New vocational GCSEs are to be introduced for 14-year-olds in addition to existing core academic subjects in England. From 2029, the new subjects could include building and construction, business management and finance. The qualifications will be designed to allow young people to progress at 16 to study similar courses at college, including the new V-levels, which colleges are teaching from autumn next year, and T-levels. As part of reforms to the education system to better prepare young people for the world of work, prime minister Andy Burnham is also outlining a new national target for employers, with the aim of creating 200,000 work experience opportunities for under-16s. The government is seeking to create a clear pathway for teenagers into different types of work through a ladder of qualifications. By Branwen Jeffreys and Kate McGough, BBC News.

Tes reports that ministers have said the vocational qualifications would be the "same size" as traditional GCSEs and that new subjects will be established to "avoid duplication or unnecessary overlap", while English, maths and science will "remain a common entitlement". By Kyle Tormey.

The Guardian (Richard Adams and Sally Weale), The Telegraph (Albert Tait), The Independent (Eleanor Busby), and Schools Week (Esmé Kenney), have also reported on the government's plans to introduce new vocational GCSE subjects.

A number of readers have written to The Times following Peter Hyman's recent comments on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, and the publication of a report co-authored by Sir Anthony Seldon and Tim Bunting calling for a rapid response team on AI in schools. Jonny Timms, head at Walhampton School, shares Mr Hyman's fears over pupils "outsourcing their thinking to machines", but highlights the opportunity such technology presents. "AI does not redefine the purpose of education; it reveals it. The more powerful our technology becomes, the more intentional we must become about developing our humanity," he writes.

Ben Turner, head at St Margaret's School in Bushey, says "AI has not created education's crisis of independent thought, merely exposed it". He suggests that, rather than AI being added as another subject on the curriculum, teachers "must make room for questions no textbook has answered". He adds: "Our task is not simply to teach children to use AI responsibly, it is to give them reasons to think for themselves." 

In his letter, Michael Thompson from Cheshire says Sir Anthony Seldon and Tim Bunting's call for a rapid response team on AI in schools "deserves an equally rapid response from ministers", and supports their proposal of a team of teachers, pupils, exam boards and researchers to test its advice in lessons and revise as technology advances. He sees that as a "better prospect" than requiring each school to create their own rules while the government prepares a consultation.
The letters appear at the top of the page.

Plans to shake up special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) funding by giving schools more money upfront – but expecting greater delivery in return – risk "penalising" those taking an inclusive approach, headteachers have warned. Council organisations have also warned the Department for Education that more overall funding is needed to deliver improvements for pupils with SEND. The government's consultation on the funding changes closed last week. By John Roberts, Tes. 

The Telegraph explores how competition for places at sought-after state and grammar schools is prompting some families to move home, with experts advising parents to plan well ahead as demand for properties in popular catchment areas intensifies. Georgina Neil, a partner at property-buying agency The Buying Solution, says the number of her clients interested in state schools has increased since the introduction of VAT on independent school fees. By Ruth Bloomfield. 

The Telegraph speaks to some of Britain's most successful child influencers who are balancing school life with social media careers that can generate substantial incomes through brand partnerships, and explores the opportunities and challenges facing young content creators as the influencer industry continues to expand. Layla Eleni, 15, started posting skincare and lifestyle content in 2022, when she was just 11, but says her mother has ensured school remains a priority. "I am in my GCSE year now, so school is more important than ever," she says. By Blaise Cloran.

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