ISC Daily News Summary

Since June, 144 applications have been made by families with children at independent schools looking for places at council-run schools in Edinburgh, according to data from the city's council. Of the 144 applications, 120 were for secondary and 24 for primary schools. Speaking to The Scotsman, chief executive of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS) Lorraine Davidson said: “The illogical and flawed plan to tax children’s education is already adding to the strain on state schools, increasing teacher workload and leaving children unable to get a place at their local school. Taxpayers are having to foot the bill to educate more pupils in the state sector, and in many cases pay significant transport costs to ferry them to schools miles from where they live.” By Calum Ross. 

An independent Jewish prep school in Hertfordshire has announced plans to close in 2025 because of “unprecedented financial pressures”, which include the government's VAT on fees policy. Immanuel College has launched a consultation into plans to offer places for Years 1 to 5 at Kerem School in Hampstead Garden Suburb, with current Year 5 pupils completing their primary education at the group's senior school. In a letter to parents, Immanuel College Prep School and Kerem School, which also offers a Jewish education, said the plans came “in response to the growing financial pressures being felt by independent schools and parents alike”. By Poppy Wood, The Telegraph. 

Wakefield Grammar School Foundation will “join together” its two single-sex schools in West Yorkshire into one co-ed institution from September 2026. The foundation said the move, which will see Queen Elizabeth Grammar School merging resources with Wakefield Girls’ High School for part of pupils’ academic career, would help the schools remain competitive as it prepares to increase fees by 17 per cent as a result of the government's VAT on fees policy. By Poppy Wood, The Telegraph. 

Several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations are mentioned across this weekend's coverage.

A major review on protecting children from sexual abuse aims to provide a number of specific recommendations that schools can adopt to better protect children and support their recovery from abuse. Writing in Tes, Luke Ramsden outlines the key insights for schools, which include encouraging staff to adopt clear, evidence-based policies to guide decisions when concerns arise. Luke Ramsden is deputy head of an independent school and chair of trustees for the Schools Consent Project. 

Bridget Phillipson has warned that “manosphere” influencers are radicalising teenage boys into “hating women”. The education secretary's comments follow the government's publication of new guidance, which tells teachers of pupils aged over 14 that they need to be on the lookout for signs of boys being drawn into aggressive misogyny that could lead to violence, suicide and sexual abuse. By Chris Smyth and Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

The number of schools rated “inadequate” by Ofsted has dropped by about two thirds since the death of the headteacher Ruth Perry, government figures suggest. The percentage of all schools receiving the lowest rating in graded inspections fell from four per cent in 2022-23 to one per cent in 2023-24. Ofsted has been subject to heightened scrutiny since Mrs Perry took her own life last year, with an inquest determining that her school's inspection "contributed" to her death. By Georgia Lambert, The Times.

A video game is helping vulnerable young people turn their darkest moments into creativity and hope, guiding them to process grief and transform it into compassion. Co-founded by Manchester psychologist Louis Weinstock, the game Apart of Me, now a charity, has supported 44,000 people in the UK and 160,000 worldwide. Free to use and download, Apart of Me does not require a referral but does point to services within gameplay if needed. By Gemma Sherlock, BBC News.