SEND and private VAT plan dominate the schools agenda during Commons exchange SEND and private VAT plan dominate the schools agenda during Commons exchange More from this theme Recent articles Education secretary Bridget Phillipson and her ministerial team took their first set of education questions from MPs today after winning July’s election. They were quizzed about SEND, funding and private schools. Here’s what we learned… 1. Phillipson urges Tory ‘reflection’ on SEND The previous government placed a “statutory override” on SEND budget deficits, allowing councils to keep them off their revenue books until 2026. Today Phillipson was quizzed by shadow education minister James Wild on whether she would extend the override. The new education secretary said she was “genuinely surprised” Wild thought the question “is a source of strength”. “It represents significant failure over 14 years that we ended up in such a desperate position facing our council[s].” She said government “will of course look closely at all of this”, but added: “what I would say to him is that after 14 years where he …