The Catholic Church in England and Wales has criticised the government's VAT on fees policy for disrupting the lives of children. In a rare public intervention, it condemned ministers for targeting its schools, which it said charge below-average fees and admit a larger number of bursary pupils. The Catholic Education Service, which represents the Bishops’ national education policy, also said young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) were particularly at risk since parents were more likely to send their children to faith schools due to the lower fees and pastoral care. Analysis of 50 independent school closures by The Telegraph shows 20 per cent were Catholic institutions, which is more than double the proportion of Catholic schools nationally. The paper is aware of 10 Catholic independent schools – collectively educating more than 2,000 pupils – that have blamed the tax policy for their closure. Paul Barber, director of the Catholic Education Service, warned: "These schools also provide for children with SEND, many without local authority-funded education, health and care plans (EHCPs). They will have had their education disrupted as a result of displacement, either because their parents were unable to afford the VAT-induced increase to fees, or because of their school closing." Echoing the concerns, a senior Catholic Conservative MP said: "I dislike the whole policy. Regardless of who you are and whether you have a faith or not, taxing education is just a bad idea. Almost nobody else in the world does it." By Pieter Snepvangers.

In a letter to The Telegraph, Matthew Burke, chairman of the Catholic Independent Schools' Conference, warns of a "highly concerning trend" of faith school closures caused by the VAT policy. Mr Burke notes that smaller faith-based schools serving families of modest means and children with additional needs are being lost, and urges education secretary Bridget Phillipson to uphold her "duty to all children in all schools across the country". He concludes: "It is time for an honest assessment of what has truly been achieved by Labour’s VAT policy, and what is being lost – not just financially, but also in terms of the life chances of young people nationwide." The letter appears at the end of the page.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Richard Cairns, principal of Brighton College, reflects on the impact of the VAT on fees policy. "There’s no doubt there’s – devastation is a strong word – but there is devastation in parts of the country. Large schools are being bought out, are merging, laying people off, and we won’t see the full impact for two or three years – but it’s as quick as two or three years," he says. The school recently announced it will be opening new campuses in Europe. Commenting on the benefits of this expansion, Mr Cairns says: "We have quite a few kids on what we call the ‘opening doors’ scheme. They get 120 per cent scholarships – all of that’s funded by our overseas schools. And we also funded 25 Ukrainian refugees from that." In his concluding remarks, Mr Cairns urges ministers to protect best practice in all schools, state and independent. By Poppy Wood.

Writing to The Sunday Times, Alastair Chirnside, warden at St Edward's School, Oxford, argues that the VAT on fees policy and recent cuts to funding for the International Baccalaureate are undermining opportunities for state school pupils. Mr Chirnside warns that such policies run counter to the government’s own goals of preparing pupils for study and work, stating: "It is hard to see any evidence of Phillipson making decisions that increase opportunities for children in the state sector." The letter appears below halfway.

New vocational courses, named V-levels, are to be introduced for 16-year-olds under ministers' plans to simplify a "confusing landscape" of qualifications in England. V-levels will replace Level 3 BTECs and other post-16 technical qualifications, and are part of government plans to reduce the number of teenagers resitting maths and English GCSEs by introducing a new "stepping stone" qualification. The proposals come after prime minister Sir Keir Starmer stressed the importance of vocational training, announcing a target for two thirds of young people to go to university or study a technical qualification. Ministers still expect pupils taking the new qualification to work towards resitting their GCSEs, although not everyone will. By Hazel Shearing, BBC News.

Fishing will be introduced into the school curriculum for the first time through a new Ofqual-regulated course, Angling and Countryside, at an equivalent to GCSE, BTEC, and A level. Developed by the Countryside Alliance Foundation’s Fishing for Schools programme, the qualification aims to give students opportunities beyond the classroom. Praising the move, Jamie Cook, chief executive of the Angling Trust, said: "Angling offers a unique route into the natural world for young people, including those who may not thrive in traditional classroom settings." By Samuel Montgomery, The Telegraph.

In the ISC's latest blog, Simon Severino, head of Alleyn’s Junior School, shares how his school community comes together to celebrate black heritage and culture, both in the month of October and all year round.

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