The headmaster of an independent school in one of Britain's most deprived areas has said Labour's tax plans would "price out" pupils whose parents make significant sacrifices in order to pay the fees. Anthony Oulton, principal of Hulme Grammar School in Oldham, added: "The work we do in our bursary program is to facilitate the ambition and aspiration that Labour claims to espouse. It seems like a levelling down approach to things. This isn’t about equality and would, in fact, make private schools more elite – or as elite as Labour think they are." By Tom Haynes, The Telegraph. 

The Daily Mail follows up on a story yesterday that reported independent schools would be blocked from reclaiming VAT on historical receipts if Labour wins the next election. The article quotes Sir Anthony Seldon, head of Epsom College, who said: "Labour should be finding imaginative ways to work with the independent school sector, and should not be trying to punish it, e.g. by preventing it from claiming VAT back on receipts. Independent schools include some of the greatest in the world. They have so much to offer the country’s school ecosystem." By Connor Stringer. 

Gillian Keegan has said transgender guidance for schools is being refined and will come soon, adding: "It’s a very sensitive area. We have been trying to make sure we get the balance between the rights that people have but also something that’s useful for schools to be able to navigate this." By Aine Fox, The Independent. 

Clare Page, who lost a tribunal battle to view what her daughter was taught in her sex education class, has said the law does not always support parents - despite the education secretary stating parents have a right to know. Speaking to The Times, Ms Page said: "The government feels confident it can work around this copyright restriction … but I’ve been through two legal processes and the judge disagreed with the education secretary. Case law as it stands says that sex education providers maintaining commercial secrecy outweighs the public’s right to know." By James Beal. 

Sir Michael Wilshaw, who was chief inspector of schools until 2016, told MPs on the Education Select Committee that Ofsted's single-phrase judgments such as "good" are giving parents "false comfort" about what is happening in a school. He added: "Ofsted says that nearly 90 per cent of schools are good – that’s nonsense, that’s complete nonsense." By Louisa Clarence-Smith, The Telegraph. 

BBC News reports colleges in England are having to expand class sizes and hire exam halls to cope with a rising number of pupils taking compulsory GCSE resits. By Hazel Shearing. 

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, writes in Tes on the issues contributing to school absence. He argues: "It is clear these challenges extend beyond the school gates. They are the responsibility of all society, ranging from the government and social care to the NHS, parents and carers. They require a multi-agency, cross-governmental response." 

Writing in Tes, Jean Gross CBE, an independent consultant and author, questions whether the term 'SEND' has lost its utility, as more and more pupils are being identified as having special educational needs. 

Schools Week features a long read on the obstacles schools encounter as they try to cut their carbon emissions. By Jack Dyson. 

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