Tes reports that an attempt by the Labour Party to force the Government to explore the removal of tax relief for independent schools has been rejected by ministers. The House of Commons voted 303 to 197, a majority of 106, to reject Labour’s plans which had aimed to create a committee of MPs to consider reforming tax advantages for independent schools.

Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), was interviewed on the issue yesterday by Kait Borsay on Times Radio. Questioned by Ms Borsay on Labour's proposals to end tax relief for independent schools, Ms Robinson said: "We absolutely support driving up standards in education but we know that this is just not the way to do it, and it will not raise the money that Labour is claiming [it will]". To listen to the interview, skip to 28:10.

In an interview with Andrew Marr on LBC, the ISC's chief executive said: "VAT on school fees would be a punitive, targeted tax on parents who pay fees - in such a way that is not the case in other aspects of education... Surely we should work together, not pitch part of the education system against another part." The interview begins at 34:50.

BBC News takes a closer look at Labour's plan to remove tax relief for independent schools and reports that shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson has claimed the move would raise 'vital funds' for the state sector. By Paul Seddon.

Figures released by UCAS have revealed that 18-year-olds deemed to be from the most advantaged areas made up more than a third of the reduction in Russell Group university places last year. Applicants in 2022 reportedly faced the most competition for places in decades, and youngsters from all five groups of postcode areas used by universities to help gauge whether candidates are disadvantaged saw a drop in places awarded. By Louisa Clarence-Smith and Alex Clark, The Telegraph.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has said that teaching unions will go ahead with strike action unless the Scottish government and councils put forward an improved pay deal. Strikes are being prepared across all 32 local authorities in Scotland with two councils targeted per day for 16 days, starting with Glasgow and East Lothian on Monday. By Mark McLaughlin, The Times.

Some secondary school pupils in Scotland have had their preliminary exams rescheduled after teachers went on strike for the second day across Scotland yesterday. Rejecting a five per cent pay rise, the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association (SSTA) is calling for an increase of 10 per cent. By Libby Brooks, The Guardian. 

Schools Week reports that staff at the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofsted will go on strike for one day on February 1 as part of simultaneous industrial action across the civil service. It follows votes in favour of strike action over pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy terms last year. By Freddie Whittaker.

According to a report published today by the think tank Policy Exchange, single-sex girls’ schools 'would be guilty of discrimination under sex equality laws if they refused entry to biologically male teenagers who had been granted female gender recognition certificates from Scotland'. Other single-sex spaces, for example hospital wards, changing rooms and toilets, would also face the same requirement or risk breaching the Equality Act, the report claims. By Charles Hymas, The Telegraph.

Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) suggests that most teachers in England will be 'worse off' than they were 10 years ago following this year’s pay rise. Analysts explained that, with inflation running at 10 per cent, the pay rise would effectively work out to be a real-terms fall of five per cent. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

Student maintenance loans are set to rise by 2.8 per cent in 2023-24, below the level of inflation, leading some university and student leaders to express their disappointment that the Government has “failed to deliver a meaningful increase”. By Nicola Woolcock, The Times.

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