Following Labour’s landslide victory in last week’s General Election, the newly appointed Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson has announced that the Department of Education will begin work on the party’s pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers. One of the key pledges in Labour’s manifesto.

She began her steps in the posts, with writing a letter to the education workforces to make clear the valuable role they will play in the government’s agenda for change.

Later this week, the Education Secretary will host a reception with key education stakeholders and prioritise meetings with teaching unions in the days ahead.

The Department for Education will also immediately resume - and expand - its leading teacher recruitment campaign, Every Lesson Shapes a Life. It will also relaunch its further education recruitment campaign, Share Your Skills. Today’s announcements demonstrate the government’s intention to reinstate teaching as an attractive, expert profession, where the immeasurable impact which teachers can make on children’s lives is truly valued.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

“From day one, we are delivering the change this country demands and putting education back at the forefront of national life. We will work urgently to recruit thousands of brilliant new teachers and reset the relationship between government and the education workforce.”

“For too long the teaching profession has been talked down, side-lined and denigrated. I have made it my first priority to write today to the people at the centre of making change happen: our workforces.”

“I want all children to have the best life chances which means recruiting and keeping great teachers in our classrooms – today is the first step in that mission.”

The government expressed its intention to "reset the relationship" with the education sector and "transform the image of teaching," aiming to attract new teachers and retain those current ones already in schools.

According to the Education Committee, Recruitment targets for initial teacher training courses were missed in 10 subjects in 2022/23, with maths, physics and religious education among the subjects affected. According to the committee, many current teachers singled out “excessive workloads” rather than pay as the biggest factor pushing them to leave the sector. Earlier this year, the DfE's Workload Reduction Taskforce published a list of 23 tasks teachers should not do as part of their strategy to help reduce working hours.

In the DfE’s 2022 Working Lives of Teachers survey, 92% of participating teachers cited workload as a reason to quit the profession, while 57% cited pay.

Pupil behaviour has also worsened since the pandemic, according to a recent report by the Education Committee, which can “discourage” people from becoming teachers and make existing teachers think about leaving the profession.

The Every Lesson Shapes a Life campaign directs potential candidates to the government’s teacher recruitment website, where they will be able to access support and advice from a dedicated contact centre and a national programme of events.

Other key issues the Education Secretary will face include:

Teacher recruitment and pay

Education unions have called on how Labour plans to attract thousands more teachers into the profession and retain them amid longstanding concerns about low salaries and high workloads.

The government hasn't revealed its proposed pay increase for teachers and school leaders in England for September, due to the upcoming General Election. Ms. Phillipson is anticipated to release the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) recommendations soon, providing schools with clarity for the upcoming academic year. Furthermore, school and college leaders are eager for funding assurances to address budget constraints.

Private schools

Labour has announced plans to “end the VAT exemption and business rates relief” for private schools, aiming to secure extra funds for state schools. At present, independent schools are not required to levy a 20% VAT on their fees due to an educational supply exemption.

However, worries exist that eliminating the VAT exemption may trigger an influx of students shifting to state schools due to increased fees. Some politicians have warned that class sizes in state schools might expand, yet Ms. Phillipson refutes this claim.

The extent of families expected to switch from private to state education remains uncertain, along with the possibility of school closures. Parents will be keenly observing for specifics regarding the implementation timeline and procedure of the policy.

Childcare

Labour plans to establish 3,000 new nurseries and provide complimentary breakfast clubs at all primary schools to enhance support for families. The party aims to repurpose vacant or underutilised school spaces in England's primary schools to support the expansion of childcare services.

Initially, the Conservative government initiated a phased introduction of the childcare policy, offering 15 hours of funded childcare for working parents of two-year-olds since April. The plan is to extend this to all working parents with children older than nine months by September this year, followed by a complete rollout of 30 hours a week for all eligible families a year later. Leaders in childcare sector are urging for more measures to ensure sufficient early-years staff and funding to facilitate the sector's growth.

Ofsted

Ofsted faced increased scrutiny recently after the tragic passing of headteacher Ruth Perry. Following an Ofsted assessment that downgraded Caversham Primary School in Reading from "outstanding" to "inadequate" due to safeguarding concerns, Mrs. Perry took her own life. Calls have been made to replace single-phrase Ofsted judgments with a new report card system by Labour, aiming to provide clear performance information to parents. The specifics of this new system remain vague, leaving uncertainty about whether it will satisfy critics of the existing accountability structure.

Attendance and conduct

There's been a surge in student absences post-Covid-19, with educational authorities highlighting a strained relationship between families and schools.

Over a fifth (21.2%) of students in England were deemed "persistently absent" in the 2022-23 academic year, missing 10% or more school sessions, a significant increase from 10.9% in 2018-19.

Education officials have also raised concerns about a "behavioural crisis" within schools, with recent data showing that school suspensions in England climbed to over 260,000 in spring 2023 – the highest single-term record.

Ms Phillipson had previously committed to restoring trust among schools, families, and the government to address these challenges.

Labour's manifesto includes plans for an annual review of safeguarding, attendance, and off-rolling (unofficial removal of students from school rolls), but further details are awaited from the sector.

SEND provision

The count of youngsters and adolescents with special educational requirements and disabilities (SEND) in England has been on the rise, yet numerous families and schools are encountering difficulties in obtaining the necessary provision and assistance.

Official statistics released in March revealed that approximately two out of three special educational needs schools in England were operating at or above capacity during the previous academic year.

Ms. Phillipson has previously acknowledged that the task confronting children with SEND is substantial, and it will require time for the Labour party to address the issue.

In their manifesto, the Labour party has pledged to adopt a holistic approach to SEND, enhance inclusivity and expertise within mainstream schools, and ensure that special schools adequately serve individuals with the most intricate needs.

Higher education

Universities are grappling with financial hurdles due to frozen tuition fees for domestic students and limitations on visas for international students.

Calls from industry figures advocate for the reintroduction of maintenance grants for the most economically disadvantaged students at universities in England, citing financial strains.

The Labour party's manifesto recognises the ineffectiveness of the existing higher education funding arrangement for taxpayers, universities, faculty, and students, but it lacks details on how things may change.

Who is Bridget Phillipson?

Bridget Phillipson’s background uniquely positions her for the role as Education Secretary. Born on December 19, 1983, she grew up in Gateshead, Tyne & Wear and attended local schools in the area. Her upbringing, which included being raised on benefits, being a pupil who received free schools meals, studying at Oxford, and then returning to work in her hometown, gives her a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the education sector.

She has been an MP since 2010, representing Houghton and Sunderland South. She's the first MP from representing a north east constituency to be education secretary since Edward Short in the late 1960s. Previously shadow education secretary, she replaced Kate Green in November 2021. Phillipson also served as shadow chief secretary to the treasury after a decade on the back benches.

This diverse background allows Bridget Phillipson to bring a perspective that is grounded in real-life experiences, making her well-suited to address the needs of students, teachers, and the education community as a whole.