This month's Independent Schools Magazine profiles Mark Taylor, chair of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and bursar at The King's School, Canterbury. During the interview, Mark reflects on his career in the military before moving into the education sector. Asked about the financial challenges facing independent schools, he says "innovation is the key". On the impact of the VAT on fees policy on applications for the Continuity of Education Allowance, Mr Taylor says the tax has not yet triggered a "big rise" although he expects interest to grow. "I was proud to support ISC's campaign highlighting VAT's impact on military parents. Supporting those who serve isn't just policy – it's a responsibility I feel strongly about," he explains. Asked about the importance of cross-sector partnerships, Mr Taylor says many independent schools "exist precisely to widen opportunity" and play a key role in areas of "clear government concern", including the provision of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). "Every day, schools work alongside state partners through more than 9,000 partnerships, sharing facilities, specialist teaching, and ideas that improve outcomes well beyond their own pupils," he adds.

Children should not automatically be sent home if they are suspended from school in England and could instead remain on the premises, ministers have said. Explaining the decision, which would see on-site suspensions used for pupils who had not been violent, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "Suspensions will always play a critical role in helping heads manage poor behaviour, but time at home today can too easily mean children retreating to social media, gaming and the online world." An accompanying graph shows persistent disruptive behaviour was the most common reason for school suspensions in 2023–24 (50.8 per cent). By Hazel Shearing, BBC News.

Parents, teachers and young people speak to The Guardian about whether they feel social media restrictions would work in the UK. Sharing her experience, Julia*, a student from Stirling, explains that during her early teens the barrage of content on platforms such as Instagram left her feeling "terrified of making mistakes" and worsened her social anxiety. Unconvinced that the proposed social media ban for under-16s is the solution, she adds: "Rather than just focusing on the impact it has on children, there should be a social media overhaul that affects everyone, because in the long run, it would also improve the lives of young people." *Names have been changed. By Nicola Slawson and Jane Clinton.

In an opinion piece in The Times, columnist Alice Thomson urges ministers to ban smartphones in school and argues that outlawing artificial intelligence (AI) for under-16s should be next. Ms Thomson highlights the example of St Edward's School, Oxford where teachers have seen instant results since banning the use of all electronic devices during the week until the sixth form. Staff have reported a 10-percentage-point improvement in pupils’ reported happiness at school, library book loans have gone up by 33 per cent and children are signing up for more sport and music lessons. Endorsing such measures and calling on the government to act before AI compounds the problem, Ms Thomson says: "We need to act immediately, before AI overwhelms the next generation."

Senior pupils at Gordonstoun will be on call 24/7 to help HM Coastguard with arranging the response to emergency search-and-rescue incidents across north-east Scotland, with the school becoming the first in the UK to provide such support. The team, which includes eight pupils aged 17-18, will play a "behind-the-scenes" role, supporting the Coastguard with communications and logistics during emergencies. Commenting on the initiative, team member Molly Warren said the group has been training hard. "We feel we have a lot to offer and hope that our year will be the first of many from Gordonstoun to support HM Coastguard on live search and rescues," she added. By Lucinda Cameron, The Independent. 

Parents of disabled children fear the government’s reforms to SEND education in England could mean they lose vital support, according to a new survey from disability charity Sense. The poll, which questioned 1,000 parents of children with multiple complex needs including deafblind, autism and physical impairment, found that half of respondents "feel nervous" about the upcoming reforms, with 45 per cent saying they are "worried my child’s support will be taken away" in any changes. Commenting on the findings, James Watson-O’Neill, chief executive of Sense, said ministers "must listen to families and use this moment to build a properly funded SEND system, where children’s legal rights to education are protected". By Richard Adams, The Guardian. 

Labour has been urged to protect education, health and care plans (EHCPs) for children with SEND, with the two largest education unions warning the government against weakening children's legal rights. iNews understands that at least one education union has not ruled out joint action with others, putting more pressure on the government if its reform of the system turns out to be "unworkable". Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said teachers are operating in a "climate of underfunding, lack of staffing and inadequate access to specialists". As such, he said taking away entitlements to EHCPs "will reduce children’s rights and leave schools with greater gaps in already stretched budgets". By Connie Dimsdale and Cahal Milmo.

The Guardian meets the family of Harvey Hind, a five-year-old deafblind boy who is now thriving at a special school after a difficult start in mainstream education. Harvey's mother Kimberly explains how they fought for more than a year to secure an EHCP, and says the family is worried government reforms could undo his progress. Expressing her concern, Ms Hind asks: "Are we going to go backwards? The barriers we’ve spent so long breaking down, are they going to rebuild them again?" By Sally Weale. 

As the number of children with speech and language challenges grows, Tes visits Dawn House School in Nottinghamshire, a specialist setting for children aged 5-19, to explore the techniques it uses to support learning – and how these could be adopted more widely. "Everything we do around the therapeutic needs of our young people sits on top of the curriculum," says Jenny McConnell, the school's principal. By Ellen Peirson-Hagger.

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