There is further coverage of the ISC pupil numbers survey, which shows that the North East has seen the sharpest decline in independent school pupils over the past 12 months. The region, where education secretary Bridget Phillipson’s Houghton and Sunderland South constituency is located, recorded a 5.9 per cent drop in pupil numbers between September 2024 and September 2025. In comparison, pupil numbers in the East Midlands fell by 1.5 per cent over the same period, while the West Midlands saw a decrease of 2.4 per cent. Scotland and Wales have also experienced proportionally large declines, with Scottish independent school pupil numbers down 5.6 per cent this year and numbers in Wales falling by 5.2 per cent. It is understood that independent schools in the areas most affected by falling enrolment are less able to absorb the additional tax burden, as they have been keeping costs down for parents who are less likely to afford a sudden rise in fees. These regions are seeing "a disproportionate fall in pupil numbers, limiting parental choice and placing further pressure on local state schools", warned Julie Robinson, chief executive of the ISC. A spokesperson for the ISC continued: "We have consistently said that the effect of a tax on education would not be felt evenly across the country, and that local demographics would come into play as parents and schools adapted to the new independent education landscape." By Connie Dimsdale, iNews.

More than six in ten teachers believe parents are seeking special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) diagnoses for their children to give them an advantage in exams, research carried out by YouGov on behalf of Bett has found. Secondary teachers in particular were more likely to believe SEND labels were being allocated too freely, with 44 per cent holding this view compared with just 24 per cent of primary staff. In the nationally representative poll of 1,023 primary and secondary school teachers at both state and independent schools, 72 per cent of respondents said the SEND framework was failing children, while 56 per cent feared ministers' upcoming reforms would further harm those with the most complex needs. Commenting on the findings, Duncan Verry, portfolio director at Bett, told The Times: "The data paints a picture of a profession grappling with impossible choices." By Georgia Lambert.

Leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch has said a future Conservative government would double England's apprenticeships budget to £6 billion a year by reducing university student numbers. Ms Badenoch will use her speech at the party's annual conference today to pledge the reintroduction of student number limits on "poor value" degrees with the "savings" being channelled towards apprenticeships and "worthwhile" courses. The Conservatives have yet to confirm which university courses would be at risk. By Shane Chowen, Schools Week. 

University representatives have criticised the plans, with Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, describing them as "economically illiterate". By Andrew Sparrow, The Guardian (8:11am). The paper is providing a live newsfeed from the Conservative Party conference, with updates throughout the day as speeches are delivered.

Earlier this month, the Scottish Education, Children and Young People Committee examined the Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill, with a particular focus on how schools report incidents of pupil restraint or seclusion to parents. During the debate, Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS) board member Gavin Calder was invited to share the independent sector's perspective. Highlighting that independent schools increasingly have pupils with identified special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), Mr Calder emphasised the need to include them "whether the intervention involves a physical hold or seclusion". He added: "Yes, the parents have a right to know and be part of that conversation, but... so, too, do the young people. They are crucial in this." The Scottish Parliament. 

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