A general election date is now firmly in the calendar for 4 July, but it remains to be seen how prominently education will feature in the campaign trail.
Private schools, the future of Ofsted and plans for curriculum and qualification reform could all be key issues for the main political parties.
School leaders launched an education manifesto today ahead of the general election, which made the call for politicians to address a shortage of teachers, funding and the state of crumbling buildings.
But some experts have warned education may not be a key election issue, with the economy, NHS and immigration instead taking centre stage.
Here is a breakdown of what teachers and school staff might expect to hear from the three main political parties as the election battle gets underway.
What are the Conservatives’ education policies?
The headline education pledge from the Conservatives in the past year is the creation of the Advanced British Baccalaureate (ABS), which was unveiled by prime minister Rishi Sunak last autumn at the party’s annual conference.
The government said it planned to introduce the ABS over the next decade to replace A levels and T levels, with the aim to have students study both maths and English in some form up to the age of 18. The plan would bring academic and vocational courses together as one qualification.
The party has pitted itself against Labour on private schools, with Mr Sunak accusing Keir Starmer of wanting to “punish” the parents of private-school pupils and stoking a “class war” with Labour’s pledge to charge VAT on school fees (read more on this below).
Gillian Keegan has been using Ofsted inspection grades to make the case for the government’s record on education since the Conservative-led coalition took office in 2010. She has posted on X to say that “there are now 90 per cent of schools rated good or outstanding, up from 68 per cent under Labour”. Outstanding schools were exempt from reinspection from the beginning of the last decade until 2021.
The Conservative government is set to launch a refresh of its teacher recruitment and retention strategy, last updated in 2019. An updated strategy is yet to be announced, but the election could provide the Conservatives with a platform to set out what it would do next if re-elected. The current government has been looking at how it could boost schools’ international recruitment.
A policy which Gillian Keegan is also likely to promote as a former apprentice herself, is the launch of teaching degree apprenticeships.
The party may also want to promote its ongoing policies.
Alongside the expansion of its family hubs programme, it is also funding local authorities to provide wraparound care at primary schools.
And the Conservatives have announced a pilot scheme which will look at how unused school space could be repurposed for early years provision.
Other issues the government has chosen to focus on in the past year which could lend themselves to an election campaign include a crackdown on mobile phones in schools - with new mobile phone guidance published earlier this year.
And, most recently, updated sex education guidance, which now sets out age limits for when children can be taught certain topics and tells schools they should not teach about the “concept of gender identity”.
What are Labour’s education policies?
In July last year, Labour published a report setting out a raft of policies for schools.
Arguably, its most high-profile education policy is the pledge to apply 20 per cent VAT to private schools, which has been met with concerns from the independent sector.
Private schools in England currently benefit from an 80 per cent discount on business rates, and they also do not have to pay VAT on school fees.
The party has also said it will review curriculum and assessment, which could mark a major step change in the approach for schools over the past 14 years. It is also planning immediate reforms to the main school performance measures: Progress 8 and Attainment 8.
Labour has ambitions to reform Ofsted, promising to consult on replacing single-word inspection grades with a school scorecard - something the Association of School and College Leaders is currently exploring - and it plans to introduce multi-academy trust inspections.
The party also wants to introduce a new annual review of school safeguarding, after many have expressed a need for this to be treated as a separate judgement following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry last year.
Last week, Labour promoted its plan to recruit 6,500 more teachers - making this one of its six steps for change - but the party has not yet provided more details about how it plans to achieve this.
Writing for Tes in July 2023, shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said that the early years are key to her vision for education.
She has launched a review of early years education, led by former Ofsted chief inspector Sir David Bell, and wants to expand the numbers of primary school nurseries, breakfast clubs and after-school clubs.
A new focus on maths teaching in primary schools, including plans to “upskill” maths teaching in primary schools to include more “real world” applications for the subject, is another Labour pledge.
And more controversially, Labour has also said that it will introduce supervised toothbrushing in schools as part of plans to improve the nation’s oral health.
Using funding gained by ending private schools’ tax breaks, Labour said it would boost access to mental health support, with counsellors in schools and community hubs.
What are the Liberal Democrats’ education policies?
The Liberal Democrats party has said increasing the pupil premium and eligibility for free school meals (FSM) are among its priorities in its plans for schools.
Specifically, the party is proposing that pupil premium funding be extended to cover the education of 16- to 18-year-olds, and for students eligible for FSM to be automatically enrolled.
The party is committed to putting a dedicated qualified mental health professional in every school, and says it is interested in a scorecard approach to Ofsted.
On private schools, the Lib Dems has said it does not support Labour’s VAT policy - although it would support a review of independent schools’ charitable status.
In terms of funding, the party is proposing increased money for teacher training, and reforming the teacher pay review body to focus more on professional development to “make it properly independent”.
The Lib Dems also wants to give schools £390 million a year for permanent small-group tuition to aid post-pandemic catch-up.
The party’s education spokesperson Munira Wilson told Tes that the party would reverse cuts to capital spending on schools, and make sure school funding saw a real-terms increase year-on-year.
She also expressed a desire to “look at expanding the school rebuilding programme,” after the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) crisis last year.
On qualifications, the party wants to set up a cross-party commission with input from teachers to look at curriculum and exam reform.
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