• The number of UK pupils at private schools has dropped by 0.9% this year. The number of four year olds starting reception fell by 5.2% despite an expansion of the number of children of this age group. The number of non-British pupils with parents overseas increased by 7.4%. Guardian


• There has been a surge in the number of primary school registrations caused by a sustained rise in the birth rate - Surrey must accommodate for an extra 14 classes of children, Lewisham an extra 17 and Lambeth 11. In Surrey, the birth rate rose by 20% between 2002 and 2008. BBC


• Ed Balls has written letters to the governors of every primary school in the UK pointing out it is their 'statutory duty' to make sure SATS tests go ahead and that if primary heads will not administer the test, another 'competent person' should be found to do so. Guardian


• A leading education lawyer has admitted that parents from poor neighbourhoods would be excluded from benefiting from the Conservative 'free schools' scheme because richer parents have the necessary funds to better access help to navigate the legal and bureaucratic maze. Guardian


• David Cameron was yesterday interrogated by the father of a disabled boy over his fears that a Tory pledge to 'end the bias towards the inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream schools' would make mainstream schools less accessible for those with special needs. Cameron commented it should be open to parents' choice. Times


• In a speech yesterday, a leading private school headmaster claimed that the level of regulation in private schools was now equivalent to that of state schools and the amount of red tape was leaving private schools less affordable to parents. Schools must comply with 139 regulations; only 19 relate to teaching. Telegraph


• A teacher meets Michael Gove and assesses what he will do to her profession - he is visionary, but with ideas 'beset with contradictions', she wonders how he would deliver. Telegraph


• A French master at the Scottish school Gordonstoun, favoured by the Royal Family, has been struck off after being found guilty of misconduct. He sent 11 pupils emails with advice about an unseen topic in their imminent French oral GCSE. Times


• After the furor around a primary school head who tried to institute a scheme where pupils reared lambs for meat, The Guardian visits Oathall community college farm where pupils do much the same with their pigs, cows, hens and sheep. Their sausages are to be judged by Raymond Blanc at the Real Food Festival next week. Guardian

• Despite applications to Cambridge rising by 8.3% last year, the number of state school pupils dropped by 1.5%. State school pupils made up 58% of the total intake. Times


• More than 2,000 charities have written to the main parties demanding assurance that they intend to continue the £1 billion Future Jobs Fund. abour and the Lib Dems have promised to keep the scheme; the Conservatives have said they would review it. A Times poll found unemployment to be young people's biggest concern. Times


• How gap years can make students stand out in a competitive jobs market.Beer drinking trophies won't cut it. Telegraph

• Peter Mandelson yesterday criticised Tory plans for the 'big society' or 'do-it-yourself stuff'. He said the fact that the public sector would face cuts didn't mean to say it was 'invalidated' or should retreat or give up. Guardian


• Why are so many women becoming depressed? What 'having it all' has done to women's mental health. Guardian


• A UK wide stalking helpline is set to be launched to encourage more of the estimated 2 million victims a year to come forward. It aims to help women who are reluctant to go to police immediately and will have a single point of contact in each police force. BBC

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