ISC Daily News Summary

Ministers said the exodus of tens of thousands of students from independent schools following the introduction of the VAT on fees policy was "modest", internal documents obtained by The Telegraph have revealed. Civil servants told Bridget Phillipson, the then education minister, that while the tax caused "a reduction in headcount", the overall "impact has been modest" when placed in the context of historical trends. From January 2024 to January 2025, pupil numbers at independent schools fell by 11,009 – almost four times the original forecast of 3,000. Since the tax change was announced, around 33,230 students have left the independent school sector. Speaking to the paper, shadow education minister Saqib Bhatti accused the education secretary, Lucy Powell, of "severely underestimating" the effect of her party's policy. "This is what happens when you put political ideology ahead of common sense," he warned. By Sabrina Miller.

In an article for Tes, Karen Guldberg, professor of autism studies and head of the School of Education at the University of Birmingham, and Mark Mon-Williams, chair in cognitive psychology at the University of Leeds and professor of psychology at the Bradford Institute for Health Research, say schools should adopt a needs-led approach to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support. They argue that help should be provided as soon as difficulties are identified rather than waiting for a clinical diagnosis, so that "children can get the right help at the right time".

Only a quarter of primary school teachers would be "very confident" and "comfortable" outlining their school's approach to LGBT+ teaching to parents, according to a survey by Teacher Tapp. Published today by charity Just Like Us as it launches a guide to help teachers talk about LGBT+ issues with parents and pupils, the findings suggest that just over half of classroom teachers would have some hesitation about being able to explain to parents why their school teaches these topics. By John Roberts, Tes. 

Secondary school students fear that climate change and sustainability education is too piecemeal and fails to connect with their day-to-day lives or future careers, a UCL Institute of Education report has warned. The report's authors are urging schools to "help engage young people in more meaningful ways" by "weaving climate change… into the wider curriculum". Ministers acknowledged the need to improve climate education in schools in their immediate response to last November's curriculum and assessment review. By Abigail Imas, Tes. 

Sixth-form students blockaded more than 40 schools across France this morning as youth protests spread into countries across Europe over the weekend. In Germany, the government has promised a crackdown on looters and rioters after tens of thousands of people demonstrated in dozens of cities demanding better funding for education and lower living costs. By David Chazan, The Sunday Times.