Under plans for new legislation, which are being brought forward by home secretary James Cleverly, teachers in England face being banned for failing to report evidence of children being subjected to sexual abuse. It would also mean that anyone who actively covers up evidence of child sexual abuse could go to prison for up to seven years. By Richard Adams, The Guardian.

The new measures will be introduced as amendments at report stage of the Criminal Justice Bill in the House of Commons and will apply in England and Wales.

A 'big read' feature by Kasia Delgado in iNews looks at the popularity of independent schools in the UK amid Labour's plans to impose VAT on fees and asks whether an independent education "can still buy you a successful future". Ms Delgado, the paper's features editor, reflects on her own experiences at both state and independent schools, and speaks to parents about their own reasons for choosing their children's education.

Tess Wilkinson, director of education at Henley & Partners, writes in Spear's on the potential impact of Labour's tax plans on international families looking for an independent education in the UK. Reference is made to research by the Independent Schools Council (ISC).

Several schools in membership of the ISC's constituent associations are mentioned across both articles.

During a hearing on the impact of screentime on wellbeing, Dame Rachel de Souza called for adults to stop using mobile phones at the dinner table and "address their own behaviour" before proposing screen bans for children. Following this week's government guidance on prohibiting mobile phone use in schools, she said: "We really do need our parents and the adults in this country to have this conversation about our own addictions.” By Mark Sellman, The Times. 

Writing in The Guardian, teacher Nadeine Asbali argues that a "simplistic" ban on mobile phone use "does nothing to solve the wider problems". Calling for the government to divert resources elsewhere, Ms Asbali says: "I would far rather it put more funding into ensuring young people have safe places to socialise."

iNews reports that many of the UK’s closest neighbours have already imposed plans to curb the use of mobile phones in schools and takes a look at how the government's new rules compare. By Will McCurdy. 

In an article for Independent School Management Plus, managing director of childcare and education at Christie & Co Courtney Donaldson looks at the rising demand for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in the UK. With pressure on capacity likely to increase, she explains: "There are no signs of this surge in demand for places abating and many state schools are not adequately equipped to meet the increased demand or to support pupils with more complex and challenging needs."

In an opinion piece in The Times, Lord Johnson says schools need more flexibility to offer the subjects best suited for their pupils "yet struggle to do so because of the overloaded curriculum, disproportionate assessment model and academically focused school performance measures". He adds: "This government’s attempt to recreate a 1950s curriculum is of little help to many disadvantaged schoolchildren." Lord Johnson is chairman of the House of Lords Education for 11-16 Year Olds Committee.

Independent school deputy head Luke Ramsden writes in Tes on new research from Colorado State University, which found that children with poor sleep routines, who often had less sleep during the week, exhibited notable changes in brain structure linked to language, behaviour and processing emotions. 

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