Tuesday
VAT on private school fees is ‘destructive’, Hinds warns
Shadow education secretary Damian Hinds has criticised the government’s policy to apply 20 per cent VAT on independent school fees in a parliamentary debate today
Attendance: 32,000 pupils on part-time timetables
There has been a ‘notable’ drop in schools’ use of the controversial attendance code B for pupils who are learning off-site, new analysis shows
Friday
North East is left out of policymaking, Phillipson warned
Sector leaders in the North East have written to the education secretary to warn about a lack of representation in recently announced Ofsted and curriculum reviews
DfE’s West Midlands regional director to retire
Andrew Warren, who has headed up the region for six years, says ‘it feels like the right time’ to depart
SEND provision in mainstream ‘needs to be investigated’
With Tes analysis revealing a sharp rise in pupils in SEND provision in mainstream schools, sector leaders voice concerns about a lack of oversight, guidance and funding
Concern over number of children arriving at school ‘still in nappies’
Former children’s commissioner warns too many young children are not receiving the support needed to boost their ‘school readiness’
Phillipson commits to lower Oak National Academy funding
Education secretary sets out a package of reforms in a bid to head off a legal challenge against the curriculum resources quango, Tes can reveal
Thursday
Phillipson says support in maths and science GCSEs should continue
Ofqual consults on whether formulae and equation sheets should be maintained for 2025, 2026 and 2027 exams after education secretary calls for them to remain
Restore expert group to tackle absence crisis, DfE urged
The Attendance Action Alliance – set up to ‘supercharge’ efforts to tackle school absence – has not met since May
Monday
Phillipson asks how teacher pay can support more flexibility
It is unlikely the 2025-26 pay award will be announced before maintained schools set their budgets, the education secretary warns – but vows to reset timelines for 2026-27
Most primary teachers would not consider secondary
The perceived barriers to teachers making the move from primary to secondary, including an ‘us and them’ mentality, have been revealed by DfE research
