Improving education standards is central to the Government’s levelling up agenda, and rightly so. Education, of course, paves futures for young people. It also betters communities, increases productivity and wages, and higher educational attainment is even linked to better health outcomes and longevity of life.
For these reasons, it is crucial that the whole country is fairly ‘levelled-up’ when it comes to education. As I always say, this means more than just a focus on the North. As of February 2022, the South West and East Midlands jointly had the lowest percentage of OFSTED rated outstanding schools of all regions in England. Devon also falls slightly lower than the regional average. It is clearly long overdue that our schools and our children get the focus they deserve.
I therefore welcome the Government’s renewed focus on education, signalled by the publication of both a schools white paper and a partnering Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) review.
The Government’s Levelling Up mission for schools is that by 2030, 90% of children will leave primary school having achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, up from 65% in 2019.
The white paper adds to that goal, seeking to lift the attainment of all secondary pupils by setting an ambition to increase the national GCSE average grade in both English language and in maths from 4.5 in 2019 to 5 by 2030.
To achieve these goals the Government have pledged to deliver 500,000 teacher training and development opportunities by 2024, giving all teachers and school leaders access to world-class, evidence-based training and professional development at every stage of their career so that children can benefit from the best teachers.
They have also promised specialist training to drive better literacy through new National Professional Qualifications for Leading Literacy and for Early Years Leadership, and up to £180m investment in the early years workforce.
Importantly, they have pledged £30,000 starting salaries to attract and retain the very best teachers – with additional incentives to work in the schools with the most need. The hope is that this will attract the best teachers to schools that need them most.
Good teaching needs to come hand in hand with good school environments. Therefore, the government will be introducing a new arms-length curriculum body that works with teachers across the country to co-create free, optional, adaptable digital curriculum resources to deliver a rigorous, high-quality curriculum.
They will also be introducing a longer average school week which makes the most effective use of time in school and ensures children enjoy a rounded education. Post-pandemic, this will be crucial to make up for lost time.
The Government will be striving for better behaviour and higher attendance in schools through more effective use of data, including an annual behaviour survey and a national data system to drive up attendance and make it easier for agencies to protect vulnerable children.
The Government is also pledging that where students fall behind, all schools will be equipped to promptly provide extra support including one-to-one and small group tuition.
I have heard concerns from several constituents that the schooling system for SEND pupils is inadequate. It is complicated for parents to navigate; it can be a postcode lottery and resource is used inefficiently. I therefore welcome a specific focus on this area, to ensure that when we look to improve education, we are truly including everyone.
The Government is consulting on proposals to deliver greater national consistency in the support that should be made available, how it should be accessed and how it should be funded. It sets out plans for an improved mainstream provision that offers early and accurate identification of needs, high-quality teaching, and prompt access to targeted support. You can find out more and respond to the consultation on the gov.uk website.
If you would like to book a surgery appointment or raise a specific issue, please call my office on 01626 368277 or email annemarie.morris.mp@parliament.uk.