In a written question in the House of Commons, Conservative MP and Opposition Assistant Whip Ben Obese-Jecty asked how much money has been raised by the addition of VAT to school fees in the 2024/25 financial year. Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray replied: "The Annex to the Government Response to the Technical Note sets out the expected VAT revenue resulting from this measure and the costing methodology. The government estimates that it will raise £460 million in 2024/25, rising to £1,725 million in 2029/30." Hansard.

In a letter to The Times, principal and CEO of Stamford School Mark Steed says there is a "compelling argument" for using artificial intelligence (AI) to ease teacher workload and boost retention, but that "confining it to administrative tasks would miss an opportunity". He suggests AI avatars could be used to deliver "interactive, personalised learning", enabling teachers to "focus on developing understanding, oracy and other aspects of school life". The letter appears above halfway.

The Department for Education (DfE) is reviewing whether education, health and care plans (EHCPs) remain the best approach for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a senior adviser has said. Speaking at a panel discussion at the Schools and Academies Show, Dame Christine Lenehan, the DfE’s strategic adviser on SEND, questioned if the system introduced in 2014 is still fit for purpose, noting that major reforms and a wide consultation are expected soon. Dame Christine said the system has "expanded and expanded" and suggested that most pupils with an EHCP in place "don’t need health and care, they need a really good, focused education". By John Roberts, Tes. 

Writing in Tes, Dr Darren Paffey suggests lessons could be learned from the strength of Canada's SEND system. Dr Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen and part of the Commons Education Select Committee investigating the SEND support crisis, says: "As for the all-important question of funding, the amount spent on each child with SEND in Canada is broadly similar to the UK, so what’s viable there is also possible here."

Mental health support teams will be widened to cover almost a million more children by March 2026, ministers have announced. The Department for Education (DfE) has said it will invest £49 million to ensure that six in 10 pupils - incorporating an additional 900,000 pupils - will have access to a mental health support team by next year. The rollout will be prioritised based on NHS assessments of local need, with the most vulnerable young people receiving support first. According to data released by the DfE, mental health support teams currently cover 54 per cent of pupils. By Cerys Turner, Tes. Writing in The Telegraph, education secretary Bridget Phillipson and health secretary Wes Streeting outline the government's plans in more detail, which include the introduction of resilience lessons for children with the aim of teaching them to show some "grit". The article appears directly after the news item by Poppy Wood.

In light of the news that more children are set to gain access to school-based mental health support this year, Schools Week looks at whether this suggests ministers are delivering their pledges, which include reducing waiting times and the creation of a new national network of "Young Futures" hubs. By Lydia Chantler-Hicks.

Two health experts writing in The Independent highlight the dangers of vaping, which has reportedly caused an American teenager to develop the medical condition known as "popcorn lung". Officially termed bronchiolitis obliterans, this rare but serious and irreversible disease damages the narrow airways in the lungs, leading to problems including persistent coughing and breathlessness. Donal O'Shea and Gerry McElvaney warn of the consequences associated with inhaling chemicals through vaping, a habit that has become increasingly popular among teenagers. To help reduce these risks, they recommend "regulations, clear labelling, stricter ingredient testing, and educational campaigns". Donal O'Shea and Gerry McElvaney are both professors at Dublin's RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

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