A feature in The Telegraph highlights the growing financial pressure on England’s historic cathedral schools in light of the news that Exeter Cathedral School is to close its prep school. Historian and writer Catherine Pepinster argues that the government's VAT on fees policy added strain to already tight budgets, putting at risk schools that are central to the country’s choral and educational heritage. Outlining her concerns about its effect on smaller independent schools as well as the wider sector, she says the policy risks "pushing schools even further into crisis, however much they try to limit the pressure on families struggling to pay for their child’s education". Speaking to the paper, Alastair Tighe, headmaster of Wells Cathedral School, warns that "VAT is of huge concern". Jonathan Mayes, chief executive of the Cathedral Music Trust, says cathedral music "is too important to lose" and that choir schools are essential to preserving the tradition. Additional reporting by Anna Tyzack.

Writing to The Sunday Telegraph, Jonathan Longstaff of East Sussex describes the "splendid" evensong he recently attended at Exeter Cathedral, where eight probationer choristers were welcomed into the choir. He shares his sadness to hear of the planned closure of the cathedral’s preparatory school, and criticises the "ill-thought-through, vindictive policy of charging VAT", which "is causing the closure of exceptional historic establishments". The letter appears just above halfway.

In an article in The Critic, writer Craig Drake examines the impact of Labour's VAT on fees policy one year after its introduction. Mr Drake argues "it is a worthwhile goal to have consumers see the private provision of education as something as unencumbered by prejudices as the free market providing choices of phone providers and services". Highlighting the ways in which independent schools improve choice, innovation and provision, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), he concludes: "It is imperative, then, that the focus should be on the huge amount of good that market-based solutions can do for all parents."

Bridget Phillipson is to launch a widespread review into antisemitism in schools and has promised to "leave no stone unturned" after Damien Egan, a Jewish MP, was prevented from visiting an academy. Ms Phillipson said the review would build on ministers' wider work to improve social cohesion and combat extremism, with the aim of ensuring "all schools and colleges have the right systems and processes in place to identify and respond to antisemitism and related issues". By Ben Clatworthy, The Times. 

An iNews investigation looks at the impact of school land sales on SEND provision, highlighting how councils under financial strain are selling or repurposing sites, including entire school buildings, to raise funds. Falling pupil numbers and ageing facilities make these decisions unavoidable in some areas, but campaigners warn the loss of land could limit capacity for children with SEND. Speaking to the paper, the Local Government Association (LGA) said: "Councils want to ensure that school buildings are retained for educational purposes, whether as early years settings or to support children with SEND in mainstream settings." An accompanying map displays closed school sites that were approved to be sold last year. By Connie Dimsdale.

Parents are reportedly being paid up to £5,000 a year to drive their children with SEND to school as councils try to reduce their reliance on million-pound taxi contracts. The number of parents given money to arrange their own child’s transport doubled (99 per cent) between 2021 and last year, according to the LGA, while use of school buses rose by just four per cent. The article includes several graphs and tables, with one showing Kent County Council topping the table for home-to-school transport spending for children with SEND. By Louise Eccles and Dan Atherton, The Sunday Times. 

Writing in Tes, Elaine Robinson, principal of Sir Manasseh Meyer International School in Singapore, shares practical tips for fostering compassionate leadership in schools. Emphasising listening and communication as essential skills, she notes: "By embedding these small, consistent actions into the fabric of school life, leaders can turn compassion from a slogan into a daily reality."

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