ISC Daily News Summary

Ministers are to press ahead with proposals to increase Ofsted inspection charges for "non-association" independent schools by up to 50 per cent and to more than double registration fees. The changes, which will be introduced by the Department for Education (DfE) over five years from January 2027, are intended to recover more of the cost of inspecting schools that are not inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). Schools Week reports that the government received just 33 responses to its consultation, with the majority opposing fee rises. By Freddie Whittaker. 

As British schools continue to expand overseas, Repton School has announced plans to open a brand new campus in Bahrain next August, making it the first UK independent school brand to establish a campus in the country. Tes explores how growing international demand for a British education is driving expansion plans as schools seek new sources of income amid increasing financial pressures in the UK, including the VAT on fees policy. Ian McIntyre, managing director of the Repton Family of Schools, tells the paper there is a seemingly "insatiable" appetite for British education abroad. "It's soft skills, critical thinking, building character, helping young people become good at life so they are interesting people with things to talk about, as well as having wonderful exam grades," he explains. The article also mentions Harrow School and Rugby School, which both recently opened schools in Dubai, and Epsom College, set to open a school in Abu Dhabi in 2028 followed by a second campus in Dubai in 2030. By Emma Seith.

Teachers do not have adequate training, resources and curriculum time to address rising harmful sexual behaviour among pupils, education leaders have told ministers. The warning comes as a Tes investigation shows that schools are having to handle large numbers of sexual harassment incidents, with record numbers of suspensions for sexual misconduct. Responding to a DfE survey published last week, some 70 per cent of secondary leaders and 29 per cent of primary leaders said their schools had responded to incidents of sexual violence or harassment between September 2025 and June 2026. Tes outlines schools' safeguarding responsibilities in this area, and quotes Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, who is among those calling for teachers to be given more support. By Kyle Tormey. 

In an article for Tes, educational psychologist Dr Adam McCartney outlines four warning signs that a previously engaged pupil may be disengaging. These include withdrawing from classroom discussions, stopping homework, avoiding challenging work and struggling with friendship difficulties. "You don't have to solve the problem, but by showing you have noticed a change in them, they may feel less alone and more able to cope," he writes. 

Writing in School Management Plus, Julie Taylor, executive principal of The Belvedere Academy GDST, a state-funded all-girls comprehensive school in Liverpool, highlights the importance of helping girls build confidence through taking risks, learning from mistakes and overcoming challenges. Encouraging schools and families to work together to foster resilience and self-belief, she says: "For girls to thrive at school and beyond, the aim should not be to clear every obstacle from a girl's path. It should be to equip her with the confidence to navigate the obstacles herself."