What would a Burnham government mean for schools?

Curriculum and post-16 education could be among Andy Burnham’s most “radical” policy focuses if he becomes prime minister, experts believe, but ongoing major reforms like SEND look likely to continue.

Burnham is the most likely successor to Keir Starmer who announced his resignation on Monday. If there is no leadership challenge, the former Greater Manchester mayor could be prime minister by mid-July.

But long-awaited education reforms have already been set in motion by Starmer’s Labour government. Two white papers were only published in February, with the SEND reforms delayed repeatedly.

So far it is unclear what exactly Burnham, a former shadow education secretary, would change. We also do not know whether Bridget Philipson will continue as education secretary.

Schools Week has dug out Burnham’s previous pledges and asked policy experts what the future could look like.

Curriculum could be ‘most radical break’

Jonathan Simons, head of education practice at think-tank Public First, says “the most radical break” could be in curriculum and assessment.

The government’s response to Becky Francis’s landmark review was revealed in the autumn. It included plans to scrap the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) and reduce exam time by 10 per cent.

The draft programmes of study are due to be published this summer.

But Simons pointed to the Greater Manchester baccalaureate, established by Burnham as mayor.

It is a post-14 framework for technical education designed as a counterweight to the English Baccalaureate, which favours more traditionally academic subjects.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority hopes to have over 100 “MBacc centres” in either schools or colleges by the start of the next academic year.

But only 53 schools – 17 per cent of the region’s secondaries – were engaged in the curriculum changes last year.

Simons says: “We know that Burnham greatly values his MBacc – though that isn’t a qualification – and more generally wants to see more focus on technical and vocational education from 16.

“I don’t think the Francis review will be ripped up – but it’s not impossible that changes are made to the programmes of study to give more of a focus on this area.”

Burnham is firmly on board with promoting vocational and technical education routes, and for schools and colleges to prepare youngsters for jobs.

Addressing his by-election victory rally last Friday, he stressed that the system needed to change so that young people have “clear paths” towards jobs in new industries.

He also called for an end to an education system “dominated by the university route” and for guaranteed work placements for 16 to 18-year-olds.

Burnham has long called for “true parity between academic and vocational education”, as highlighted in his manifesto for his 2015 Labour leadership bid.

Ed Dorrell, partner at Public First, thinks it unlikely that he will reopen the curriculum and assessment review.

“But I think equally there is space where you could make quite a substantial change, while arguing that you are not substantially reopening the review.

“And I think it would tally with his history and his background.”

He thinks the post-16 skills space is where Burnham can make most change and expects him to follow the findings of Alan Milburn’s NEET review, published last month.

Milburn warned the “tail of failure will persist” until schools are “held accountable for what happens to their pupils after they leave”.

Push for vocational education supported

Policy expert Loic Menzies says Burnham’s views on education are underpinned by “an employer – or occupational – orientation, an interest in flexibility, and strong enthusiasm for devolution and decentralisation.

He adds: “Combined with the momentum generated by the Milburn review, this could represent a substantial break with the past – in stark contrast to the ‘evolution not revolution’ mantra of 2024.”

Burnham could respond to “growing calls for a clearer line of sight between education and employment”.

But Menzies thinks he will have to be careful to avoid “opening up a back door to educational instrumentalism” – where education is used as a driver towards achieving external goals rather than for the sake of learning.

Paddy Russell, headteacher of Ladybridge High School in Greater Manchester, has attended Burnham’s MBacc events.

He would be “encouraged” by a “greater focus” on vocational options but thinks it would involve the government going further with the changes on progress 8 secondary school performance measure.

The government announced that it would consult on an “improved version” of progress 8, in contrast to Francis’s review which recommended that the subject make-up be left alone.

It proposes to make two of eight “buckets” specifically for science subjects, while the remaining four buckets would be for “breadth” subjects, including humanities, creative subjects and languages.

A limited number of vocational subjects would still count towards the measure. To offer those currently, Russell says “you’ve got to be quite brave because you’re running qualifications that are not going to count in performance tables.

“But, if the system could change to adjust the accountability measures further, there would be more schools that would be prepared to offer vocational and technical qualifications at key stage 4.”

Russell’s school has “embraced” the MBacc principle, but it is “still relatively in its infancy”.

Phasing out EHCPs?

A review of the 2014 SEND reforms was launched by Gavin Williamson in 2019. Ten ministers have overseen the reforms since then.

The Conservatives took almost four years to finalise their light-touch reforms, while Labour only published its own plans in February. A consultation closed in May.

But Dorrell, who advised the Department for Education on its white paper, says he would be “astonished” if the SEND reforms were not “broadly kept intact”.

The white paper set out proposals for a new layered system of support, aimed at making mainstream schools more inclusive.

Education, health and care plans (EHCPs) will be reserved only for the most complex cases, while schools will be tasked with creating individual support plans (ISPs) for pupils with less complex needs.

In an interview with PoliticsHome in December, Burnham said the SEND system should eventually “move away from” EHCPs because they add “much greater fragmentation to an already fragmented landscape”.

He caveated that this should be done “in a way that doesn’t destabilise or frighten or anything like that”.

SEND consultant Natalie Packer says the complete removal of EHCPs “would be a particular concern” for some families “as it could be seen as a removal of the rights of their child”.

But Elizabeth Stanley, from SEND support service Wraparound Partnership, does not think Burnham would “scrap the whole SEND system, including EHCPs” without some “collective agreement between everybody”.

“I don’t feel like the law would just be changed overnight without schools, teaching staff and SENCOs and everybody else working in the system fully understanding what they are expected to deliver and how they are going to be supported to do that.”

Stanley, a former school SENCO, has known Burnham for more than a decade, having been involved in the Greater Manchester SEND parents forum. She says Burnham met the groups both in public and privately.

“He totally understands the crisis that families and children and young people in schools are going and living through, including teachers and schools, and SENCOs.

“He doesn’t like fragmentation of systems […] he likes people to work together to resolve issues because it’s not just one person’s or one statutory body is responsibility.”

Sam Freedman, policy expert and former DfE advisor, said in a Substack post that there “wouldn’t be that much scope for shifting departmental priorities” under a Burnham government, including the SEND reforms.

‘Comprehensive’ fan

During a year-long stint as shadow education secretary in 2010, Burnham used the word “comprehensive” 15 times and “academies” just once in a speech.

He set himself in opposition to Michael Gove’s reforms on free schools and tuition fees, which he said had an “elitist echo”, and was keen to promote comprehensive schools.

Burnham attended a Catholic school, St Aelred’s in Merseyside, before studying English at the University of Cambridge.

In his 2015 Labour leadership manifesto, an election which he lost to Jeremy Corbyn, Burnham said he would “restore a local role in overseeing schools, rejecting the growing market of free schools and academies”. But it is not clear if his views have changed.

Since then, the number of academies and free schools has grown massively.

As of January 2026, they make up 48.2 per cent of all state schools in England – particularly in secondary schools, where 83.9 per cent are academies.

Matt Wrack, general secretary of NASUWT, says Burnham has a chance to make changes, but “his challenge is whether he actually delivers or is seen as more of the same”.

He adds: “We need an end to austerity, outsourcing and privatisation in education that serves only to line the pockets of big business while children and families lose out on the frontline support they have a right to expect.”

What about everything else?

Questions remain about Burnham’s opinions on other matters such as Ofsted, teacher pay and industrial action.

Daniel Kebede, NEU general secretary, thinks “proper dialogue and valuing the hugely committed workforce will be vital’’.

He adds that the NEU is looking forward to discussing a better response to falling pupil numbers, including reducing class sizes and having better adult to student ratios.

Wrack wants to see a “sharp change of direction in education, including listening to the voices of teachers”.

The wait is now on to see what Burnham has in store for schools, and which MP will lead the charge.

Phillipson told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there are “lots of ups and downs” and unpredictability in politics.

“So, what I’m doing at the moment is getting on and delivering what parents across our country want to see, which is big reforms to SEND, better inclusion for children and a fantastic education system.

“I am really proud of the things we have achieved in education over the last few years and it has been such a privilege to be doing this role, to be working with amazing staff across schools and hearing from parents what needs to change.”