In this week's Friday Feature, we highlight three students from Haberdashers’ Monmouth School who will visit the House of Commons on Wednesday 11 March 2026 to present their pioneering climate action work to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero), Katie White. The pupils have been invited following their influential contribution to COP30, where they helped shape global discussions on creating a deforestation-free future.

Together with students from Monmouth Comprehensive School, the trio will highlight Monmouthshire’s commitment to youth-led climate action. Coordinated by charity Size of Wales, the visit will include meetings with senior policymakers, a parliamentary tour, and a reflection session with young climate leaders from across Wales. It is a significant milestone, showing how local, student-led initiatives can shape national policy.

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In a blog for the ISC, Jane Kendrick from Heathfield Knoll School explains how an inclusive approach to careers education engaged children of all ages. Reflecting on the impact of the school's recent Careers Week, which focused on teamwork, communication, problem-solving and resilience, Ms Kendrick concludes: "Pupils finished the week with a clearer sense of themselves: confident in their abilities, aware of how they learn, and ready to take each next step with purpose and optimism."

Dame Prue Leith, Delia Smith and Stanley Tucci, three of the most recognisable figures in the culinary world, are campaigning for pupils to be taught to cook from their very first days in primary school. The trio brought their impassioned plea to Parliament yesterday, urging ministers to implement measures that guarantee hands-on cookery lessons for children as young as four. They say practical cookery lessons are crucial for developing children’s culinary abilities, essential life skills, and a foundational understanding of healthy eating. By Jenny Garnsworthy, The Independent.

The Association for Families of Independent Schooling (AFIS), an organisation established to support families following the introduction of the government's VAT on fees policy, has written to education secretary Bridget Phillipson calling for the creation of a short-term support fund to prevent pupils' education being disrupted if their families can no longer afford fees. In the letter, AFIS highlights the challenges created by the timing and scale of the tax changes, and raises concerns that some families may be forced into abrupt school changes, which can have a particularly negative impact on young people in exam years or those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The organisation has launched an emergency hardship fund for families struggling with fees, but warns charitable support alone may not meet the scale of disruption. It says it is not seeking to reverse government policy, only to safeguard pupils’ education. School Management Plus quotes Michelle Daniells, CEO of AFIS, who said: "This isn’t really about schools; it’s about children. When a major financial change lands in the middle of an academic cycle, some families simply can’t adjust without disrupting their child’s education."

The Times offers advice to parents on how they could boost their savings and investments to fund their child's independent school fees. Suggestions include looking into switching mortgages, seeking assistance from grandparents and setting up trust funds. Speaking to the paper about bursaries and scholarships, Richard Girvan, principal at the Stephen Perse Foundation, says he would urge any parent concerned about the cost of their child’s education to speak with a school to discuss their options before applying. "We work with them to remove as many barriers as possible for those families who want to access an independent education for their child," he adds. By Elizabeth Anderson.

During a House of Lords debate on class inequality in the arts yesterday, Conservative peer Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay urged ministers to reconsider the VAT on fees policy. He said: "In January, Exeter Cathedral School announced it would be closing its doors at the end of this academic year, after eight and a half centuries of training talented singers from all backgrounds who provide solace and tranquillity to those who need it. Parents and staff have said the government’s imposition of VAT on their fees and scholarships was the 'final nail in the coffin'." Subsequently, Lord Pannick asked whether ministers would acknowledge the contribution made by many independent schools via cross-sector partnerships.

In response, Labour peer Baroness Twycross argued that regional differences mean approaches that work in London may not be effective in parts of northern England, and said the government's priority should be strong arts provision in state schools. Hansard.

The promise by ministers to write off almost all of councils’ historic SEND deficits does not consider "burgeoning" home-to-school transport costs, MPs have warned. The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has asked the government to explain how its SEND reforms will affect these expenses, previously predicted by the National Audit Office to reach £3 billion by 2030. In a report, the committee said that even if the reforms announced last week are successful, it is "likely to be some time" until they translate into transport savings. By Samantha Booth, Schools Week. 

SEND parents’ rights to appeal their children’s education, health and care plans (EHCPs) could be severely limited under ministers' widespread reforms. Under the plans, the vast majority of pupils with SEND are expected to be educated in mainstream schools with an individual support plan (ISP), and EHCPs will be reserved for those with the most complex needs. iNews reports that, as further details of the reforms emerge, it appears ISPs will carry less legal weight than EHCPs, meaning parents’ rights to challenge SEND provision through the tribunal system could be curtailed. The paper provides a breakdown of how SEND parents’ legal rights are changing, and highlights a number of unanswered questions. By Connie Dimsdale.

The Guardian features letters from readers responding to a recent opinion piece by Frances Ryan on the government's proposed SEND reforms. In his letter, retired SEND educator Pete Crockett from Wiltshire says "mainstream inclusion can be transformative, but it is not universally appropriate". Echoing the concerns, John Lawrence from Cumbria warns that "disabilities come in many forms, and the latest proposals do nothing for the specialist sector". 

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