Christian San José, head of Wycliffe College, has warned that the government’s decision to levy VAT on fees has triggered an "arms race" to attract pupils, with many now investing heavily in marketing as a result of the increasing financial pressure. Speaking to iNews, Mr José said his school had made the decision to freeze fees at the beginning of this academic year to "remain affordable as a product". "It was a pretty straightforward decision to send a very clear message to our parent body that we are thinking of them," he said, adding: "We know that the VAT imposition has caused a lot of pain." Echoing his concerns, Elizabeth Knight, head of Wycliffe Preparatory School, said: "The amount that schools are paying marketeers now compared to what they were two years ago is vastly different because they realise that that’s an area that they really need to heavily invest in." By Connie Dimsdale. 

Exeter Cathedral School, which was founded in the 12th century, has announced the closure of its preparatory school from September for Years 3 to 8. In a statement released last week, the school described the decision to close as "extremely difficult" and blamed financial pressures that "many small independent schools are currently facing". It did not say if the government's new taxes were behind its decision. The cathedral’s choristers will be moved to Exeter School, another local independent school. The Telegraph quotes David Morton, chair of the Choir Schools' Association, who warned before the general election that imposing VAT on fees would "damage the national heritage" by limiting the ability of choir schools to recruit choristers from poorer backgrounds through scholarships and bursaries. The article refers to recent analysis by the ISC, which revealed that 105 schools had ceased operating since the policy was introduced, including 15 which had been merged with others. By Noah Eastwood.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Andy Preston, former mayor of Middlesbrough, criticises Labour's decision to scrap plans for a new sixth form fronted by Eton College and Star Academies, a multi-academy trust. Mr Preston says the college would have "injected new money and energy to help more great things happen... Only good would have come from this." While the project will not come to fruition in Middlesborough, the government has approved plans for Eton Star Partnership colleges in Dudley and Oldham. By Pieter Snepvangers.

A number of schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations are mentioned in this weekend's coverage.

Parents of under-fives in England are to be offered official advice on how long their children should spend watching TV or looking at computer screens after government research found that about 98 per cent of children under two were watching screens on a daily basis. The findings also revealed that children with the highest screen time – around five hours a day – could say significantly fewer words than those at the other end of the scale who watched for around 44 minutes. Ministers plan to publish their first guidance on screen time for the age group in April. By Tom McArthur, BBC News.

The popularity of Netflix hit show Stranger Things has been welcomed by the Institute of Physics as a way of boosting the uptake of physics, inspiring young people to take the subject so they can learn more about exotic matter, wormholes and string theory, which featured heavily in the plot. Speaking to The Times, Andrew Brown, associate director of education for maths at Queen’s University Belfast, said: "A lot of people will come to a subject like physics because they have seen or heard something which captured their imagination, such as space. Having these ideas out there helps to capture people’s imagination. This might be their gateway into physics." By Nicola Woolcock.

Sir Keir Starmer is being urged not to diminish the legal rights of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by a new national campaign backed by the actor Sally Phillips and a cross-party group of Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative MPs. Save Our Children’s Rights says the prime minister is "considering taking our legal rights away" as part of plans to reform SEND provision in the forthcoming schools white paper for England. The coalition of campaigners is also delivering a petition with 130,000 signatures in support of the existing legal assessment and support for pupils with SEND. By Richard Adams, The Guardian.

In the latest episode of BBC podcast SEND in the Spotlight, host Nuala McGovern speaks to Tom Rees, former headteacher and CEO of Ormiston academies, who chairs the Department for Education’s Expert Advisory Group on Inclusion. Mr Rees is also the father of a child with Down's Syndrome. Also featured are Marsha Martin, founder of Black SEN Mamas, as well as Kellie Bright, an actor and parent of a child with SEND, who discuss the key issues around SEND provision. 

Too many children are being home educated in England out of "desperation" because parents feel there is no alternative, Sir Martyn Oliver, the chief inspector for Ofsted, has warned. While countries such as Germany, Greece, the Netherlands and Sweden prohibit home schooling, the UK has some of the most relaxed regulations in Europe. Highlighting the important role schools play, he said: "There’s a lot more to schools than just academic knowledge. It’s the interaction with your peers and growing up and socialising. It’s a huge part of the week." On top of the 112,000 children who are home schooled, Ofsted estimates a further 39,000 are "missing in education" and 41,000 are on part-time timetables. An accompanying map shows the proportion of children being home schooled, by local authority. By Louise Eccles and Matilda Davies, The Sunday Times. 

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