The top 500 secondary schools take in half as many disadvantaged pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as the average comprehensive, new research from the Sutton Trust has revealed. The study found that pupils with SEND, and particularly those who also come from a low-income background, are significantly less likely to go to top state schools, even if there is one in their local area. More than 2,200 primary and secondary school leaders responded to the poll, which found some 41 per cent think some schools actively discourage applications from pupils with SEND, rising to 50 per cent of leaders in schools with the highest proportion of such children. Margaret Mulholland, SEND and inclusion specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said the findings highlight "the uneven nature of current SEND provision". By Rachel Hall, The Guardian. 

BBC News visits Field Lane Primary in West Yorkshire, where a pioneering "co-located" model brings together mainstream pupils and children with SEND from a neighbouring specialist school, combining separate teaching with shared social time to build inclusion, empathy and understanding. Describing the positive impact the school has had on her four children and why she feels so strongly about inclusion, parent Tiffany says: "We're all together in society and to do it at this stage gives a better knowledge of what happens in the real world." The broadcaster notes that prioritising inclusion within mainstream settings is a key theme in the government's Schools White Paper, but the National Education Union has warned that further funding will be required for the proposals to completely work. By Tom Ingall.

The Times looks at how English rugby is working to broaden its talent pipeline beyond the independent sector, with new data showing a growing majority of academy players now come from state schools amid increased investment in initiatives such as ACE colleges and grassroots programmes. The paper notes that while independent schools still play a significant role, particularly at sixth-form level, this may become less pronounced in coming years as VAT on fees could influence parental choices. By Charlie Morgan. 

The proportion of pupils reporting issues with conspiracy theories, misinformation and disinformation in their schools has increased by over a third in a year, according to research by Public First for the Commission into Countering Online Conspiracies in Schools. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) was cited as a "major new driver", with 44 per cent of young people saying they had seen AI-generated images or videos made to seem real in the past month and 39 per cent reporting having encountered deepfakes. Commenting on the findings, Sir Hamid Patel, chief executive of the Star Academies trust and co-chair of the commission, said schools were "facing a perfect storm of misinformation". By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week. 

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner, has urged ministers to show greater "ambition" to restore school attendance rates to pre‑pandemic levels. In its Schools White Paper, the Department for Education pledged to boost the attendance rate to over 94 per cent by 2028-29, equal to a 1.3 percentage point rise over five years, which would still be below pre-Covid levels when attendance was frequently above 95 per cent. Dame Rachel told Tes that while the target is "a step in the right direction", there should be "no limit to our ambition" on enhancing attendance. By Kyle Tormey.

In a written question in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Justice) Jess Brown-Fuller asked the chancellor what guidance HM Revenue and Customs provides to charities on the classification of educational activities for the purposes of VAT exemption. Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury) Dan Tomlinson replied: "HMRC provides detailed guidance on how VAT applies to education on GOV.UK and in VAT Notice 701/30: Education and vocational training. This covers all aspects of the exemption, including services provided by charities. Additional guidance is published when significant changes are made, such as the changes to the VAT treatment of private schools. The guidance can be found online here." Hansard.

Online safety experts are reiterating warnings to parents against posting photos of their children online amid a current TikTok trend that encourages users to share nostalgic childhood photos of themselves. The seemingly innocent 'this is who' social media trend invites people to showcase their evolution by pairing old childhood photos with captions highlighting their current job titles or life status. But experts warn that any image of children shared publicly on social media, regardless of whether it is current or old, can potentially be exploited. Kristi McVee, a former detective from Australia, told the Daily Mail: "Offenders who collect child images rarely care about the context in which the photo was shared. They are simply looking for images of children." The paper summarises five areas parents should discuss with their children before giving them a phone, including consent and protective behaviours. By Sharon Hunt. 

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