ISC Daily News Summary

Above-average fee rises at some independent schools have led to parents looking to withdraw their children, The Telegraph reports. Although average fee rises for next year are running below inflation, increases in energy, food and wage costs have caused some schools to raise their prices by as much as 19 per cent. This comes amid growing concerns that Labour's tax plans for independent schools would add further pressure to the state sector through pupil movement, with analysis from the Independent Schools Council (ISC) warning that a fifth of parents would have to withdraw their child if VAT were added to fees. By Louisa Clarence-Smith.

Leora Cruddas has urged the government to reopen negotiations with unions over pay, as teachers prepare for further industrial action. The chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) has said the sector “must be wary of a stale mate which could play out over many months, potentially into next academic year”. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

A poll, conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) for the Sutton Trust, has shown the proportion of headteachers reporting cuts to school trips due to funding issues has more than doubled since last year. The study also found a significant rise in schools cutting back on teaching assistants and IT equipment. By Amy Walker, Schools Week.

Religious institutions operating “like a school” must be registered and inspected, according to the recommendations of independent adviser Colin Bloom, who was appointed by the government to compile a comprehensive report on the relationship between faith groups and the state in Britain. Mr Bloom said the government had “lacked the courage to call out specifically yeshivas and madrassas on this”. By Kaya Burgess, The Times.

Research by University College London suggests more than 90 per cent of postmenopausal women in the UK were never taught about the menopause at school. In September 2020, menopause education became a compulsory part of the curriculum as part of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) lessons. By Tom Bawden, iNews.

A new pop-up pool programme aimed at boosting low swimming attainment rates in UK schools is being launched by Olympic swimmers including Adam Peaty, Ellie Simmonds and Michael Gunning. Temporary pools will be placed at schools in areas where a large percentage of children are unable to swim, beginning with the Black Country in the West Midlands. By Jessica Murray, The Guardian.

According to the latest snapshot of the public finances from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), accrued interest on student loans increased to £4.8 billion in the last 12 months to March, with graduates facing borrowing costs almost twice the rate set by the Bank of England. By Richard Partington, The Guardian.

England and Chelsea footballer Raheem Sterling has launched a scholarship fund aimed at closing the gap in the number of black British students going to university. Mr Sterling said said he hopes the foundation, which will financially support 14 students to attend either Manchester or King's College London universities, will improve social mobility. BBC News.