ISC Daily News Summary

In an extensive article on Labour's plans to tax independent school fees, iNews outlines nine potential problems the new government will have to overcome in rolling out its flagship education policy. The speed at which the new policy can be introduced is considered, as is its impact on both school systems – independent and state. The Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) is cited, having warned that small junior schools in rural areas risk becoming unviable if VAT is imposed. The policy's potential impact on children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is explored and reference is made to figures from the Independent Schools Council (ISC), which has been reiterating calls for Labour to protect the more than 100,000 pupils with SEND who do not have an Education and Health Care Plan. The possibility of legal action is also highlighted as a challenge to Labour's pans, although VAT expert Jonathan Main told the paper he believes this is unlikely to be successful, saying: "Post-Brexit, the UK is free to rewrite VAT law as it sees fit." Several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations are mentioned. By Connie Dimsdale.

Former shadow schools minister Stephen Morgan and fellow Labour MP Janet Daby have joined the ministerial team at the Department for Education (DfE). Their precise roles are yet to be confirmed, although it is expected that at least part of Mr Morgan's brief will focus on early years after he posted on X that he was “honoured” to be joining education secretary Bridget Phillipson’s team “to deliver better childcare and early education”. Ms Daby has been a shadow youth justice minister since 2023. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week. 

Primary schools have failed to return to pre-Covid standards across reading, writing, and maths, with only 61 per cent of pupils achieving the expected level across the three core disciplines in this year's Key Stage 2 SATs. Although the figure is up one percentage point compared to 2023, it has not returned to the 65 per cent achieved in 2019, before the Covid pandemic and lockdowns. By Henry Bodkin, The Telegraph.

According to the first detailed analysis of the impact of the sugar tax, children's sugar intake has fallen by almost one teaspoon per day. The largest source of sugar for children aged four to 10 was found to be cereal, but for those aged 11 to 18 it was “sugar-sweetened beverages”, according to the study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. By Kaya Burgess, The Times.

Writing in Schools Week, CEO of the Chartered College of Teaching Dame Alison Peacock explains why offering paid internships to students and career-switchers could potentially improve teacher recruitment while also reducing workloads. On the practicalities of introducing such an initative, Dame Alison warns the new government that the funding of internships is "crucial", adding: "Whether for students or those later in their career, these internships need to be fairly paid, and schools need to be funded to enable them to happen."