A major survey of more than 16,000 parents at 332 different schools by the Independent Schools Council (ISC) has found that almost 60 per cent of respondents would certainly or probably take their child out of their current independent school if Labour adds VAT to fees, with the figure rising for the South West, South Central and East of England. Keen to enter into dialogue with Labour on the issue, Julie Robinson, chief executive of the ISC, is quoted on the "very real effect" on parents’ rights to choose the school that best suits their child’s needs and the simultaneous impact on parents in the state sector. Duncan Murphy, headmaster of Kingswood House School, also expressed his concern to The Telegraph, saying: “Most of my parents will not be able to afford a substantive fee increase just on the whim of any Government.” Commenting on the financial sacrifices many of her parents make to send their children to Rydes Hill Preparatory School, headmistress Sarah Norville is also quoted. By Louisa Clarence-Smith. The Daily Mail also covers the findings of the ISC's parent survey, reporting that just one in 10 of the parents surveyed would not be affected by VAT being levied on school fees. By Kumail Jaffer.

The Times takes a closer look at Labour's tax plans for independent schools and asks whether they add up. Reference is made to figures from the ISC and Julie Robinson is quoted. Kieran McLaughlin, principal at Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation, warns of "the potential impact, not just on independent schools but on the maintained sector too", while Michelle Catterson, head of Moon Hall School, a special needs school, is quoted on the "huge" financial burden of Labour's plans. By Henry Zeffman and Nicola Woolcock. An ISC blog written by Ms Catterson on this subject can be read here.

According to The Mail on Sunday Labour will now exempt special needs schools from its plans to increase taxes on independent education, following warnings that the party's original, wide-ranging proposal would be devastating to parents who have children with special educational needs. In response, Julie Robinson, said: "We are encouraged to see Labour considering the impact the plans could have on special needs children, but we are left with more questions than answers. The exemptions they have hinted at would still leave tens of thousands of parents in the dark about their eligibility. It would do nothing to mitigate the risk to schools that provide specialist support without the designation of a special school." Prior to Labour's comments, Jonathan Hetherington, headmaster at More House School, was one of a number of heads to have written to the shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, warning that "if specialist schools are not fully exempt from these plans, there is a real risk it disadvantages the most vulnerable in our society". By Claire Ellicott.

Research by University College London suggests an independent education is directly linked to voting Conservative in midlife, and that being educated independently also makes men and women 50 per cent more likely to hold right-wing opinions. By James Tapper, The Guardian.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the National Education Union (NEU), have criticised education secretary Gillian Keegan over the school recruitment and retention crisis, after members last week voted overwhelmingly to reject the government's pay offer. By Freddie Whittaker, Schools Week.

The NEU threatens to continue striking until the next general election unless ministers concede in the pay dispute with union leaders. Dr Bousted and Mr Courtney say they have accepted that the union “might not win” its pay demands before they both retire in September. By Poppy Wood, iNews.

Schools Week provides the full text of the conference speeches made by the union's leaders. By Freddie Whittaker.

Members of the teaching union NASUWT have approved a motion calling for the abolition of Ofsted, with teachers reportedly expressing a "deep-seated fear" of Ofsted inspections at the union's annual conference in Glasgow this week. By James Gregory, BBC News.

On the issue of industrial action, Patrick Roach, general secretary of NASUWT, said ministers are treating teachers in England with contempt if they refuse to renegotiate their “miserable” pay offer. By Richard Adams, The Guardian. According to Schools Week, NASUWT has become the fourth union to reject the government's offer of a one-off payment of £1,000 and a 4.3 per cent rise from September. The union now intends to re-ballot members. By Freddie Whittaker.

A poll by the NASUWT has found that 13 per cent of respondents have been physically assaulted by pupils, with nearly half of teachers surveyed saying they do not feel that their school’s behaviour policy is effective and “fit for purpose”. By Rebecca McCurdy, The Independent.

According to the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, which has consulted headteachers and academy trust leaders across the north of England, pupils taking their GCSE and A-level exams this summer need to be marked more generously due to the impact of the ongoing teachers’ strike and the lingering effects of the pandemic. Members have written to the exams watchdog Ofqual urging it to rethink its approach to this cohort. By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times.

A parent-led campaign, backed by headteachers and experts, is calling for the government to ban smartphones completely for under-16s and bring in “tobacco-style health warnings” on all smartphone packaging. Launched on Sunday, the campaign has the support of actress Sophie Winkleman, who has said the use of screens, along with social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram, is affecting children’s learning and leading to young people feeling lonely and depressed. By Sian Griffiths, The Sunday Times.

A study by researchers at University College London has found that social media has no significant overall impact on teenagers’ anxiety, stress and depression levels, whilst acknowledging that it is difficult to draw concrete conclusions since individuals' experiences on social media sites can differ quite significantly. By Tom Bawden, iNews.

Plans to make it more difficult for children to illegally buy e-cigarettes in England are to be outlined by the government next week, with the Department of Health reportedly allocating £3 million to tackle the issue. By Marita Moloney, BBC News.

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