Twelve independent schools have blamed the government's VAT on fees policy for forcing their closure since it was first presented. According to Department for Education statistics, 77 independent schools and independent specialist schools in England have closed since Labour announced in October 2023 that VAT would be applied to fees within its first year in power. The Telegraph reports that four schools have cited the tax policy as the direct cause of their closure, while another eight have announced plans to shut in the coming months, also attributing the decision to VAT. Roisin Maguire, who was the headteacher of St Joseph's Preparatory in Stoke-on-Trent before its closure last December, is quoted as saying the school was forced to shut because parents "simply could not manage an extra 20 per cent" on fees. Speaking earlier this year, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Julie Robinson said the impact of the government’s VAT policy would increase "over the coming months and years". She warned: "It is true that a small number of schools close every year. But it is equally true that the government’s triple tax whammy on independent schools will prove a bridge too far for schools already under financial pressure." Several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations are mentioned and reference is made to the legal challenge being brought by the ISC. By Poppy Wood.

Hertsmere MP Sir Oliver Dowden has said he is "extremely concerned" by reports that St Hilda's School in Bushey may close due to the government's VAT on fees policy. "This is the second casualty of Labour's schools tax in Bushey alone," he said, describing the policy as "deeply misguided". The former deputy prime minister also warned that Labour's VAT policy is creating "anxiety for families", adding: "I know people who have worked very hard to send their children to these schools. In this part of Hertfordshire, there is a very diverse range of schools, with many families from the Hindu community working hard to send their children there, alongside a large Jewish community. It’s a very mixed cohort." By Louise Parry, BBC News.

In a written question in the House of Commons, Labour MP Connor Naismith asked what steps ministers are taking to inform members of the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) who are in (a) final salary and (b) career average schemes of their right to retire at 55. Responding, education minister Catherine McKinnell said: "The administrator for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme provides a new starter guide for all new members. The guide can be accessed here." Ms McKinnell added that the guide explains retirement benefits can be accessed from age 55, and ministers are reviewing the impact of raising the Normal Minimum Pension Age in April 2028, with any changes to be communicated once decided. Hansard.

Writing in Tes, general secretary of The Heads' Conference (HMC) Simon Hyde details how independent schools have responded to the new inspection framework, and explains why any change inevitably brings unforeseen consequences. Dr Hyde concludes: "Inspection remains an important and necessary ingredient of the school system and if we have not yet found the perfect framework, that will not stop us from trying."

Girls in all-girls sixth forms are four times as likely to apply for mathematics courses at university and 40 per cent more likely to apply for engineering courses than their co-educated peers, research suggests. Commissioned by the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA), a new report has found that 50 per cent of girls’ school alumnae have worked in a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)-related field at some point in their careers, despite women currently making up only eight per cent of the overall STEM workforce. Donna Stevens, chief executive of the GSA, said: "Girls from GSA schools break barriers, and this is particularly shown in our girls’ uptake of, and success in, STEM subjects… Our confident and capable young women, with their extraordinary academic achievements, are a continued testament to the enduring power and purpose of girls’ schools." Independent School Management Plus. 

Girls will no longer be placed in young offender institutions with immediate effect, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced. Justice minister Sir Nic Dakin said yesterday that ministers were ending the practice following recommendations from a review of their care in youth custody. The review found girls were often vulnerable and suffering from complex mental and physical problems, which meant that although they made up just two per cent of under-18s in youth custody, they accounted for more than half of self-harm incidents. Girls will now be held in secure children’s homes or secure schools as the most appropriate settings in which to deal with their vulnerabilities. By Charles Hymas, The Telegraph.

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