The dire local election results for Labour and the Conservatives will spark plenty of soul-searching. Neither currently offers a compelling vision for Britain’s future – let alone a credible plan to get us there.
Here’s one: a Britain where every child feels they belong, grows up proud of who they are and shares in the finest achievements of their fellow citizens, past and present. A country where they can fulfil their potential and live their own version of the good life.
That begins with education. Good progress has been made, notably in schools, but we should all be restless to create a system that shatters the link between background and destiny. We need to do five things to fix the foundations.
First, raise early years quality by building an evidence-based professional development system for staff, learning from the model for schools and rooting out poor-quality training courses.
Second, as others have argued, move to a single, coherent school governance model so every child has access to a great school, with strong leadership and clear accountability, and where the system has capacity to tackle challenges like attendance and workforce retention.
Third, overhaul the support for children with additional and complex needs. Too many families are stuck on waiting lists or lost in fragmented services. The government has taken some positive steps; it’s time for an ambitious plan.
Fourth, invest upstream in evidence-based programmes like ‘Triple-P’ parenting to strengthen families before crisis hits, and expand kinship care for children who can’t live with their parents.
Fifth, bring the standards agenda to further education. Schools have improved because of a relentless focus on curriculum and teaching quality. Colleges now need that same rigour. And let’s pilot letting the strongest school trusts run struggling colleges.
But fixing the foundations in education isn’t enough. Beyond the school gates, too many children are getting a raw deal.
National leadership is not just possible but essential
They grow up in insecure housing, glued to toxic social media, disconnected from each other and from nature. They have poor diets, disrupted sleep and experience rising family financial stress. The pandemic cast a long shadow – and for many, it hasn’t lifted. This is fuelling a crisis in mental health, belonging, and national pride.
Government can’t fix all of this, and certainly not all at once. In many areas, parents need to step up, though government can help by delivering decent housing and stable jobs.
But there are three areas where national leadership is not just possible but essential.
First, let’s replace doom-scrolling with real-world connection. Children are addicted to smartphones and fed a toxic diet of bullying, pornography and conspiracy theories.
We must take on Big Tech and ban social media for under-16s (as Australia has), introduce highly-regulated ‘safe phones’ for children and raise the digital age of consent to 16.
Second, as screen time falls, let’s fill the gap with the arts, sport and adventure. A truly liberal education is about learning the best that has been thought and said and experiencing the camaraderie and joy that comes from the best extra-curricular endeavours.
That means properly funding a longer school day, with a national enrichment system supporting schools and trusts to offer activities every week of the year, including weekends and holidays.
Third, we must replace junk food with real food. For too many families, the healthy choice is still the hard one. Nearly 2.7 million children live in food-insecure households.
Despite the promise of the Dimbleby report, there’s still no serious national plan to tackle deep food inequality or build parents’ cooking skills. In many areas, families live in food deserts where fresh ingredients are scarce and ultra-processed junk is everywhere.
We need peer-led cooking programmes, investment in community food hubs and access to fresh food in every neighbourhood.
Great education. Rich opportunities for fulfilment and connection. Real food. These aren’t luxuries; they’re the bedrock of a good childhood.
Let’s unite behind a shared vision: giving every child a better start, and Britain a brighter future.
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