Labour's special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms risk increasing spending in the short term despite a £4 billion-a-year funding boost, forecasters from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) have said. The OBR's spring forecast, which came as chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her Spring Statement yesterday, states "the impact of the government’s recently announced reform plan on the underlying cost pressures in this area remains uncertain". The OBR’s forecast assumes underlying SEND spending will grow by around 0.4 per cent a year in real terms. By Jabed Ahmed, Tes.

Rugby School is to open a new campus in Hanoi, Vietnam, from September 2026 as part of its ongoing overseas growth. The school, which will start with pre-prep enrolments this year, followed by both prep and senior provision from September 2027, is being developed in collaboration with Khai Sang Corporation. Commenting on the expansion, Dr Neil Hampton, CEO of Rugby School Global, spoke of Hanoi's "impressive energy and cultural depth", and added: "Our joint ambition is to cultivate young people of character, integrity and compassion, preparing them not only for academic distinction but for lives of meaning, responsibility and service in Vietnam and the wider world." Reference is made to a number of schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations. By Dan Worth, Tes.

Four-year-old children were the most harmed by Covid lockdowns, according to new research by the University of East Anglia. The experts, who were assessing the cognitive development of young children, found that those who had started reception class in 2020 suffered the most significant impact on their ability to regulate their behaviour, stay focused and adapt to new situations. The researchers have warned that this lasting effect might still be felt for years to come. By Michael Searles, The Telegraph. 

Schools in England are moving away from children dressing up as their favourite literary characters for World Book Day, MPs on the Commons Education Select Committee have heard. Speaking ahead of the event, which takes place tomorrow, Jonathan Douglas, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust, said schools were aware of the strains that preparing costumes could place on disadvantaged families. "Many schools are incredibly sensitive to that, and are taking away the narrative around dressing-up on World Book Day," he said. By Richard Adams, The Guardian. 

The Telegraph has been reprimanded by the Independent Press Standards Organisation for publishing a fabricated story about a wealthy banker complaining about the impact of school fee rises. Ian Fraser, a freelance journalist and author, raised concerns with the watchdog that the paper had breached the editors’ code of practice in an article with the headline 'We earn £345k, but soaring private school fees mean we can’t go on five holidays'. The piece, published online on 25 May last year, reported on the impact increases in independent school fees had had on a named couple and their three children. The complaint was upheld and Ipso required Telegraph.co.uk to publish its adjudication to remedy the breach of the code. By Jamie Grierson, The Guardian. 

Hay fever could be affecting secondary school exam results, with new research suggesting pollen exposure contributes to poorer academic performance. Researchers in Finland, who looked at the exam results of 92,280 students to see if they changed in relation to pollen exposure between 2006-2020, found the biggest impact was on subjects involving maths, such as physics and chemistry. Writing in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the researchers said examiners should take the effects of pollen exposure into account. By Jane Kirby, The Independent.

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