This week's Friday Feature highlights King Edward’s School (KES Bath), which is celebrating the impressive achievement of former pupil Hester Poole, who has been selected to compete for ParalympicsGB at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games. Hester, 18, is making her Paralympic debut in the Visually Impaired Para Alpine Slalom and Giant Slalom events, racing with her guide, Ali Hall.

Hester first discovered skiing on the dry slope at Mendip at the age of six and progressed rapidly through national pathways, making her international debut at 12. She rose through the GB Snowsport Para Alpine Development Squad to the World Cup circuit and is now part of an exciting new generation of British para-athletes.

Alongside her sporting success, Hester achieved straight A* grades in her A levels and has secured a place at the University of Cambridge to study English. Reflecting on her journey, Hester thanked KES staff for their belief and support and said: "It certainly takes a school to send a student to the Paralympic Games."

Martin Boden, the school's headmaster, praised Hester’s achievement, saying the school is "immensely proud".

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Writing in Tes, Richard Watts, a teacher of business at Richard Taunton Sixth Form College in Southampton, warns that while artificial intelligence (AI) can be a huge help for teachers, it must not replace the hard-won professional wisdom that educators bring to the classroom. "The question is not whether AI belongs in education. It is whether we are willing to decide when it should be introduced and what must be built first," Mr Watts concludes.

Three quarters of senior leaders say challenging behaviour from parents has negatively affected their mental health, according to a new survey by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL). The research, released as the association begins its annual conference in Liverpool today, asked 1,759 members about their experiences of parental behaviour over the past year. Most school leaders (88 per cent) said parental behaviour has increased their workload and distracted them from teaching and learning, while 78 per cent reported that it has harmed their mental health and wellbeing. The findings have prompted ASCL president Jo Rowley to call for a national campaign encouraging parents to support their children’s schools and colleges. School Management Plus.

An incident at a secondary school near Norwich in which a teenage girl was stabbed has raised questions about how staff respond to such incidents in order to protect pupils and others, and whether the government's guidance goes far enough. BBC News notes that the school's procedure would have been based on a 60-page document from the Department for Education, which outlines protective security and preparations for emergencies. Speaking to the broadcaster, Norfolk County Council said it expected all schools to follow the "comprehensive guidance" that includes having a plan and possible drills for lockdown and evacuation, and providing additional support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). By Laura Devlin and Neve Gordon-Farleigh.

In a written question in the House of Commons, Conservative MP Esther McVey asked what help the government will offer to parents at independent schools that are closing to help them take over their management. Responding, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Olivia Bailey said: "It is for private schools, as private businesses, to manage their operations and take decisions on closure. All children of compulsory school age are entitled to a state-funded school place, should they need one. The department continues to support local authorities to ensure sufficient places for pupils." Hansard.

Councils will win top marks from the government for their special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform proposals if they include "little to no" plans to expand special school or alternative provision, according to new documents obtained by Schools Week. They also reveal the Department for Education’s (DfE) warning that it may strip councils of their SEND responsibilities if they "persistently fail", including the unprecedented action of transferring duties to a not-for-profit trust. Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, will sign off on councils' "local SEND reform plans", which they must submit in exchange for the government writing off 90 per cent of their SEND deficits. These plans will help facilitate the government's reforms to make mainstream schools more inclusive. By Samantha Booth.

The number of children in London requiring support for SEND has risen sharply in the past 10 years, raising questions about why need is growing and whether the government's proposed reforms will work. BBC News looks at some of the key questions around SEND reform and how schools in the capital could be affected. With ministers' proposals now out for consultation until 18 May, the broadcaster says families and schools still have time to shape the future of the SEND system. By Bhavani Vadde and Lauren Stanley.

In a new blog for the ISC, Anna Williamson, head of chemistry at Loughborough High School, shares how the school is breaking down barriers to STEM participation for young women and girls. "This British Science Week, we celebrate not only scientific discovery, but the girls who will shape its future," she explains.

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