ISC Daily News Summary

Families with a household income of £100,000 will take home less than the minimum wage if they send two children to an independent school, a report by financial planning firm Saltus has claimed. The report cites the figure of £20,959 as the average annual day school fee at a boarding school, and adds 20 per cent VAT - though surveys have suggested that, on average, schools have passed on about 14 per cent. 

Commenting on the findings, Saltus partner Mike Stimpson says: "With VAT now added to school fees, even those earning six figures are facing incredibly difficult financial decisions." The Times also speaks to John Williams, a freelance translator earning £95,000 a year, who says the rise in school fees for his two children has left him with little disposable income. Describing the impact the tax policy has had on his family's circumstances, Mr Williams says: "We’ve had to tighten our budget significantly... and we’re likely to move our daughter to a state school for sixth form." Reference is made to the Independent Schools Council's (ISC) annual census, which found that the average annual cost of sending a child to a day school was £18,064, based on a survey it conducted of its members in January last year. By Nicola Woolcock.

The Bank of England is supporting an initiative to increase the number of economics teachers in state schools, following a report showing that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are the least likely to study the subject. According to the central bank, economics was offered as an A-level subject at just over half of non-selective state schools in England last year, compared to 90 per cent of selective schools and 82 per cent of independent schools. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds were half as likely to take economics at GCSE level compared with their more affluent peers. By Phillip Inman, The Guardian.

One in eight secondary school teachers says a pupil in their school sexually assaulted another student in the past term, according to a Teacher Tapp survey commissioned by the Youth Endowment Fund. Warning that teachers lack confidence and expertise in teaching sex education, the organisation recommends that secondary schools and colleges should appoint dedicated "violence against women and girls" leads and deliver relationship violence prevention lessons. By Cerys Turner, Tes.

Councils will be allowed to sell school playing fields to help fill budget shortfalls under new guidance issued by the housing secretary, Angela Rayner. Local authorities have been informed that starting this financial year, they have the "flexibility" to offload council-owned assets, including school playing fields, in order to free up funds for everyday spending. Jim McMahon, the local government minister, said that it was up to councils "to determine how best to use this flexibility", but added that "the government expects all decisions to demonstrate value for money and to be in the best interests of local residents." By Genevieve Holl-Allen, The Telegraph.

Children under six should not be exposed to screens, five major French academic societies have said in a bid for radical change to guidance for parents. The societies representing ophthalmology, paediatrics, public health, child and adolescent psychiatry, and environmental health have warned that a generation has already been "sacrificed on the altar of misunderstanding" about the harm caused by smartphones, television, and other digital devices. In an open letter to the French government, they have called for a major overhaul of public policy to safeguard the "health and intellectual capacities" of future children. By Adam Sage, The Times.

More than 20,000 schoolchildren will be given a special introduction to live classical music through an education and family-focused initiative from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO). Announced today, the 2025–26 season places a strong emphasis on young people and music education, offering school concerts and relaxed performances for children in special schools. Creative director of the CBSO Tom Spurgin said: "We’ve worked hard to ensure that our concert season continues to provide young people with opportunities to be inspired by incredible music." By Paul Jeeves, Daily Express.