Labour’s education policy: what schools can expect

The new government is meeting for its first party conference in Liverpool since it was elected in July on a manifesto that included pledges to hire teachers in shortage subjects, replace Ofsted grades and ensure schools are inclusive for pupils with SEND. 

Labour took office in July after winning a huge majority in a general election. 

Since then, it has moved fast on some of its key pledges - announcing the introduction of report cards amid a wider shake-up of school accountability and improvement at the start of term - but has yet to reveal further details of others, such as how it plans to boost teacher recruitment. 

At the launch of the Labour Party’s general election manifesto in June, Sir Keir Starmer said that hiring 6,500 more teachers would ensure that children get the start in life they deserve. 

The manifesto reaffirmed the party’s pledge to fund its teacher recruitment drive via the ending of tax breaks for private schools, and in July the treasury said the VAT charge on fees would apply from January.

Ofsted reform and curriculum review

Meanwhile, the Department for Education and Ofsted have revealed plans to consult the sector early next year on replacing overall effectiveness grades with a report card system. 

The DfE said part of the consultation will look at introducing an annual safeguarding check that would include monitoring attendance and off-rolling. 

The new government has also launched the curriculum review it pledged in its manifesto, appointing Professor Becky Francis to lead the work of an expert panel that will deliver its recommendations next year. 

And the school accountability changes it has announced follow the Labour Party’s manifesto pledge to ensure that school admissions decisions account for the needs of communities.  

The government also said the requirement for all schools to cooperate with their local authority on school admissions and the inclusion of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) would be included in its Children’s Wellbeing Bill, included in the recent King’s Speech.

What can schools expect from the Labour conference? 

So, what can schools now expect from the new Labour government as it heads into its first party conference in power? 

The Labour Party conference is returning to Liverpool this year, from Sunday 22 September to Wednesday 25 September.  

Many education fringe events are happening across the weekend, taking place alongside the main party conference agenda. 

Fringe event topics include reforming the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, tackling child poverty and disadvantage and helping schools to support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. 

All of the Department for Education’s ministerial team will be speaking on fringe event panels, while education secretary Bridget Phillipson is set to address delegates as part of the main conference programme on Wednesday morning. 

The Labour Party manifesto: education policies

Here are the party’s education policies in full:

Recruitment and retention

• Recruit 6,500 new expert teachers in key shortage subjects, support areas that face recruitment challenges and tackle retention issues.
• Review the way bursaries are allocated and the structure of retention payments.
• Reinstate the School Support Staff Negotiating Body to address the recruitment and retention crisis in support roles.
• Update the Early Career Framework and ensure any new teacher entering the classroom has, or is working towards, qualified teacher status (QTS).
• Introduce a new teacher training entitlement “to ensure teachers stay up to date on best practice with continuing professional development”.

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Ofsted and accountability

• Replace single-word Ofsted grade judgements with a new report card system.
• Introduce Ofsted inspections of multi-academy trusts.
• Introduce a new annual review of safeguarding, attendance and off-rolling.

Curriculum and school improvement

• Launch an “expert-led review” of the curriculum to ensure it is “rich and broad, inclusive, and innovative”. The manifesto says the reforms will build on the hard work of teachers who have brought their subjects alive with knowledge-rich syllabuses. The review “will consider the balance of assessment methods while protecting the important role of examinations”.
• Create a new Excellence in Leadership Programme, a mentoring framework that expands the capacity of headteachers and leaders to improve their schools.
• New Regional Improvement Teams, which Labour says will “enhance school-to-school support and spread best practice”.
• Support children to study a creative or vocational subject until they are 16, and ensure accountability measures reflect this.
• Launch a new National Music Education Network - a one-stop shop with information on courses and classes for parents, teachers and children.

Private schools

• End the VAT exemption and business rates relief for private schools and use the funds raised for state-school spending.

SEND and mental health

• The government previously said it “will take a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs”.
• Ensure school admissions decisions account for the needs of communities and require all schools to cooperate with their local authority on school admissions, SEND inclusion and place planning.
• Provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.

Early years, primaries and family support

• Create 3,000 new primary school-based nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools.
• Fund free breakfast clubs in every primary school, accessible to all children.
• Improve the quality of maths teaching across nurseries and primary schools.
• Limit the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require to bring down the cost of schooling.
• Fund evidence-based early language interventions in primary schools.

Cost of Labour’s election pledges

The Labour government previously broke down the expected cost of some of its main education policies during the election campaign.

It said that hiring 6,500 new teachers would cost £450 million. The next most expensive area would be increased teacher and headteacher training, costing £270 million.

The planned reform of Ofsted - which would be expected to carry out multi-academy trust inspections - is said to be costed at £45 million, while providing mental health support in schools will cost £175 million, according to the manifesto document.