Election 2015 Party Policy Guide: Schools

Conservatives

Labour

Liberal Democrats

Commentary

Education is another key election battleground, with all the parties pledging to protect its budget.

The Conservatives' measures are largely an extension of polices it has developed while in office over the past five years. This includes expanding the free school and Teach First programmes, tougher interventions for schools not achieving the top inspection grades as judged by Ofsted, and greater government control on "core subjects".

Labour has honed in on raising school standards, with a number of its manifesto proposals based on improving the quality of teaching. Creating a master teacher status for experts in their field, developing a College of Teaching and capping class sizes are all aimed at bolstering teachers' skills and working conditions.

The Lib Dems want to build on some of their flagship policies while in the coalition, so the manifesto aspires to at least protect the pupil premium and expand free school meals. It supports the development of an "effective, democratic middle tier" of management of schools between the frontline and government, although does not go as far as to say this role should be done by councils. It does, however, advocate abolishing regional school commissioners. It also wants to see personal, social and health education included in a slimmed-down school curriculum.