Answers have been provided to a number of questions submitted in the House of Lords by Lord Lexden, president of the Independent Schools Association. In his first question, Lord Lexden asked ministers for the total number of pupils with special educational needs who are being educated in independent schools inspected by Ofsted. Responding, Labour peer Baroness Smith of Malvern referred to government data that shows there are around 30,000 pupils with identified special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) either with or without an education, health and care plan attending independent schools inspected by Ofsted, out of a total school population of 9,032,426. She added: "The department does not collect or hold data on the number of places in independent schools that are fully funded by local authorities." The same answer was given to Lord Lexden's question on how many pupils in Ofsted-inspected independent schools have places fully funded by local authorities.

Lord Lexden also asked ministers for the total sum raised so far by the VAT on fees policy, and how many extra teachers have been recruited as a result. Baroness Smith cited the Treasury's Tax Information and Impact Note, which estimates that the policy will raise £1.7 billion a year by 2029/30 after accounting for any shift of pupils into the state sector.

In response to Lord Lexden’s question on whether ministers intend to change the role or functions of the Independent Schools Inspectorate, Baroness Smith said there are currently no such plans. Hansard.

Classroom debating is set to be added to the state curriculum across most subjects, rather than being "the preserve" of independent schools, education secretary Bridget Phillipson has said. In the revised curriculum, the Department for Education is expected to add more specific requirements to ensure pupils are developing oral skills in more subjects. Explaining the move, Ms Phillipson said: "From stretching our brightest pupils to building critical skills among those who are disengaged, embedding oracy right across our curriculum will enable every child to find their voice and step into life and work with confidence." Ministers are not, however, expected to make more oral testing compulsory. By Louise Eccles, The Sunday Times. 

The ISC has today published the latest Celebrating Partnerships booklet, an annual publication showcasing inspiring examples of collaborative programmes taking place between state and independent schools.

A digital 'flipbook' version of the booklet can be accessed here. Alternatively, click here to download a PDF of the publication. 

More than 126,000 teachers in English state schools, 25 per cent of the workforce, are now working flexibly according to data analysed by The Telegraph. The figures mark an increase from 21 per cent in 2020/21, showing an extra 22,000 teachers have switched to part-time work in that timeframe. According to the figures, the South West of England has the highest rate (32 per cent) of part-time teachers of any region in England. The paper examines schools’ shift to flexible working, with Bridget Phillipson announcing in May that teachers could mark pupils’ work from home. Critics warn that increasing flexibility is leading to timetable gaps filled by costly supply staff and disruption to students’ learning. By Poppy Wood.

More than a quarter (26.9 per cent) of five-year-olds in England still have rotten teeth, according to analysis of the latest government data by scientists from the universities of Leeds and Sheffield. Some regions have been particularly affected, for example, West Yorkshire, where 950 school days were lost for dental reasons across nine schools in just one academic year. The article is followed by a short piece looking at the benefits and risks of teeth-cleaning fads. By Xantha Leatham, Daily Mail. 

Reforms to England’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision have stalled, posing a "threat to children", an unnamed insider has warned. The expert, who is advising the Department for Education on the reforms, also told iNews that discussions are "going around in circles” with ministers "paralysed" by the thought of another policy failure. Commenting on ministers' plans, Margaret Mulholland, SEND and inclusion specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said delaying until January is "a good thing" if it means the reforms are better, but "we can’t keep kicking the can down the road". By Connie Dimsdale.

In a feature looking at the issue of SEND education across Wales, BBC News meets Helen, the mother of 12-year-old Joe, one of hundreds of children who fall in "the gap" between managing in mainstream school and qualifying for dedicated additional learning needs settings in Wales. Helen does not want to de-register her son, who is autistic and awaiting an ADHD assessment, from school because this could result in home-schooling and she is not a teacher. Describing the battle she has faced, she says: "I've engaged with every single service there is and they just kind of back away, there's not really any help for the gap children." Responding, the Welsh government said a "programme of actions is under way", including more funding, training and updated information and advice for parents. By Catriona Aitken.

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