New measures to make sure children are getting the quality of education they deserve announced, as the government continues its drive to level up opportunities for every child
The government confirmed it will go ahead with the creation of a register for children not in school at the earliest available legislative opportunity, alongside plans to give schools greater support on behaviour and rebuild hundreds more school buildings across the country.
The vast majority of home education is already done well, but particularly in light of the pandemic contributing to a rise in children not being educated in school, the government will support local authorities to make sure they know where every child is being educated, that it is of the right quality, and that support is offered to home educating families.
The government is also providing greater support on behaviour for headteachers to create calm, orderly, safe and supportive environments for children and young people to thrive in. A consultation on revised guidance has begun to give headteachers clearer support on maintaining that positive culture, and advice on responding to behaviour incidents online.
The flagship School Rebuilding Programme, announced by the Prime Minister in 2020 and with £2bn to be invested in 100 rebuilds already, is also entering its most intensive phase. Applications are being invited for the first time for the selection of up to 300 of the programme’s 500 total projects this decade, transforming the lives of hundreds of thousands of students across the country, providing facilities fit for the future of education.
The package is the latest in a string of announcements to help level up across the country, following the publication of the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper, including plans for targeted education support in 55 lower performing areas such as Bolton, Luton and Rochdale.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Education is at the heart of this government’s plans to level up, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to succeed no matter where they grow up or what their background.
“While the majority of children already learn in a calm and well-maintained classroom, and some learn at home with dedicated parents, there are areas across the country where high standards are not being met.
“As Education Secretary, it is my priority to make sure every child gets the start in life they deserve, which is why I’m announcing clearer guidance to help every school boost behaviour and new legislation to create the first local authority register for children not in school.
“Not only this, but our school rebuilding programme will ensure pupils can learn in state of the art facilities, giving them the best opportunity to thrive.”
The revised behaviour guidance also makes clear that heads are best placed to make decisions on whether mobile phones should be in classrooms.
There will also be more consistent guidance to support headteachers with decisions about exclusions, making sure they are used in a proportionate and fair way.
Action to increase attendance is already underway via the Department’s alliance of education leaders, including the Children’s Commissioner, to make sure no child is lost from the system.
School Rebuilding Programme
The new duty on local authorities to maintain a register of children not in school will help them spot and support young people in the rare cases they may be receiving an unsuitable education, for example at an unregistered school.
Following a public consultation on how the Department will prioritise schools for the School Rebuilding Programme, up to 300 schools, rather than the usual 50, will be selected for participation in the programme later this year. This will give schools and families assurances that they have been prioritised for future investment.
The Programme will continue to start delivery on 50 new projects each year, with 100 already in progress from selection rounds from last year.
For the first time in the Programme, the bodies responsible for running schools such as local authorities and academy trusts will be able to provide additional evidence of their buildings’ condition need, making sure the selection harnesses local knowledge, helping level up where the need is greatest across the country.
The application process has been made as simple as possible and full guidance has been published today on making a quality application.
All projects in the School Rebuilding Programme are built to the latest construction standards, resilient to climate risks, net-zero in operation, and include modern facilities to support a world-class education from classrooms and science labs, to sports halls and dining rooms.
