ISC Daily News Summary

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has said he wants independent schools to “thrive” despite pledging to remove their charitable status and add VAT to school fees. Sir Keir told Jewish News he firmly backed the tax policy outlined by shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson, but said he had no “ideological” opposition to independent education, adding: “We have got fantastic independent schools. I want them to thrive.” By Daniel Martin, The Telegraph.

Writer and educationalist Doug Marr writes an article in The Herald on the issue of levelling up, in which he argues in favour of retaining charitable status for independent schools. He says: "As a starting point, the Government could do worse than consider ways of bringing together S5 and S6 students from both sectors, thus levelling the playing field in areas such as university entrance, particularly for Oxbridge. Retention of charitable status could offer an incentive to change."

More than four in 10 schools in England could face strike action from teachers later this month as part of a long-running dispute over pay and conditions. Members of the NASUWT teaching union will carry out action short of a strike from Monday 18 September, with the union instructing eligible members to limit their working time by working to rule. By Matilda Martin, Tes.

Educational psychologists working at most councils across England have voted in favour walking out over pay. The Association of Educational Psychologists confirmed today it had achieved a 70 per cent turnout in its national ballot. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), has threatened to shut down any school that sacks a teacher under new anti-strike laws. By Amy Gibbons, The Telegraph.

Analysis of figures from last month suggests only half the intended number of secondary teachers are likely to be recruited this year. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the NEU warn this will compound the recruitment and retention crisis in schools. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Figures on updated Key Stage 2 results from the Department for Education (DfE) suggest the attainment gap between disadvantaged primary school pupils and their better-off peers has stopped widening, but remains high above pre-pandemic levels. However, the data excludes some looked-after children, and once they are added to the data, the DfE expects the gap to widen again by around 0.02 points. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

The Telegraph understands that disposable vapes will be banned to stop young people becoming addicted to the devices under government proposals to be unveiled as early as next week. By Ben Riley-Smith and Michael Searles.

The UK has one of the highest proportions of international students in the world and the largest anywhere doing master’s degrees, a report from Education at a Glance has revealed. The report, published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), shows that the UK spends more on degrees compared with many other developed nations. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

In a blog marking the ISC's Cultural and Diversity Month, Fraser Halliwell, headteacher at Radnor House Sevenoaks, explains how embracing his LGBTQ+ heritage has not only been empowering but has enabled him to foster a more inclusive and accepting school community.