Almost half of independent school parents are reducing their spending to keep their children in independent education amid VAT on fees and wider cost-of-living pressures, according to Parentkind's National Parent Survey 2026. Shared exclusively with The Times, the survey of 6,053 parents with children aged four to 18 revealed that 40 per cent of families with children in the sector have been forced to make financial sacrifices to meet the costs, and more than a quarter of parents (28 per cent) say they are actively struggling to afford independent education. Frank Young, chief executive of Parentkind, said the findings show that choosing an independent school does not necessarily mean a family is wealthy. "Families choosing independent schools are not immune from squeezed budgets," he said, adding: "Some make that choice because of special educational needs, faith or other personal circumstances, and many scrimp and save to afford it." The paper speaks to Andrea and Jamie Collins-Clifton, who have made significant changes to their spending to keep their son Gabriel at his independent school due to the support he receives for his dyslexia. "He has come on leaps and bounds since starting at the school. It really is a phenomenal school," they say. By Georgia Lambert, Nicola Woolcock and Mary Downer.

The Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Defence), Ben Obese-Jecty, submitted a written question in the House of Commons in which he asked how much revenue the government's VAT on fees policy has raised. Responding, early education minister Paul Waugh, who also has responsibility for independent schools, said: "Together, the reforms to VAT and business rates will raise around £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30. These measures will raise essential revenue that will be invested in our public services, such as our £3.7 billion increase to school funding in 2025/26. This takes core school funding to £65.3 billion, compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25." Hansard.

In a letter to The Times, Richard Cairns, principal of Brighton College, points to the latest Pisa rankings as evidence of the success of "consistent and long-term" education planning. "There is one area where Brand Britain remains powerful: education," he begins, before urging the government to learn from this achievement. "The prime minister has talked of the need for a long-term plan and even a cross-party vision for Britain. He would do well to consider what has happened in our schools as his most important case study," Mr Cairns concludes.
The letter appears halfway down the page.

There could be tens of thousands more teenagers who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) than official figures suggest, Dame Rachel de Souza has warned. In a report based on attendance data obtained from 262 college groups in England, the children's commissioner said around 42,000 16- and 17-year-olds in England were officially classed as studying at college but were not showing up at least half of the time. The students had gone "under the radar" and were "not getting the support that they need", she added. The final instalment of former minister Alan Milburn's major review into the growing number of NEETs is expected to set out recommendations for tackling the problem in the coming weeks. By Hazel Shearing, BBC News.

One in four schools will be unable to afford this year’s teacher pay award, the NASUWT teaching union has warned. Earlier this summer, Tes reported that teachers were given a 3.5 per cent pay rise, but schools were told they would need to fund the first one per cent of the award. The union has estimated that 50 per cent of maintained schools and 18 per cent of academies will be unable to cover the one per cent they have been told to absorb, and is calling on ministers to raise education spending to at least six per cent of GDP (it is currently at around 4.1 per cent). By Jabed Ahmed. 

Writing in Tes, Kristie Sullivan, an educational psychologist working in schools in Lincolnshire, says Sendcos will need greater support as the government's special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms place more responsibility on schools. She argues that while regular supervision could give staff dedicated time to reflect, learn and discuss difficult situations, it should not replace proper resources and manageable workloads. "If we are serious about creating a more inclusive education system, we also need to be serious about supporting the people helping to make it happen," she writes.

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