In a written question in the House of Commons, Conservative MP Blake Stephenson asked if Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, will estimate the annual impact on the public purse of one child attending an independent school. In a separate question, he asked whether ministers will assess the impact of offering vouchers or tax rebates to parents who send their children to independent schools costing less per pupil than a state school place. Mr Blake enquired as to what effect this could have on the public purse, class sizes in state schools, the wellbeing of pupils who are subject to bullying, and children with SEND.

In response to both questions, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Olivia Bailey said: "The department does not hold this information. Decisions on private school fees are for private schools to make as private businesses. Matters of taxation are for HMRC." Hansard.

The Department for Education (DfE) has issued an "important safety alert" to schools over pupils "deliberately" ingesting copper sulphate. The warning was made after CLEAPSS, an advisory service supporting the safety of design and technology, reported increasing calls to its helpline. The organisation said the "most concerning" incidents involved school students "deliberately" consuming the compound. The DfE is advising schools to enforce safety rules, including maintaining strict no eating or drinking policies in laboratories and preparation rooms. By Kyle Tormey, Tes.

One in seven schools received Ofsted's highest rating in the first wave of report cards published today under its new inspection framework. Following major reforms last year, schools are now rated on a five-point scale across at least six evaluation areas, and no longer receive a single overall effectiveness grade. Three out of the 21 schools with published reports received an "exceptional" grade in at least one of their evaluation areas. By Cerys Turner, Tes.

Writing in Tes, Ben Russell, principal of Leigh Academy Halley, reflects on how his school's report reflects seven years of hard work. "Our Ofsted outcome is a vindication of the approach we believe in and testament to the hard work of all of our staff in every role," he writes.

In an article for The Telegraph, writer and journalist Philip Womack warns that school closures driven by financial pressures such as Labour's VAT on fees policy will inevitably contribute to "the continued decline in the teaching of Classics". Arguing all pupils should have the opportunity to study Latin, he says: "Latin should be a vital part of the state school curriculum... It is beautiful, in and of itself. And beauty should be available to everyone."

Bridget Phillipson met with parents and educators yesterday to discuss the government's plans to overhaul special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in schools. During a visit to Birmingham where she hosted a roundtable discussion about the future of provision across the West Midlands, Ms Phillipson told BBC Midlands Today that more than £60 million would go towards creating places in the region. "Critically, what we're trying to do here is make sure we have the places ready as quickly as possible but also making sure we have specialist provision in the mainstream too," she said. By Amy Cole and Alex McIntyre.

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