ISC Daily News Summary

Malvern St James School has announced it is to close this summer, citing a number of factors including the government's VAT on fees policy. In a letter sent to parents and staff, the school said there was "no realistic prospect" of financial recovery. The decision had been made with "great sadness", chairman of the board Nicholas Grenfell-Marten explained, adding: "This has been driven by a combination of national and local factors. Nationally, the introduction of VAT on school fees and increased employment costs have placed considerable pressure on the independent sector." By Tom McArdle, The Telegraph.

Schools in some of the most overstretched local authority special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) systems face missing out on millions in government funding next year, Tes analysis has found. Experts say it is because of the "blunt" way ministers have allocated the £860 million High Needs Provision Capital Allocations Programme. The analysis shows that local authorities with the most pupils overall (regardless of the proportion of pupils with SEND) receive the largest allocations under the capital fund, while areas under the greatest pressure on specialist places lose out. The article is accompanied by a table illustrating the councils with the highest SEND pressures but lowest high-needs capital funding. By Jabed Ahmed.

There will be a steep drop in the number of teacher trainees next year, official data has confirmed. The need for postgraduate initial teacher trainees is 23 per cent lower for the 2026-27 academic year compared with this year, according to Department for Education (DfE) figures. This will amount to 6,120 fewer teachers entering training than in 2025-26, across both primary and secondary years. The DfE said that the drop is due to falling rolls in primary schools, with secondary rolls also beginning to decline as a result of a reduction in the birth rate. By Cerys Turner, Tes. 

In a new blog for the ISC, Gary Henderson, chair of the ISC Digital Strategy Group, highlights the importance of open dialogue in helping children navigate the online world. "When conversations about privacy are woven into everyday learning from the primary years, children grow up seeing them as normal and important," he explains. 

Students at St Swithun’s School in Winchester recently produced nearly 900 meals for the local community as part of its inaugural Feeding Communities event.

As part of an ongoing partnership with The Thomas Franks Foundation, 13 sixth-form students and two staff members took part in a dedicated production session, working with perishable ingredients to help minimise food waste and support those in need. The volunteers folded boxes, labelled containers and portioned meals. Working alongside members of the Foundation, the students filled 446 containers, producing 892 boxed meals.

Commenting on the initiative, student Alice said: "It was a very fulfilling experience to be able to give back to the community and I would love to do it again! I can’t wait to encourage my friends to get involved with such an amazing cause."

The Foundation supports 36 families within Hampshire, who received 180 meals. The remaining meals were delivered to local charities, including The Winchester Beacon and St Paul's Church.

Through taking part in community projects such as this, students gain insight into local challenges while contributing to efforts that improve the lives of others.

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