Susan Acland-Hood, former permanent secretary to the Department for Education (DfE), told the Covid inquiry yesterday she was "confident" her team would have been able to deliver mass Covid testing in schools to ward off a second round of closures in January 2021. She also reflected Sir Gavin Williamson’s frustrations about not being involved in key decisions affecting schools. Schools Week summarises the key points from yesterday's hearing. By Ruth Lucas. 

Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, will today reveal plans for a new "ambition" for 90 per cent of children to reach the expected standard in phonics by 2029. Speaking at the Confederation of School Trusts annual conference, Ms Phillipson will also officially unveil proposals for a mandatory Year 8 reading test. Ministers have already set out a target for three quarters of pupils to be 'school ready' by 2028. Schools Week.

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) from poorer homes are less likely to secure an education, health and care plan (EHCP), according to new research from The Sutton Trust, which is warning of the "double disadvantage" facing young people from families who "are less able to navigate the system than more affluent parents". It is understood to be the first study to evidence the claim that families from wealthier backgrounds can access the SEND system more easily. The charity's survey, through Public First, also revealed 74 per cent of middle class parents had EHCPs granted without issue or after tribunal, compared to just 66 per cent of those with lower incomes. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week. 

The Court of Appeal has granted a coalition of Christian independent schools the right to challenge the government’s VAT on fees policy. Headteachers and families from independent Christian schools across the UK are bringing the challenge, including Emmanuel School in Derby and The King’s School in Hampshire. The win comes after their claim was dismissed by the High Court in June. Granting the appeal on all eight grounds, Lord Justice Lewis deemed it to have "compelling public interest". Michael Phillips, a consultant for the Christian Legal Centre, told Premier Christian News the "freedom" to send a child to an independent faith school should be as integral as the right to worship, describing the VAT policy as akin to "paying a tax to go to church". The challenge is separate to that which was backed by the ISC earlier this year. By Anna Rees Green.

Victims of grooming gangs have been let down by delays in implementing measures to protect them from sexual abuse, Professor Alexis Jay has warned. Professor Jay, who led the seven-year Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), said she was "disappointed" and "frustrated" that only two of her 20 recommendations had been enacted. Her main reform was to make it a criminal offence for regulated professionals working with children to fail to report abuse. Labour has included this in its Crime and Policing Bill, but it has yet to become law. Speaking to The Telegraph about the importance of prioritising the recommendations, she said: "We must protect these children." By Charles Hymas. 

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