William Goldsmith, headmaster of Packwood Haugh, has a letter published in The Telegraph following the news that fishing is to be taught in schools. Expressing his full support for the subject being introduced in GCSE, BTEC and A-level courses, Mr Goldsmith says fishing has "tremendous benefits for all children", and points to research showing it can be particularly beneficial to those who are neurodivergent. He concludes: "I hope this isn’t only considered a non-academic route, because the opportunity to connect with nature should be part of a whole-person education." The letter appears below halfway.

The government's skills white paper was published yesterday, with details on new "stepping stone" resit qualifications, V-levels, and a 16-to-19 funding review. Schools Week provides school leaders with a summary of the policy paper, which was issued alongside a consultation on how proposed new V-levels would work. By Billy Camden and Shane Chowen.

BBC News answers viewers’ questions about the reforms, including why V-levels are being introduced and when they are expected to launch. By Hayley Clarke.

Boris Johnson told the Covid inquiry yesterday that children paid a "huge price" to protect others during the pandemic. Reiterating an earlier apology for things the government got wrong, the former prime minister said he was proud of what teachers and schools did to cope with the "unbelievably difficult" circumstances. Mr Johnson said "the speed at which the disease was progressing" made it harder to plan around, adding that the key focus was on trying to avoid an "appalling public health crisis". By Nathan Standley, BBC News. 

Schools Week summarises the evidence presented at yesterday's Covid inquiry hearing, during which Mr Johnson said he "takes full responsibility" for all decisions taken and mistakes made, but denies systematic failures. By Ruth Lucas. 

Treasury sources have told The Telegraph that despite more pupils moving into the state sector than predicted following the imposition of VAT on fees, ministers believe they are "on track to raise the revenue forecast if not slightly exceed it". Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also confirmed that the Office for Budget Responsibility will publish updated figures on how much the tax would raise ahead of the Budget. Reiterating the Conservative Party's commitment to reversing the policy, Saqib Bhatti, the shadow education minister, said: "Labour’s education tax is punishing children. Schools are closing, fees are rising and kids are being forced to move." He warned: "We will inevitably end up with lower standards across the board and we will see even more pressure on the public sector, including special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision." Echoing Mr Bhatti's concerns, Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, told The Telegraph: "Independent schools continue to work to improve education for 100 per cent of children while keeping fees as low as possible for parents, despite the choice to tax education." She added: "Nevertheless, the fall in pupil numbers has been eight times what the government had predicted by this point and state school budgets continue to be cut. It is hard to see how this policy is benefitting anyone, least of all the children who have had their education disrupted." Describing the impact of compounding financial pressures facing the independent sector, Nicholas Pietrek, headmaster of Stafford Grammar School, said: "The increase of National Insurance, minimum wage and business rates have had a huge impact on every school. I don’t believe there is anyone in the independent sector who sees this as a tax grab but rather as an ideological move against independent schools." By Pieter Snepvangers.

An estimated £1 billion is being spent on continuing professional development (CPD) each year, but access and quality problems mean "many hundreds of millions of pounds are wasted every year", a new report from the Teacher Development Trust (TDT) has warned. More than 1,000 teachers and leaders were polled for the TDT's "state of CPD" report, which aims to better understand the continuing professional development landscape. The trust is urging government and school leaders to ensure all staff can access "high-quality, relevant" CPD. By Lydia Chantler-Hicks, Schools Week.

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