Schools' development sector news
Keep up to date on news from across the schools' development, education and charity sectors with our sector news area exclusively for IDPE members.
Select an issue below to jump to a specific month, or click 'View all as a list' and then 'Show archived' to view older news.
IDPE endeavours to keep individuals from the schools' sector up-to-date with relevant news from the education and charitable sectors, and news stories are selected based on their relevance. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of IDPE.
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Issue: legacy
View another issueHouse of Lords debate: VAT on fees
Tuesday, 14 October 2025During a debate on the government's VAT on fees policy in the House of Lords yesterday, Lord Lexden, president of the Independent Schools Association (ISA),...
IDPE member schools featured in Country & Townhouse Independent School News October issue
Tuesday, 14 October 2025Environmental education, female empowerment and fantastic fundraising in this week's roundup of the latest independent school news from Country & Townhouse....
Chris Coopman: Telling stories when budgeting and forecasting
Tuesday, 14 October 2025On Charity Finance Week, RABI's financial controller discusses the ways that charity finance professionals can adapt their storytelling to different audiences......
Donations from wealthy people increasing but lack of impact reporting a barrier, report says
Tuesday, 14 October 2025Wealthy people are donating more money than previously but some are put off by difficulties accessing information about the impact of specific charities,...
'Mid-value' legacy donors are the most generous, research finds
Tuesday, 14 October 2025People with "middle-sized" estates leave a larger share of their wealth to charities in their wills than richer legacy donors, according to new research....
UK has 'worst tax position' for charitable giving, ex-Conservative Party leader claims
Thursday, 9 October 2025The UK has the 'worst tax position for charitable giving that I can think of', a former leader of the Conservative Party has said, urging the country to...
Final countdown to the new Code of Fundraising Practice
Thursday, 9 October 2025We're in the final countdown to the new Code of Fundraising Practice coming into effect on 1 November 2025. With just one month to go, now is the time...
ISC warned impact of VAT on fees 'would not be felt evenly across the UK'
Thursday, 9 October 2025A spokesperson for the ISC said parents and schools are navigating the changing landscape following the introduction of VAT on fees, as figures show that...
HMC Autumn Conference - launching the Fundraising futures report
Thursday, 2 October 2025IDPE CEO, Lou Bennett, was invited to speak at HMC Autumn Conference 'A Future Worth Teaching: sharing our excellence' and share insights from the new...
Why do companies give? Research uncovers what motivates corporate giving
Thursday, 2 October 2025Fireside Fundraising has published its latest research, Why Companies Give: In Their Own Words, based on interviews with people in a range of roles inside...
Wealthy families plot exodus as Labour's school fees tax sparks anger
Thursday, 2 October 2025A quarter of Britain's richest families are weighing up leaving the country as fears mount over Labour's tax raid on private schools and speculation of...
UK's most powerful and influential people are still 5 times more likely to have attended private schools
Wednesday, 24 September 2025The report finds that across a range of sectors, the UK's most powerful and influential people are still 5 times more likely to have attended private schools...
Most British businesses do nothing to support charities
Wednesday, 24 September 2025Research by Charities Aid Foundation reveals that 75% of British businesses do not support charities, whether it is giving time (volunteering and skills),...
How to end the fundraising year on a high
Wednesday, 24 September 2025The latter months of the year can be some of the most fruitful for charities when it comes to fundraising. According to fundraising software providers...
Trustees split on paying charity board members, research finds
Wednesday, 17 September 2025Charity chairs and trustees are divided on whether making it easier to pay people doing their role would benefit the sector, according to new research....
Regulator tweaks new Code of Fundraising Practice to improve clarity
Tuesday, 16 September 2025The Fundraising Regulator has made changes to its updated code of practice to improve its clarity following feedback from the charity sector. This week,...
Corporate-NGO tie-ups lean into AI as language becomes 'quieter' around ESG
Tuesday, 16 September 2025Non-profits and corporates look to AI to solve "deeper problems", as brands become "quieter in their language" around environmental, social and governance...
AI expected to play an important role in future corporate partnerships, report finds
Tuesday, 16 September 2025The majority of charities and businesses expect AI to play an important role in corporate partnerships over the next three years, a new report has found....
New charity tax minister welcomed after Starmer reshuffles
Tuesday, 9 September 2025A new minister with responsibility for charity taxation has been appointed as part of prime minister Keir Starmer's reshuffle.
IDPE schools amongst finalists for Independent Schools of the Year 2025 awards
Tuesday, 9 September 2025Congratulations to all IDPE member schools included in the Independent Schools of the Year 2025 awards finalists.
Legacy giving more prevalent among millionaires with kids, research finds
Tuesday, 9 September 2025The study, commissioned by Remember A Charity and conducted by Savanta, surveyed 500 people who have more than £1m in investable assets. Half of...
Remember A Charity Week 2025 focuses on the 'phenomenal impact' of legacies
Tuesday, 9 September 2025Remember A Charity Week runs this week from 8-14 September. It brings together charities, professional advisers, campaign partners and celebrities to grow...
Regulators considering calls to adjust charity accounting tier levels in new SORP
Tuesday, 9 September 2025UK charity regulators are considering whether to amend proposed tiers for accounting requirements after some in the sector raised concerns about the suggested...
UK's top 1% of earners donate £52 a month to charities, research finds
Wednesday, 9 July 2025The government has been urged to boost high-net-worth (HNW) giving as research published this week reveals that the UK's top earners currently make "relatively...
Protect public trust gains when using 'soft opt-in' powers, regulator boss tells charities
Wednesday, 9 July 2025The chief executive of the Fundraising Regulator has said that charities must carefully consider how they use new powers to contact supporters in order...
VAT on school fees -Where are we now? (An accounting perspective)
Monday, 7 July 2025Robert Warne reviews events in the months that have passed since VAT was introduced on independent school fees.
New charity trustee information requirements introduced in Scotland
Wednesday, 2 July 2025Scottish regulator OSCR has introduced requirements for all charities in the country to submit trustee details as part of their annual returns.
New data protection law could make it easier for independent schools to fundraise
Tuesday, 1 July 2025New data protection law could make it easier for independent schools to fundraise, says Hannah Lyons at ISM.
Data (Use and Access) Bill 2025 update
Thursday, 26 June 2025Claire Stanley
Director of Policy and Communications, Chartered Institute of Fundraising reflects on the latest of the Data (Use and Access)...
Director of Policy and Communications, Chartered Institute of Fundraising reflects on the latest of the Data (Use and Access)...
Charities voice concerns about paying staff as CAF Bank disruption continues
Wednesday, 25 June 2025Many charities are continuing to report significant problems with CAF Bank's online services, a fortnight after issues emerged in the wake of a new system...
IDPE members amongst Tes 2025 Award-winners
Friday, 20 June 2025Entries for the Tes Schools Awards 2025 are now closed. The winners were announced on Friday 20 June. Thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations...
CIOF vows to change perceptions of fundraising in 10-year strategy
Monday, 9 June 2025The Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIOF) has vowed to change public perceptions of the profession as part of a new 10-year strategy.
Fundraising Regulator to change how it collects complaints data
Friday, 6 June 2025The Fundraising Regulator has revealed plans to start collecting data from charities of all sizes for its annual complaints report (ACR).
ISC CEO: Fall in independent sector pupil numbers undermines VAT policy revenue claims
Friday, 6 June 2025Julie Robinson, CEO of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), has said the latest DfE census findings, which show independent school pupil numbers have...
Private school pupil numbers drop by 11,000
Thursday, 5 June 2025There were 11,000 fewer pupils at private schools in England this January compared to the same time last year, according to the latest school census data....
Government issues guidance on VAT for independent schools
Wednesday, 4 June 2025HMRC has issued updated guidance that explains how private schools can reclaim VAT incurred on services received before they registered for VAT.
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FairTalk: Reclaiming Ethical Fundraising in a Time of Nonprofit Cuts
Tuesday, 3 June 2025FairTalk returns on 10 June with a conversation that feels more urgent than ever. As nonprofits and development organisations navigate shrinking budgets,...
CIOF: Developing a new 10-year strategy
Monday, 2 June 2025The Chartered Institute of Fundraising will be unveiling their new ten-year strategy in June 2025 – one which has been developed with fundraisers...
Development: 'A spirit of quiet, determined optimism'
Thursday, 29 May 2025School fundraisers are asking for help and finding that their communities are responding, writes Emma Garrett
'VAT on fees has made us rethink everything'
Wednesday, 28 May 2025Adapting a school to financial realities has been like 'trying to redesign and repair an aeroplane mid-flight' writes Peter Hogan
UK boarding schools hit by drop in number of international pupils
Thursday, 22 May 2025Tighter visa restrictions have negative impact on numbers of children choosing to study in Britain
The UK must not walk away from its commitment to education
Wednesday, 21 May 2025Deprioritising support for global education risks trashing the UK's reputation and will have devastating consequences for millions of the world's poorest...
Private school VAT raids: What's the actual impact?
Tuesday, 20 May 2025Settings reduce fees and boost bursaries as tax changes take effect, but more pupils leave than government predicted.
Charitable giving by UK's wealthiest up £500m, Sunday Times Giving List shows
Friday, 16 May 2025The wealthiest people in the UK gave nearly £500m more to charity over the past year, according to the Sunday Times Giving List.
Private schools say fees have gone up by 22% in last year
Thursday, 15 May 2025Private school fees were 22.6% higher on average in January compared with a year ago, according to the body that represents most independent schools in...
UK legacy income grows to £4.5bn as probate backlog clears, report shows
Wednesday, 14 May 2025Legacy income for charities in the UK increased to £4.5bn last year despite "a challenging external environment", according to a new report. Today,...
Smee & Ford: Legacy Giving Report 2025
Wednesday, 14 May 2025The Legacy Giving Report 2025 is available for download!
By uniting the unique strengths of Smee & Ford's extensive wills and probate...
By uniting the unique strengths of Smee & Ford's extensive wills and probate...
Affluent London areas 'least generous' in UK, CAF research finds
Monday, 12 May 2025The 10 least generous areas in the UK are all districts in London, according to new research, while residents in affluent suburbs outside the capital give...
Large charities should shift power to communities to remain relevant, CEO says
Friday, 9 May 2025Large charities have been encouraged to focus on shifting power towards local communities in order to remain relevant. Lloyds Bank Foundation chief executive...
VAT on fees: 'The human cost was never thought about'
Tuesday, 6 May 2025The government never considered the human cost of the VAT on fees policy, writes Gareth Jones.
Charitable legacies most likely from younger will-makers and volunteers
Friday, 2 May 2025Remember A Charity's annual consumer tracking study reports that almost 1 in 3 supporters aged over 40 with a Will have already included a charity, while...