Malvern St James School in Worcestershire is to close amid increasing financial pressures caused in part by the introduction of the VAT on fees policy. The school was taken over by The Galaxy Global Education Group in February last year. Its new owners previously said they planned to continue the school's legacy and ethos but in April announced it would be closing due to financial challenges. All proposals to take on the school were explored but none would give "sufficient certainty" to the school's long-term future, a spokesperson for Galaxy Global said. By David Lumb and Shannen Headley, BBC News. 

News of the closure of Malvern St James has also been covered by The Telegraph in the context of a wider article about foreign buyers of UK independent schools. Lucy Harris, a former Brexit Party member of the European Parliament, told BBC Politics Live last week she thinks the issue poses a security threat. "You have foreign investors buying up independent and public schools who have access to our educational institutions," she said, adding: "I'm worried about that back door for foreign investors getting into our educational systems because the Labour Party has increased taxes." By Albert Tait.

As Prince George prepares to go to Eton College this September, The Times looks at the impact of rising costs, falling international demand and changing attitudes to parenting on all-boys traditional boarding schools. Mark Broadway, owner of Moyles Court School, a coeducational day and boarding school in the New Forest that is to close this summer after 63 years, tells the paper the economics of low-fee boarding had become unsustainable under Labour’s policies. "We tried to absorb some of the cost of 20 per cent VAT, but with the increase in teachers’ pension contributions, national insurance and minimum wage, it was about a 30 per cent hit in one year. As a small school with no economies of scale, the Labour government has closed us down," he says. By Nicola Woolcock and Georgia Lambert. 

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

Schools should not conflate bad pupil behaviour with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), education secretary Bridget Phillipson has warned. Her comments come ahead of guidance being published tomorrow, which is expected to make it clear that pupils must never be removed from the classroom to an inclusion base as a form of punishment. In an interview with The Times, Ms Phillipson said: "Every child deserves to walk into school feeling like they belong there, and confident they will get the help they need to succeed. Inclusion bases, used properly, will be pivotal. The days of using these spaces as a sanction are over." By Nicola Woolcock.

On the issue of the government's SEND reforms, iNews looks at what Greater Manchester's former mayor, Andy Burnham, could mean for education, particularly special needs provision, should he become prime minister. Speaking to the paper earlier this month, Mr Burnham said he wants to overhaul support for SEND, warning that children "find their needs are not met and they drift away from the labour market". In December, he told PoliticsHome that the SEND system should eventually "move away from" education, health and care plans (EHCPs) since they add "much greater fragmentation to an already fragmented landscape". By Alexa Phillips.

Older teenagers should face curfews on scrolling on their phones at night, Lord Nash has said. In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, the former education minister urged ministers to introduce laws forcing the tech firms to deny under 18s access to "addictive" features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay after the watershed of 9pm. Lord Nash's endorsement of further sanctions is significant because it was his campaign in the House of Lords that set off a chain of events ultimately leading to the government announcing the social media ban for under-16s last Monday. By Charles Hymas.

Ofsted's new colour-coded school report cards are putting teachers at risk, a survey of 100 school leaders who have experienced inspections under the new system has found. Almost 70 per cent of participants said inspections had a negative impact on their wellbeing, while nearly two-thirds did not see the new framework as an improvement on the previous one. The inspectorate introduced its new report framework last November after scrapping single-word judgments following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry. By Albert Tait, The Telegraph.

BBC News offers advice on helping children keep cool and safe this summer and beyond. Tips include boosting water intake through food and not relying on once-a-day sunscreen. "The advice is to smother your child with at least SPF 30 and four stars, about 30 minutes before you go outside. Then reapply every two hours while avoiding the hottest part of the day," the article states. An accompanying graphic displays the signs of heat-related illnesses. By Philippa Roxby.

The winners of the Tes Schools Awards 2026, which recognise the schools and teachers whose work is transforming outcomes for children across the UK, have been announced at the paper's annual celebration ceremony. Winners were selected by a panel of experienced school leaders and experts across 23 categories covering leadership, teaching, wellbeing, pupil outcomes and innovation. Headteacher of the Year (Independent) was awarded to Michelle Catterson, head at Moon Hall School, Reigate. Independent Prep School of the Year was presented to Caterham Prep, while Independent Senior School of the Year went to RGS Worcester. By Cerys Turner. 

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) monitors the national and educational press in order to keep independent schools up-to-date with relevant education news. The DNS is a service primarily for schools in membership of ISC associations, although other interested parties can choose to sign-up. We endeavour to include relevant news and commentary and, wherever possible, notable public letters. Where capacity allows, we may include links to ISC blogs, press statements and information about school or association events. News stories are selected based on their relevance to the independent sector as a whole. Editorial control of the DNS remains solely with the ISC.

Sign-up to the email service is available on our website.

Members can contact the ISC if they know in advance of news, letters or opinions that are likely to feature in the media, or are aware of existing coverage which they would like to see featured in the DNS.

Headlines and first-line summaries are written by the ISC with the link directing to the source material. You should read and comply with the terms and conditions of the websites to which we link.