Key measures set out in schools white paper
Fiona Simpson
Monday, March 28, 2022
Local authorities will be given the power to form multi-academy trusts and schools will open for longer under new plans to shake up the education system in England.
Targets set out in the schools white paper, published by the Department for Education today (28 March), include a pledge previously included in the Levelling Up white paper for 90 per cent of primary school children to achieve the expected standard in Key Stage 2 reading, writing and maths by 2030.
A second ambition for secondary schools aims to see the national average GCSE grade in both English language and maths increase from 4.5 in 2019 to 5 by 2030.
Measures laid out by Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi to meet the targets include a duty on schools to offer a minimum school week of 32.5 hours by September 2023 and work by Ofsted to inspect every school by 2025.
The white paper also gives councils powers to establish their own academy trusts and give schools the opportunity to leave failing ones.
“By 2030 all children will benefit from being taught in a school in, or in the process of joining, a strong multi-academy trust, which will help transform underperforming schools and deliver the best possible outcomes for children,” the document states.
Zahawi has also announced plans for a further £100m investment in the Education Endowment Foundation to allow the organisation to “continue to evaluate and spread best practice in education across the country”.
Plans have also been put forward to update parents more regularly on their child’s progress.
Further measures, previously announced by government, which are highlighted in the paper, include:
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Payments to recruit and keep physics, chemistry, computing and maths teachers working in disadvantaged schools
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A register for children not in school
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Every school to have access to funded training for a senior mental health lead
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Oak National Academy to becoming a government body supporting teachers with lesson planning
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Up to six million tutoring courses by 2024 delivered through the National Tutoring Programme.
Plans to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will be set out in tomorrow’s (29 March) SEND green paper.
The green paper is expected to include a £2.6bn pledge for high needs capital investment to provide 34,000 additional specialist or alternative provision places, including the creation of new special and alternative provision free schools.
