Labour’s first year

By: Alison Peacock
Labour’s first year

As the summer holidays begin for many, I look back on an academic year filled with promise, particularly the promises made by a new government. A year ago, you gave us five key issues that you wanted the government to address. How have they done? 

1. Improve retention and recruitment by valuing teacher expertise

You told us your expertise was being undermined. From inspections that seemed to give all the power to inspectors, to policies that told you what to teach and how, via CPD that told you exactly what ‘works’, you felt your professional agency and self-efficacy slipping away. For many of you, this was taking away the intellectual and practical challenges that you relish, and stopping you from feeling you could do your best for children and young people.

This year has seen some positive moves. You wanted more than warm words, and pay rises have signalled value even though they have been difficult for schools to manage. Changes to conditions have shown a government beginning to understand how schools work, with a focus on flexible working and changes so that part-time teachers can be paid for additional responsibilities more fairly. There are (slow) moves towards equity, with calls for better data on pay and progression for those with protected characteristics. You also wanted better career pathways, with funded high quality CPD – it’s good to have Dr Cat Scutt (our deputy CEO) on the expert panel for the review of NPQs, and I hope the promised education White Paper will bring proposals for wider CPD opportunities.

We will discuss all of these issues with our panel on the teaching workforce at the Labour Party Conference in September.

2. Reform the accountability system to empower the profession 

I was delighted to see the back of single-word Ofsted judgements, although proposals for a new framework including report cards were overly complex, and didn’t address the issues of inspector consistency. We’re still waiting for Ofsted’s response to the profession’s concerns,  which is now expected in September. Ofsted’s decision to give only two months between publishing the new framework and starting inspections doesn’t seem designed to empower the profession, even if there will be a reduced number of inspections, led by HMIs in the first instance.

I’m pleased that we’ve had two roundtables with Sir Martyn Oliver (His Majesty’s Chief Inspector), and the offer of more. You told him that inspection was a process ‘done to’ you, when you wanted professional dialogue. You suggested that, to build trust in the inspectorate it needs to be more transparent in its decision-making and its monitoring. We have offered to support the development of evidence-led and principles-based inspector training. The conversations were reassuring but we will have to wait and see what happens next.

3. A considered approach to reviewing the curriculum and assessment. 

We knew there would be a review of the curriculum and its assessment, and we were pleased to contribute to the consultation. You asked for content to be slimmed down, and the interim report promises a review of the volume of content across the key stages, as well as looking at how key stage 3 is narrowed because of the volume at key stage 4. You asked for a long term strategy for change, so I’m pleased to see that the review is likely to recommend a phased programme of work in different subjects or subject areas, starting from what’s working well. In our conversations with Sir Kevan Collins, we surfaced some tensions, particularly around assessment and exams, and the balance of focus on pupil engagement, creativity and play. We will be looking at ways in which assessment can support a broader range of learner pathways: look out for a series of events from November, and our Next Generation Assessment conference on 24 February.

4. Funding

You wanted the new government to be bold with funding – not just for schools – although that is very important – but also for the SEND and AP systems, for the early years, and for those agencies and services which support children and families. We know that funding is tight and that difficult decisions will have to be made, and this is compounded by the fall in pupil numbers which, in a system based on per-pupil funding, means less money for schools. There has been additional money for the early years, for some family support such as breakfast clubs, and of course for teacher pay awards, which is welcome, and the government is at least being transparent about some of the trade-offs that are being made. But, as Tom Campbell argues, until we start viewing schools, nurseries and colleges as essential infrastructure that needs adequate and consistent funding, education will continue to suffer.

5. Rebuilding relationships of trust and respect

I have been particularly pleased to see this government’s focus on positive partnerships with the profession. The Secretary of State has written her thanks, and held online events where teachers have posed real questions and had many of those questions answered. Many different groups of educationalists have been invited to meetings and working groups, and the more formal partnership between government and unions (now called Improving Education Together) has been broadened to include a wider range of people. I’m delighted to have been invited to meet with Ministers, including the Prime Minister, and many members and Fellows have been appointed to key advisory groups. Relationships of trust take time to build, and it is vital that the profession sees itself represented in places where key policy decisions are made.

Overall then, this government has had a positive if cautious year. Next year will see more decisions being made – about curriculum, accountability and inclusion in particular – which will give us a clearer idea of their commitment to pupils and to education professionals. I hope to see a much bigger focus on teacher professionalism at the heart of these decisions. For me, this means greater trust in teacher expertise and support for career-long professional development. I look forward to offering more opportunities, directly and through consultations and commissions, for you to share your expertise and your ideas with key education policy-makers. It is by working together that we will improve opportunities and outcomes for all children and young people.