Closing the gap

This General Election presents a unique opportunity for politicians to do just that - to spell out their vision for creating an education system that ensures every child can fulfil their potential.  

We know there are huge challenges facing our education system.

Schools are taking on more and more responsibilities beyond teaching – and on much tighter budgets.

Our latest research shows that four-fifths of teachers spent more time helping pupils with mental health issues over the past academic year, while a third (36%) of teachers believe their school will reduce the number of teaching staff to help reduce spending.

If our politicians are serious about eliminating the attainment gap and creating a fairer society, we must see manifesto pledges that tackle three key areas: inspiring teachers, equipping schools and a greater focus on addressing child poverty.
 

Develop and implement an ambitious teacher recruitment and retention strategy that is fit for the future, modernising teaching as a profession.

Evidence proves that great teaching is the most important lever schools have to improve outcomes for their pupils. 

The first step is recruiting those teachers.

• Ensure a strategy focuses on Gen Z graduate recruits as the backbone of the future teaching workforce to lay the foundations of a long-term approach, which includes increasing teacher trainee salaries. 
• Build on flexible working innovations and success by demonstrating leadership through championing best practice and creating a ‘flexible work culture’.
• Implement a creative and evidence based training offer for teachers, including offering secondments to broaden and deepen subject knowledge and bring more inspiring experiences and varied learning approaches into the classroom.
• Diversify routes to entry and reduce costs of training through Teacher Degree Apprenticeships.
• Apply the successes of the NHS Workforce Plan to ensure a comprehensive pipeline of teachers to address issues in the sector, like shortage subjects such as STEM.  

Target funding towards schools supporting the highest levels of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) through the pupil premium. 

The funding advantage for schools serving the most deprived communities fell by 10% between 2010 and 2021. Reversing this trend is vital for schools to be able to deliver evidence-based interventions that we know close the attainment gap and improve destination outcomes for young people, especially those facing persistent disadvantage.

• Increase the pupil premium rates to 2015-16 real term levels for primary and secondary school pupils and a guarantee that rates will continue to rise in line with inflation.
• Create a new pupil premium subcategory for ‘persistently disadvantaged’ pupils who have been eligible for free school meals for 80% or more of their school life, increasing the rate of funding that they receive by at least 50%.
• Extend pupil premium to include those aged between 16 and 19 in full-time education.
• Spending should be underpinned by a long-term strategy with the specific goals of eliminating the in-school attainment and future destination gaps.

Establish a Cabinet Committee to create and implement a cross-departmental ‘children’s strategy’ that works towards eradicating child poverty and improves public services for young people.

The effects of poverty and stretched children’s services are felt within the school gates. There needs to be a significant and sustained uplift to local government funding for children’s and young people’s services, so that teachers can focus on teaching, and wider support services can be provided by the expert practitioners.

• Grant urgent funding to vital children’s services such as CAMHS, mental health, and SEND support to address the postcode lottery of service delivery.
• Ensure funding is available for wider support services and for schools to be able to employ specialist, non-teaching support staff, that are necessary for their local needs.
• Provide robust CPD opportunities for teaching assistants to specialise in key classroom areas such as SEND, reading, or behaviour, alleviating pressure on teachers, and support the progression of a considerable and valued section of the workforce. 

By making the necessary interventions and investments in our schools and our teachers, we have the power to break the cycle of inequality and unlock the boundless potential of every child, regardless of their background.