On the final day of the debate on Budget Resolutions in the House of Commons yesterday, ministers discussed ongoing cost-of-living pressures and broader concerns about economic growth. During the debate, Conservative MP Julia Lopez highlighted concerns over the increasing cost of national insurance, and referenced the impact of the government's VAT on fees policy on independent school closures. Labour "refuses to review" its tax on independent schools, she said. Hansard.

The government bill to introduce special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms is unlikely to be published until the new year, a Department for Education (DfE) adviser has said. Addressing delegates at an online conference of the Westminster Education Forum yesterday, Dame Christine Lenehan, the DfE's strategic adviser on SEND, said the bill is expected to be published in early 2027, adding that it "will not run later than that". She also indicated that recent changes in political leadership had had an impact on curriculum reform plans. By John Roberts, Tes. 

The government has announced funding for a new GCSE in Ukrainian as it apologised to child refugees from Ukraine who were told to study Russian in English schools. Introducing the new qualification, which will be available in England in 2028, schools minister Georgia Gould said: "So many students were pushed into having to do Russian. I'm really sorry that they were put in that position. It's really important that they will have access to a Ukrainian GCSE." It will be developed by exam board AQA with the help of a £340,000 grant from the Department for Education. By Matthew Weaver, The Guardian. 

The news has also been covered by School Management Plus, which notes that the government's announcement builds on both the UK-Ukraine 100-Year Partnership and the UK-Ukraine Schools Partnership. The collaborations foster cross-cultural understanding and enhance English language skills while creating links between school communities here and in Ukraine. 

Schools face having to navigate a "Wild West" of education technology (edtech) products, early education minister Paul Waugh has warned. Addressing MPs on the Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, Mr Waugh said ministers are testing edtech resources with teachers and are looking at secondary legislation to inform the Information Commissioner's Office in producing a statutory code of practice on their use. Raising concerns about the "gamification" used by some edtech platforms, Mr Waugh said it amounted to "propaganda" designed to encourage greater screen time. Tes. 

Teachers are due to receive a real-terms pay rise of less than 0.1 per cent over the next two years, according to analysis by Tes. Based on official inflation forecasts, it found pay awards of 3.5 per cent and three per cent in successive years would be almost entirely offset by rising prices, resulting in a real-terms increase of just 0.06 per cent. Under the previous forecast, published in March, teachers were expected to receive a 2.37 per cent real-terms increase. By Jabed Ahmed, Tes. 

As calls grow to revive a version of England's Young, Gifted and Talented programme, Tes looks at whether such schemes are really the best, or most inclusive, way to support the most academically able. By Holly Korbey. 

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