The Department for Education wants to be more “assertive” on standards and intervention in schools, the secretary of state said today.
Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference, education secretary Kit Malthouse said that the department would need to be more “front-footed” in talking to schools about what they can achieve.
Mr Malthouse said the government should be “proud” of what it has achieved in education, highlighting that there are now 8 million pupils in “good” or “outstanding” schools, and also pointing to “record numbers” of disadvantaged children now going through university.
Setting out his “key missions”, he said: “On schools, we want to be much more assertive about intervention and standards - looking for excellence in the basics: attendance, behaviour, reading, writing, maths.
“And that means we need to be much more front-footed on talking to schools about what they can achieve.”
He added that “vast progress” had been seen in lots of schools, but said there were still “pockets”, that needed attention.
DfE to focus on school standards
“We need to reflect on the fact that there is nothing quite as persistent as people hanging on to mediocrity,” he continued.
“Working with teachers, bringing all schools up to the standard of the best will be a key part of our mission.”
Mr Malthouse also said that education needed “constant attention and constant pressure” in order to “drive it forward”.
The comments came on the penultimate day of the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.
Mr Malthouse did not mention any plans for new grammar schools or say what the government’s plans were for the existing Schools Bill, which is currently in the House of Lords.
Earlier in the conference, school standards minister Jonathan Gullis had said he hoped to “explore” undergraduate teaching apprenticeships, and also called on more large multi-academy trusts to partner with private schools.
He added that the government would not “budge” on the current teacher pay rise plans for this year.
Mr Malthouse was appointed as education secretary last month, becoming the fifth person to hold the role in the space of 12 months.
