It was a privilege last year to be appointed Labour’s shadow education secretary, and this week I had the pleasure of addressing our party conference for the first time, to set out Labour’s ambition for every child’s education.
Education is central to Labour’s vision and ambition for the future. If, as Keir Starmer said, we are to run towards to challenges of tomorrow, then education must play a central role.
But this is about more than just tackling challenges. Labour wants to put children first, because we know that children born today are the citizens of tomorrow, and if we’re to close inequalities and build a stronger, fairer society, we must start early.
Putting children first isn’t just a mission for our party: it’s deeply personal for me.
My mam brought me up on her own, and while we didn’t always have it easy, I know I was lucky. I had a loving family, where education was valued and encouraged. I went to great state schools run by teachers who saw the value and worth in all of us.
But life shouldn’t come down to luck.
That’s why I am determined that every child, in every school, in every corner of our country should have the best possible start.
And that means a fresh vision for our education system, looking to the future, not the past. This must be underpinned by a broad curriculum, prizing skills as well as knowledge, nurturing creativity alongside academic success.
To deliver this, Labour will end tax breaks for private schools, and use that money to deliver the most ambitious schools improvement programme in a generation. We would recruit, thousands more teachers to help our children excel in science and maths and widen access to sport, art, music and drama.
Life shouldn’t come down to luck
We will drive-up standards – but we know that can only happen by working with brilliant teachers, leaders, support staff, and unions across our schools. Therefore, we would give all teachers the tools and support to excel, with a programme of ongoing professional development for school staff.
I am worried about drop-off in teachers and senior leaders wanting to take the step-up to headship, so Labour would introduce an excellence in leadership programme to support new headteachers throughout their first years on the job. We know that the route to a great education for every child comes through supporting the profession.
Yet, we also know that if we are going to build an education system fit for the future, we have to address gaps in learning and development that open up from the start of children’s lives.
That’s why the next Labour government will build a modern childcare system that supports families from the end of parental leave right through to the end of primary school.
The first step on that road will be the introduction of breakfast clubs for every child in every primary school in England. The evidence is clear: breakfast clubs drive up standards in English and maths, and improve behaviour and attendance – because it’s about the club as well as the breakfast.
What is more, breakfast clubs enable parents to work, giving them choice and helping us build the economy we all need.
Currently, over 800,000 children in England have no access to breakfast clubs, and thousands more face barriers such as cost and limited availability of spaces. By properly funding a universal offer, paid for by restoring the highest rate of income tax for the richest 1 per cent, we can plug these gaps.
We will work with school leaders, teachers and support staff on implementation guidance which ensures this provision can be practically rolled out across the country. We know supporting children to thrive is your priority, and it will be mine too.
Put simply, education transformed my life. I know it can transform every life. It will be my mission, working with the education profession, to ensure that it does.
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