Tes considers what teachers can expect from the annual conference of the Labour Party, which starts this weekend. The article includes a summary of the party's main education policies, which include the commitment to add VAT to independent school fees. Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), recently said she feared that this would set a “worrying precedent” for any charity that is viewed as “not reflecting the political ideology of the day”. By Cerys Turner.

In the first of a series of policy announcements before Labour's conference begins in Liverpool, the party said that children will have to brush their teeth under supervision in schools as part of its plan to "rescue" the nation's dental health. Tooth decay is the most common reason for children aged between six and ten to be admitted to hospital, with far higher rates in the most deprived areas. By Kat Lay, The Times.

In her first speech in the role of shadow schools minister, Catherine McKinnell accused prime minister Rishi Sunak of living in an "alternative world" after he announced plans to replace A-levels with a new Advanced British Standard (ABS). Addressing delegates at the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) annual conference yesterday, Ms McKinnell also highlighted the current shortage of qualified maths teachers in the profession. By Matilda Martin, Tes.

iNews takes a closer look at the ABS and asks when A-levels would be abolished under the government's plans, which ministers say could take 10 years to come into effect. By Jason Arunn Murugesu.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Amanda Spielman has said the behaviour of pupils in schools in England has deteriorated since the Covid pandemic, with some children refusing to comply with rules and walking out of lessons midway. The outgoing head of Ofsted has warned that even primary school pupils are being increasingly defiant and refusing to follow simple school instructions. By Sally Weale.

Christine Pheiffer, deputy head at Wetherby Senior School, speaks to The Telegraph about the success of the school's decision to try US firm Yondr’s magnetic pouches to stop pupils being distracted by mobile phones. An accompanying graphic details how the pouches work, enabling pupils to lock their phones away safely for the duration of the school day. By Melissa Twigg.

A school in Essex is encouraging its leavers to take a gap year and cover lessons because of a shortage of teachers. The news comes in light of figures from the Department for Education (DfE) that reveal tens of thousands of teaching staff left their roles last year, leaving some schools (such as Southend High School for Boys) struggling to find staff to teach classes. By Andrew Kersley and Nicola Woolcock, The Times. 

Independent School Management Plus features an interview with Grove du Toit, headmaster at Princethorpe College, in which he speaks about moving to teach in England from South Africa and making the leap to headship last year. By Irena Barker.

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