The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, made her autumn Budget announcement yesterday. Highlighting the tax reforms introduced by Labour last year, Ms Reeves referred to the VAT on fees policy. Hansard will publish the chancellor’s full Budget speech later today.

The Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) report says Labour's VAT on fees policy will raise £40 million a year more than expected, while estimates for the number of children expected to leave the independent sector in the long term remain unchanged. Schools Week summarises everything schools need to know, including the government's pledge to absorb the rising cost of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision from 2028, and ending the two-child benefit cap. By Ruth Lucas. Tes also outlines all the key details for the sector. By Jabed Ahmed.

The chancellor also announced £820 million of funding to guarantee paid work placements for 18 to 21-year-olds who are "not earning or learning", known as Neets, for over 18 months. The funding will pay for three years of the Youth Guarantee scheme. By Sam Francis, BBC News. 

In an item aimed at younger viewers, BBC Newsround details the Budget's key changes, which include ministers' plans to increase funding to improve libraries for secondary schools.

An extensive report in The Guardian looks at the government's plans to take over complete responsibility for SEND spending from local councils. The announcement, revealed in yesterday's Budget, has prompted warnings that the Department for Education could face a £20 billion timebomb in two years. The OBR said the annual costs of SEND spending in England would reach £6 billion by 2028. Ministers must also decide how to deal with historical council SEND deficits, projected by the OBR to reach £14 billion by 2028. By Patrick Butler, Richard Adams and Rowena Mason. A similar article, which explores the future of SEND provision and its associated costs, is featured in iNews, by Connie Dimsdale.

Writing in Tes, Raheem Zafar, an experienced school leader who is working as an international peer accreditor, outlines the different forms of accreditation that international schools can choose, and suggests ways to make the most of the process. He writes: "The accreditation process should be fully embedded into the school’s improvement plan. When the school’s goals and development priorities align with the accreditation standards, progress becomes natural and sustainable."

During a House of Lords debate yesterday, Conservative peer Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie asked whether ministers consider the advancement of education a valid charitable purpose and why charities providing it are treated differently. Labour peer Baroness Twycross responded that the government has removed the VAT exemption for education and boarding services in independent schools and ended their eligibility for business rates and charitable relief, saying these measures are intended "to raise revenue to support the public finances and help deliver their commitments relating to education and young people". Hansard.

Hunter Hall School has launched an appeal to raise £180,000 amid concerns it could be forced to close within weeks. Speaking to BBC News, Paul Borrows, the school's headteacher, described the introduction of VAT on school fees as "huge", alongside the loss of charitable business rates relief and an increase in employer national insurance contributions. Describing the financial pressures facing Hunter Hall, Mr Borrows said: "It's all conspired against us. We don't have huge surpluses. We try to keep the fees as low as possible and if there is any money left over our priority is the children's education." A deadline of 3 December has been set to raise the money. By Simon Armstrong.

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