: VAT and Business Rates Relief), MP for Ealing Central and Acton Rupa Huq urged the government to “think creatively” about its application. She said: "I wanted to vocalise some of the concerns from my electorate and remind [ministers] that one size does not always fit all. In this case, that is far from the truth." The Telegraph extensively quotes Dr Huq in its coverage of yesterday’s parliamentary debate, which was triggered by an e-petition started by parents that gathered over 100,000 signatures. Conservative MP and former shadow education secretary Damian Hinds pointed to increasing pressure on the state system and said the VAT policy has been "causing all sorts of disruption already". Reference is made to the legal action being brought by the Independent Schools Council (ISC), and the judicial review hearing set to take place from 1-3 April. By Poppy Wood. Also covered by Ryan Prosser for the Daily Mail.

During the debate, Dr Huq also expressed concern about the VAT policy’s potential impact on smaller independent schools, faith schools, and those supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Echoing her fears, Conservative MP Gagan Mohindra said: "My biggest concern is about SEND provision in the state sector. Hertfordshire has had failings over many years that I know the county council is working hard to resolve. Part of that work has been subsidised and supported by the excellent private schools in my constituency... Where parents are able, they can send their children to independent schools to make sure that their children get the support they need in, typically, a smaller class. If those parents were reliant on the state and not able to afford an independent school, they would not necessarily get that provision; the timeframe to get an EHCP can be years. The government are fundamentally destroying the life chances of children in the position I was in 35 years ago, and that worries me." Several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations were mentioned during the debate. A full transcript is available at Hansard. 

Writing in Tes, legal expert Emma Thompson outlines a number of steps independent schools should take if they are forced to make redundancies as a result of the government's VAT on fees policy. "The impact that redundancies will have on teacher morale and retention remains an increasing concern at a time when teachers - across the independent and state sectors - are already operating under extraordinary pressure," Ms Thompson warns.

During a House of Commons debate on the Finance Bill, Conservative MP James Wild warned that the government's VAT on fees policy will harm families with children in independent schools, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who do not have formal education, health and care plans (EHCPs). Mr Wild said: "Children with SEND who go to an independent school but do not have an education, health and care plan will have to pay the 20 per cent VAT - I would hope that people who are voting on this legislation might have understood that fairly fundamental point. That will make those places unaffordable for the parents of many, add pressures to the state system, with demand for places where there is no capacity, and squeeze council budgets. This is just another part of the education secretary's ideological approach, which seeks to divide. We on the Conservative benches care about all children. We simply believe that parents should be able to choose the school that is best for their child." Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray defended the policy, saying it is a necessary way to raise money for state education and public services. There were attempts to remove the VAT clause from the bill (Amendment 67), but these were rejected. Hansard.

Findings from a PA news agency survey of local authorities suggest more children are gaining places at their preferred secondary school in many areas in England. However, early data from councils indicate that in some parts of the country more than a quarter of children have missed out on their first choice – rising to more than a third of pupils in some London boroughs. Hundreds of thousands of youngsters across England learned yesterday which secondary school they will be joining this September, on what is commonly known as National Offer Day. By Eleanor Busby, The Independent.

A survey of 1,600 school leaders by the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) has found that over 80 per cent had suffered abuse from parents in the past year, with some experiencing threats, violence and relentless complaints that left them anxious, depressed, or considering leaving their roles. The union is urging ministers to review complaint procedures to stop parents from making unnecessary referrals to Ofsted and misconduct agencies before following school processes. By Jack Dyson, Schools Week. 

The number of obese children and teenagers in the UK is projected to rise by over 50 per cent by 2050, according to research published in The Lancet. The study highlights a significant increase among children as young as five. For girls aged 5 to 14, obesity rates are expected to climb from 12 per cent in 2021 to 18.4 per cent by 2050, marking a 53 per cent rise. For boys, rates are predicted to rise 57 per cent, from 9.9 per cent to 15.5 per cent in the same period. By Jane Kirby and Rachel Clun, The Independent. 

Bishop's Stortford College has said it is "extremely proud" of former student Charli XCX after she won five Brit Awards last weekend. College headmaster John Maguire praised the singer as an "exceptional pupil", and said the 32-year-old artist's success "shows the importance of music in schools". By Danny Fullbrook, BBC News.

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