ISC Daily News Summary

Rudolf Eliott Lockhart, CEO of the Independent Schools Association (ISA), has a letter published in The New Statesman in which he responds to a recent article by Francis Green and David Kynaston. Mr Eliott Lockhart says the authors "purport to lay the ills of British society at the door of independent schools", and "fail to acknowledge the diversity within the independent sector". Highlighting the range of independent schools, including those for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), performing arts schools, and bilingual schools, Mr Eliott Lockhart concludes: "Green and Kynaston’s support for a policy that is disproportionately penalising smaller and financially fragile independent schools is not going to solve the UK’s education problems. Rather, the result of the policy will be a slightly smaller but more expensive independent sector that is more like the very thing they criticise." The letter appears at the top of the page.

In an article for Independent School Management Plus, Andrew Lewer discusses how the government's VAT on fees policy, though expected, has posed significant challenges - particularly to bursaries and partnerships with state schools. "Knowing it is coming and experiencing it are not the same," Mr Lewer writes, noting the "sheer complexity of VAT". He warns that the tax policy, while meant to create fairness, will likely make independent education more exclusive and reduce opportunities for social mobility. Andrew Lewer MBE is the former chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Independent Education.

During a debate in the House of Lords, Conservative peer Baroness Goldie asked the Ministry of Defence (MoD) what engagement ministers have had with the families of Armed Forces personnel whose children attend fee-paying schools, to understand the impact of imposing VAT on school fees. Responding, Lord Coaker said: "The Ministry of Defence is continuing to monitor the impact of the government’s change to VAT rules for private schools on service personnel who claim the Continuity of Education Allowance. The Ministry of Defence recalculated CEA rates based on the new fees published by schools for January 2025, and this increased the income tax-free amounts available to claimants." Baroness Goldie then outlined concerns about how VAT on school fees will increase parental contributions for Armed Forces personnel, and questioned the MoD on the exact amount. Lord Coaker reiterated the government's policy of contributing up to 92 per cent of fees for state schools and up to 90 per cent for independent schools, before addressing broader concerns about recruitment and retention in the Armed Forces. Regarding additional support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, he added: "If a member of the Armed Forces or service personnel believes that there are needs for a particular child over and above what the Continuity of Education Allowance makes possible, they can apply for an additional grant to help with the support for that child and their special needs." Lord Coaker concluded: "We will continue that [CEA] policy, because we recognise the sacrifice that is sometimes made by Armed Forces personnel who, because of their duty, have to move regularly between different bases or between bases here and bases abroad." Hansard.

The long-awaited British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE is unlikely to be ready by the September 2025 deadline, Sky News has learned. In 2023, ministers announced that the qualification would be introduced in secondary schools at the start of the 2025 academic year, but reports suggest that finalising the course could take several more years, prompting criticism from campaigners including the National Deaf Children's Society. By Amrit Singh Mann. 

Just six per cent of teachers feel positively about Ofsted's proposals for reform of the inspection system, a poll by Teacher Tapp has found. According to the survey, zero per cent of respondents said they were "very positive" about the watchdog’s plans, with only six per cent saying they were "somewhat positive". One third said they had not seen the new plans, which were unveiled by Ofsted on Monday. By Lydia Chantler-Hicks, Schools Week.

In the ISC's latest blog to mark Children's Mental Health Week, Lucy Shaw, deputy head of DUCKS (Dulwich College Kindergarten and Infants School) and deputy designated safeguarding lead, offers suggestions for how parents and school staff can boost children’s resilience and self-efficacy.