As a passionate advocate of education being the key to unlocking the success of the country as a whole, it was great to hear the news of England and Northern Ireland climbing the education league tables. When it comes to reading at primary level, England and Northern Ireland are both now in the top 10…
Growing up in a working-class household in Kent I could never have envisaged that one day I’d be advising ministers on the education of our children. My mother was a cleaner who left school at 12 and my father was a railway guard. Neither were educated but both encouraged me to do the very best…
As a working-class boy whose academic success led me to where I am now, I’m truly saddened that thousands of this generation’s brightest children could be missing out. Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw has now raised his head above the parapet and said we are letting down the nation’s bright children – particularly those from…
I’m a huge advocate of driving up standards in our education system but when it comes to academies I wish the government would put on the brakes. In his 2016 Budget, the Chancellor announced that all schools will become academies by 2022. Don’t get me wrong, there are many advantages to schools having more autonomy…