Chapter 2
Education: More children
making the grade
Forward to personalised learning,
not back to mass failure
1997: 42nd in the World Education League
2005: Third best in the world for literacy at age
ten and fastest improving for maths
2010: Every 16-year-old offered school, college,
training or apprenticeship
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Education is still our number one priority. In our first term,
we transformed recruitment, training and methods of teaching,
with record results in primary schools. In our second
term we have driven fundamental reform in secondary provision
– more teachers and support staff, more money, specialist
schools and the Academies programmes. Our plan now is
to tailor our education system to individual pupil needs, with
parents supporting teachers and support staff in further raising
standards.That means music, art, sport and languages as
well as English and maths in primary school; a good secondary
school for every child, with modern buildings and excellent
specialist teaching; catch-up support for all children who
need it; the guarantee of a sixth-form place, apprenticeship
or further education at 16; sufficient quality and quantity in
higher education. At each stage we send a clear message –
every child has a right to a good education, but no child has
the right to disrupt the education of other children.
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The new Labour case
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For generations our country has been held back by an education system
that excelled for the privileged few but let down the majority.
Every child can and should be able to fulfil their potential.We will
achieve this by uniting our commitment to equal opportunities for all
children with a reformprogramme which gives every child and young
person, from pre-school to sixth-form or apprenticeship and beyond,
the personalised package of learning and support they need. In a third
term, we will entrench high expectations for every child, ensure the
flexibility of provision to meet all needs and make parents true partners
as we aim for the highest ever school standards.
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Every pupil with better teaching
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There is no greater responsibility than teaching the next generation.
Head teachers, teachers and support staff deserve support and
respect.There are now over 28,000 more teachers and 105,000 more
support staff than in 1997; graduate teacher applications are up 70 per
cent; average salaries are up by more than 30 per cent.The remodelling
of the school workforce is benefiting staff and helping to tailor
provision to pupil need.We will now go further – to intensify in-service
training for teachers, to widen further routes into teaching, to help
more teachers and pupils get the benefit of the range of support staff
now working in schools, from learning mentors to music and arts
specialists. The goal is clear: every pupil with extra support in their
weakest subjects and extra opportunities in their strongest.
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We want to see every pupil mastering the basics. If they are not mastered
by 11, there will be extra time in the secondary curriculum to get
them right: schools will be judged on how pupils do in English and
maths at the ages of 11, 14 and 16.
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We want every pupil to be stretched, including the brightest, so we will
develop extended projects at A-level, harder A-level questions to challenge
the most able, and give universities the individual module marks
– as well as overall grades – of A-level students.
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Every school with more money and effective leadership
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Since 1997, school funding has risen by £1,000 per pupil. Education
spending that was 4.7 per cent of national income in 1997 will rise to
5.5 per cent this year.We will continue to raise the share of national
income devoted to education. And we will continue to recognise the
additional needs of disadvantaged pupils.We will also ensure fundamental
reform in the way the money is spent. Funding will be allocated
on a multi-year timescale.There will be a dedicated national schools
budget set by central government, with a guaranteed per pupil increase
for every school. Heads and governors will be in control. Successful
schools and colleges will have the independence to take decisions
about how to deploy resources and develop their provision. Schools
will work together to raise standards. New provision will be created
where standards are too low or innovation is needed. Local authorities
have a vital role in championing the parent interest and providing support
services.
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A strong, effective governing body is essential to the success of every
school and governors must be given support to help them play this
role.We will allow more flexibility in the structure of governing bodies,
including the ability to have smaller governing bodies, of ten
members or less, to streamline management while strengthening the
position of parents.
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Parents as partners
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Our aim for the education system is to nurture the unique talents of
every child. But children and schools do best with real and effective
parental engagement. Parents should have the information and
support they need to encourage their children, from the first reading
book to the key choices they make at 14 and 16. And parents should
be central to the process of assessing school performance and driving
improvement, as well as their vital role in promoting good behaviour
and raising the quality of school meals (see chapter 4).
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All schools should have good home-school links, building on the new
school and pupil profiles. Some schools are using ICT to make contact
between parents and schools easier and better for both sides.We
will encourage all schools to follow suit.
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Ofsted now actively seeks the views of parents when undertaking
inspections. Ofsted will be given new powers to respond to parental
complaints and where necessary to close failing schools or replace failing
management.
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Enriching primary schools
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International studies show that our ten-year-olds are the third highest
achievers in literacy in the world and the fastest improving in maths.
Three-quarters of 11-year-olds now reach high standards in reading,
writing and maths.We will intensify our literacy and numeracy programme
to help an extra 50,000 pupils achieve high standards at age 11,
reaching our targets of 85 per cent of pupils succeeding at the basics.
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All primary school children will have access to high-quality tuition in
the arts, music, sport and foreign languages.We have set aside funds
for this purpose, working with head teachers to develop support programmes
and modernise the school workforce.
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We have abolished infant class sizes of more than 30, and almost all
primary schools have gained improved facilities since 1997.We will
now upgrade primary schools nationwide in a 15-year Building
Schools for the Future programme, including under-fives and childcare
facilities where needed. Primary schools will become the base for
a massive expansion of out-of-school provision (see chapter 6).
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Foundation schools operate within the local family of state schools, and
are funded in the same way as others, but manage their own assets and
employ their staff directly.We will allow successful primary schools, like
secondary schools, to become foundation schools by a simple vote of
their governing body following consultation with their parents.
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Every secondary school an independent specialist school
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We want all secondary schools to be independent specialist schools with
a strong ethos, high-quality leadership, good discipline (including school
uniforms), setting by ability and high-quality facilities as the norm.
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The way to achieve this is not a return to the 11-plus or a free-for-all
on admissions policies. It is to ensure that independent specialist
schools tailor education to the needs, interests and aptitudes of each
pupil within a fair admissions system.
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There are over 2,000 specialist schools – schools which teach the entire
national curriculum and also have a centre of excellence.Their results
are improving faster than those of non-specialist schools.We want
every secondary school to become a specialist school and existing specialist
schools will be able to take on a second specialism. Over time all
specialist schools will become extended schools, with full programmes
of after-school activities.
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Every part of the country will benefit, over fifteen years, from the
Building Schools for the Future programme.This is a once in a generation
programme to equip the whole country with modern secondary
education facilities, open five days a week, ten hours a day.
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Good schools will be able to expand their size and also their influence
– by taking over less successful schools.We will develop a system to
create rights for successful schools to establish sixth-form provision
where there is pupil and parent demand, extending quality and choice
for local students.
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Britain has a positive tradition of independent providers within the
state system, including church and other faith schools.Where new
educational providers can help boost standards and opportunities in a
locality we will welcome them into the state system, subject to parental
demand, fair funding and fair admissions.
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We strongly support the new Academies movement. Seventeen of
these independent non-selective schools are now open within the state
system; their results are improving sharply, and 50 more are in the
pipeline. Within the existing allocation of resources our aim is that at
least 200 Academies will be established by 2010 in communities where
low aspirations and low performance are entrenched.
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We will encourage more small schools and boarding schools as ways of
helping the most disadvantaged children.We will make sure schools in
deprived areas receive the resources they need.To enable all young
people to enjoy the opportunities previously enjoyed by the few,we are
developing a nationwide week-long summer residential programme
for school students.We support partnership between the state and private
sectors to bridge the unhealthy historic divide between the two.
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Good discipline
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Every pupil has the right to learn without disruption; no teacher should
be subject to abuse or disrespect.We have given head teachers the
powers needed to maintain discipline and the highest standards of
conduct.Violent behaviour, including the use of knives will not be tolerated.
We are also working with schools and teacher organisations to
implement a zero tolerance approach to lower-level disruption.The
number of places in out-of-school units has almost doubled, and the
quality of provision has been enhanced.We will give head teachers
within each locality direct control of the budgets for out-of-school
provision, so they can expand and improve it as needed.We will
encourage more dedicated provision for disruptive and excluded
pupils, including by charities and voluntary groups with expertise in
this area, and no school will become a dumping ground for
such pupils.
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Parents have a duty to get their children to attend school.We have
introduced parenting orders and fines and will continue to advocate
truancy sweeps.
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Special educational needs
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Children with special educational needs require appropriate resources
and support from trained staff. For some this will be in mainstream
schools; for others, it will be in special schools. Parents should have
access to the special education appropriate for their child. It is the role
of local authorities to make decisions on the shape of local provision, in
consultation with local parents.
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No more dropping out at 16
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The historic problems of our education system at 14-plus have been an
academic track that has been too narrow and a vocational offer too weak.
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We are determined to raise the status and quality of vocational education.
Beyond the age of 14, GCSEs and A-levels will be the foundation
of the system in which high-quality vocational programmes will be
available to every pupil. Designed in collaboration with employers,
specialised diplomas will be established in key areas of the economy,
leading to apprenticeships, to further and higher education and to jobs
with training.We will review progress on the development of the 14-19
curriculum in 2008.
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We will not let economic disadvantage stand in the way of young people
staying in education beyond the age of 16.We have rolled out
Educational Maintenance Allowances, providing lower income students
with a £30-a-week staying-on allowance.We believe that everyone
up to the age of 19 should be learning, so we will expand
sixth-form, college and apprenticeship places, and ensure that all 16-
to 19-year-olds in employment get access to training.
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We believe that every 16- to 19-year-old should have dedicated supervision
and support, including in the further education sector.We will
support sixth-form colleges and expect FE colleges to have dedicated
centres for 16- to 19-year-olds.
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Further education is vital to vocational lifelong learning. Achieving a
transformation of FE colleges requires both our increased investment
and serious reform. Every FE college will develop a centre for vocational
excellence, and we will establish new skills academies led by
leading entrepreneurs and employers from the relevant skill sectors.
Sir Andrew Foster’s review will help shape the reform process.
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Children’s Trusts
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Ofsted reports show that local government is continuing to improve
the vital services on which schools and families rely. Education and
social services should collaborate to help youngsters, especially the
most vulnerable, achieve their potential. Local government should be
the champion of parents and high-quality provision, including special
needs education, school transport, and other support services.We are
reforming local education authorities to form Children’s Trusts to provide
seamless support to children and families and work in partnership
with the private and voluntary sectors.
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World-class higher education, open to all
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Universities are critical to Britain’s future prosperity.We need a bigger,
better higher education system.We are investing £1 billion more in the
science base, and increasing public spending on higher education by
34 per cent in real terms. But graduates and employers must also play
their part. Our funding reforms will generate £1 billion of extra funds
by 2010; the abolition of up-front fees and the creation of grants will
help poorer students. A quarter of the income from the new student
finance system will go to bursaries for students from poorer families.
The maximum annual fee paid by students will not rise above £3,000
(uprated annually for inflation) during the next Parliament.
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As school standards rise we maintain our aim for 50 per cent of young
people to go on to higher education by 2010.Two-year foundation
degrees in vocational disciplines have a key part to play.
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PhD students are vital to universities and the nation’s research base.
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The number of PhD students in the UK has risen by nearly 10,000
since 1997, and we are carrying through a 30 per cent increase in average
PhD stipends to make doctoral research still more attractive to
high-flyers.
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We will incentivise all universities to raise more charitable and private
funding for student bursaries and endowments.
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The choice for 2010
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Under their last government the Conservatives spent more on
unemployment and debt interest than on education.Their priority
now is to take at least £1 billion from state schools to subsidise
private education for the privileged few. In addition they
would allow a free-for-all in school admissions – including an
extension of selection – for five- and 11-year-olds, cap the number
of pupils who can succeed at GCSE and A-level, and reduce
places in higher education.The choice for 2010 is forward with
new Labour: pupils with quality and opportunity through the
system from three to 18; parents with the confidence that where
there is no improvement there will be intervention; teachers
knowing that quality will be supported and rewarded; and
employers with a system that gets the basics right and provides
the skills that industry needs. Or back with the Tories to an education
system designed to look after the few but fail the many.
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