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Today we have published our Schools White Paper – Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child. This sets out the Government’s long-term vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential by ensuring that they receive the right education and support, in the right place, at the right time.
This Teacher Bulletin summarises the contents of the White Paper, what it aims to achieve and what it will mean for those working in schools.
What the White Paper aims to deliver for pupils
Literacy and numeracy are the bedrock of a great education, unlocking the whole curriculum and turbocharging social mobility. The Schools White Paper sets out two ambitions – that by 2030:
- 90% of primary school children will achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, and the percentage of children meeting the expected standard in the worst performing areas will have increased by a third.
- in secondary schools, the national GCSE average grade in both English language and in maths will increase from 4.5 in 2019 to 5.
These aims are not for any one school or teacher to achieve alone, but a measurement of success across the country at a system level.
At a glance – four pillars of delivery
The best schools are realising these standards already, but our mission is for every school in every area of the country to achieve these excellent outcomes. The full White Paper sets out four pillars to the plan to deliver on these ambitions:
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An excellent teacher for every child, through 500,000 teacher training and development opportunities by 2024, and teacher starting salaries are set to rise to £30,000 to attract and retain the best teachers.
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High standards of curriculum, behaviour and attendance leading to calm and collaborative environments, with access to funded training for a senior mental health lead to deliver a whole school approach to health and wellbeing, and Oak National Academy becoming a government body with sole focus on supporting teachers to deliver the very best lesson content.
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Targeted support for every child who needs it, enshrined in a pledge to parents, supported by the existing commitment of up to 6 million tutoring courses by 2024 and action to cement tuition as a permanent feature of the school system.
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A stronger and fairer school system ensuring all children benefit from being taught in a strong family of schools, within a system with clear roles and accountability.
Excellent teacher for every child
By 2030, every child will be taught by an excellent teacher trained in the best-evidenced approaches. We know that great teachers are made not born, and improving the quality of teaching is the single most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for children.
We will deliver:
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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 your career.
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specialist training to drive better literacy through a new National Professional Qualification for Leading Literacy; a new National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership; and up to £180m investment in the early years’ workforce, including literacy and numeracy training for early years practitioners.
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higher starting salaries for new teachers, set to rise to £30,000 to attract and retain the very best teachers – with additional incentives to work in the schools with the most need.
High standards of curriculum, behaviour and attendance
By 2030, every child will be taught a broad and ambitious curriculum in a school with high expectations and strong discipline. Schools must offer a calm, orderly, safe and supportive environment where children are keen and ready to learn, and where teachers are empowered to focus on delivering the best possible lessons.
We will deliver:
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a new arms-length curriculum body, Oak National Academy, that works with teachers across the country to co-create free, optional, adaptable digital curriculum resources to deliver a rigorous, high-quality curriculum.
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a richer, longer average school week which makes the most effective use of time in school and ensures children enjoy a rounded education.
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better behaviour and higher attendance 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.
Targeted support for every child who needs it
We know that many children need additional, targeted support to help them achieve their potential, and this must come as quickly as possible. By 2030, every child who falls behind in English or maths will get the right support to get back on track.
We will deliver:
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a Parent Pledge that schools will provide evidence-based support if a child falls behind in English or maths.
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up to 6 million tutoring courses by 2024 with action to cement one-to-one and small group tuition as a permanent feature of our school system.
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a secure future for the Education Endowment Foundation putting our world-class ‘what works’ centre on a long-term footing, placing the generation and mobilisation of evidence at the heart of our education system.
A stronger and fairer school system
DfE must also play our part to ensure that the school system as a whole raises standards for children, making sure these improvements are felt fairly across the country. That is why we want to spread the benefits of the best multi-academy trusts so that every child learns with the benefits of a strong, supportive family of schools.
We will deliver:
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a fully trust led system with a single regulatory approach, which will drive up standards, through the growth of strong trusts and the establishment of new ones, including trusts established by local authorities.
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a clear role for every part of the school system, with local authorities empowered to champion the interests of children and a new collaborative standard requiring trusts to work constructively with all other partners.
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Education Investment Areas (EIAs), to increase funding and support in parts of the country that need it most, including substantial investment in priority areas facing the most entrenched challenges.
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