ISC Daily News Summary

Immanuel College, Britain’s leading Jewish independent school, will remain open after raising funds to avoid closure following the introduction of Labour's VAT on fees policy. Governors at the school in Hertfordshire said last week that "significant and sustained" financial pressures meant that the school would have no option but to shut in August, citing several factors, including the new tax on fees. However an emergency fundraising campaign to save the school has now secured enough support to reverse the decision. Sources told The Telegraph that some £12 million had been raised in nine days. By Poppy Wood. 

Peers will vote today on government plans that could delay action on children’s access to social media for up to three years, which has triggered a backlash from campaigners and senior figures in the House of Lords. Ministers tabled an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would enable them to wait before introducing new restrictions, but critics say it risks watering down earlier commitments to act within months. Ellen Roome, the bereaved mother of Jools Sweeney who died during a suspected "blackout challenge", warned that the move could result in only limited interventions, saying the issue was a test of political urgency and that it is "beyond belief that the government now wants up to three years before it will act on social media". By Aletha Adu, The Guardian.

Every teacher has a responsibility to stop antisemitism in schools, Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, has said. Her comments come after an investigation by The Telegraph revealed the extent of antisemitism in British schools and one teacher describing it as "fighting against an army committing genocide". Among the concerning cases exposed by the paper are claims that some classroom textbooks are minimising or even eradicating historical Jewish connections with Israel. Last month, Ms Phillipson announced an independent review into the issue in schools and colleges, which is due to conclude in the summer. The article is accompanied by a live poll asking readers to vote on whether they believe ministers are doing enough to address antisemitism. By Sabrina Miller.

Cambridgeshire County Council is inviting suppliers to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted education, health and care plan (EHCP) system to help manage "significant and growing" workloads. According to the council, it has more than 8,000 active plans requiring maintenance and annual review, alongside 160 new referrals per month for assessment. Performance against the 20‑week statutory timescale is "poor", the council said, with a "substantial backlog of assessments and limited capacity within casework teams to meet demand through existing ways of working". A similar trial was launched by Somerset Council last year, which it is due to review in July. By Cerys Turner, Tes.

Schools have begun scaling back language provision after ministers announced plans to withdraw the EBacc as part of their curriculum review, prompting Caroline Voaden, Liberal Democrats’ shadow schools minister, to warn the move could "see languages squeezed out". While some leaders have welcomed the change, others have said it leaves languages in a vulnerable position. The warnings come as a Teacher Tapp survey for Schools Week found 29 per cent of respondents said their schools had reduced language provision since the government's announcement last November. By Esmé Kenney, Schools Week.

The vast majority of teachers (87 per cent) fear their schools lack funding for effective security measures, while 58 per cent say their school is not prepared for a lockdown or major security incident, according to research for the Daily Express by UK software firm Little Green Button. The study highlights a significant awareness gap with 44 per cent of staff unfamiliar with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (Martyn’s Law) and 31 per cent unaware of preparations for its introduction. Schools are expected to implement new security measures by early 2027. By Paul Jeeves.