A legal challenge by a group of independent schools over the government's VAT on fees policy was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on Friday. Lawyers representing the families of low-fee faith schools had argued the policy was discriminatory and in breach of human rights law, but the court rejected this and said home schooling was an option if they did not want to accept state provision. The schools are now hoping to apply for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. In their judgement, Sir Geoffrey Vos, Lord Justice Singh and Lady Justice Falk acknowledged that the measure may have "a serious impact" if the families were unable to afford independent education aligning with their religious convictions. "But it is important to bear in mind that they have the option of home schooling if free education in the state sector is not acceptable to them," they added. Speaking to BBC News prior to the judgement, Caroline Santer, the headteacher of a small independent school in Hampshire, said: "It's important for my parents to see that I'm prepared to take a stand and fight. No other country taxes education in this way." By Vanessa Clarke. Also covered by Alex Marsh for The Telegraph, Harry Cockburn for The Independent and Richard Adams for The Guardian. 

Westfield School and Royal Grammar School, two of Newcastle's independent schools, are to merge later this year amid "intensifying financial pressures", including the government's VAT on fees policy. The schools will join by the summer term and are going to share governing bodies as part of RGS Newcastle Group of Schools. Commenting on the merger, Neil Walker, head of Westfield School, said: "Small independent schools are facing intensifying financial pressures, our size means that these pressures affect us more sharply than larger schools." BBC News.

Writing in Independent School Management, Robert Warne, partner and head of VAT at accountancy firm Crowe UK, reflects on the impact of the VAT on fees policy, a year since the tax was introduced. "During this first VAT year perhaps the most daunting challenge facing schools is the VAT partial exemption year-end calculation and how much VAT can be recovered," he says. Looking ahead to the coming year, he adds that "HMRC will commence visiting private schools in person to start inspecting the returns that have been completed during this period of uncertainty". 

Police and schools have warned parents to be aware of social media posts appearing to encourage children to fight using knives. The "school wars" trend has seen the spread of posts on platforms including TikTok and Snapchat, which separate schools into red and blue teams and incite pupils to fight using bladed weapons. At least a dozen accounts encouraging or threatening violence as part of the trend have been removed following police contact, while a number of schools, mostly in London, are understood to have written to parents asking them to remain vigilant. By Albert Tait, The Telegraph.

The government aims to improve diversity in teaching and access to flexible working as part of plans to boost the size of the workforce by 6,500. Ministers have now published the delivery plan for their years-old pledge to recruit additional teachers, but experts have warned that better long-term thinking is needed to address entrenched workforce issues. Speaking to Schools Week, Louis Barson, director of science, business and education at the Institute of Physics, said there are "big gaps" in how the proposal will address staffing issues in shortage subjects. By Lydia Chantler-Hicks.

Teachers and parents in the UK need to be brave and talk to children and young people about Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes or risk them looking for information from dubious or dangerous sources, experts have said. They were speaking as Thrive, an education consultancy, prepares to host an online seminar on the convicted child sex offender. Adele Gladman, a specialist in child sexual exploitation who will take part in the event, said she was not surprised that children as young as six had been asking about Epstein, given the sustained media coverage and huge public interest. "I think it’s good for schools to communicate with parents and carers about what they are saying to children and how they are doing it, to reassure them," she said. By Richard Adams, The Guardian. 

Children could face mandatory curfews on their social media use under plans being examined by the Labour Party. Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, is considering ways to tighten restrictions on young people’s social media use as part of a consultation starting today. It will include banning them from accessing social media at night to prevent addictive apps and platforms from disrupting their sleep. Ministers will also run real-world pilots with families and teenagers to examine how potential future social media restrictions could work in practice. By Charles Hymas, The Telegraph.

Writing in The Sunday Times, money editor James Coney considers the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) proposals laid out in the government's white paper. Highlighting the increasing demand for independent special needs provision, he says: "Demonising private provision — and imposing price caps — will not just hurt the so-called vultures; it will also punish disabled children."

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