Chair nominations open for Education Committee

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• Education Committee

The nominations period will run from 31 October to 15 November. The new Chair will be elected from the Conservative party.

On this page you can find the list of nominees with any accompanying statements as they come in.

Caroline Ansell 

MP for Eastbourne

Nominated by (own party)

Jane Hunt, Lee Anderson, Andrew Lewer, Mrs Flick Drummond, Craig Tracey, Virginia Crosbie, Daniel Kawczynski, Selaine Saxby, Robert Courts, Miriam Cates, Dame Caroline Dinenage, Robin Millar, Chloe Smith, Anna Firth, Angela Richardson.

Nominated by (other parties or no party)

Valerie Vaz, Carolyn Harris, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Rachael Maskell.

Interests

None

Candidate statement

I am seeking your support for Chair of the Education Select Committee. 

There are many important potential issues to consider in Education including funding and covid catch-up and I am engaging with committee members and across the House on potential future business. There is an established committee programme until Spring 2023. 

I will speak more on a future programme in the coming days.  Here is where I outline my motivation to stand and my credentials to serve in this important role. 

My grandad was illiterate. My mum, who left school aged 14, taught him to read. I am a teacher because she knew that education was indeed the PM’s ‘silver bullet’. 

In January this year, I went back to the classroom to help keep schools open during the Omicron wave. They should never have closed. 

I have trained teachers, served as an ISI inspector for 10 years, was Director of Studies when I graduated with a masters degree in education, specialising in leadership. 

I qualified for headship but shortly after, left school to nurse my little boy after brain surgery.  He came through I am happy to say and through him, I have navigated the special educational needs and disabilities landscape too. 

It is Ed Balls’ signature on my PGCE so I have a past!  With your first preference vote, I will have a future as Chair. 

Jonathan Gullis

MP for Stoke-on-Trent North

Nominated by (own party)

Andrea Leadsom, Aaron Bell, Sir William Cash, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Kate Kniveton, Gareth Bacon, Kit Malthouse, Rachel Maclean, Brandon Lewis, Lia Nici, Fiona Bruce, Jack Brereton, Mr Jacob Rees-Mogg, Priti Patel, Boris Johnson

Nominated by (other parties or no party)

Sammy Wilson, Cat Smith

Interests

I undertook and completed my PGCE in 2011/12 at the Institute for Education, UCL; I worked in four different secondary state schools from 2012­–2019; I was a paid up member and school trade union rep for the NASUWT; my partner is a qualified teacher and employee of TeachFirst; I received a £7,200 donation in kind for services of 5654 & Company between 7 March 2022 and April 2022 for my national campaign to lift the ban on grammar schools.

Candidate statement

I hope that I may count on your support to become the new Chair of the Education Select Committee.  

Robert Halfon has led the Committee fantastically since 2017, not being afraid to ask challenging questions, investigate sensitive and difficult topics, and most of all stand up for children up and down our country, ensuring they get the education, skills, and support they deserve, helping to level up opportunity everywhere.  

You will rightly ask why I believe I should be the Chair of such an important Select Committee. Here are my key reasons why I am running:   

• Completed my teacher training (PGCE) in 2011/12 at the Institute of Education, UCL 
• Worked in state secondary schools in London and Birmingham for nearly 8 years, teaching Citizenship, RE, and History.  
• Held middle leader roles in schools as a Head of Year, overseeing pupils’ attendance, behaviour, welfare and attainment. 
• Was a school trade union representative for the NASUWT for around 3 years 
• Served as a member of the Education Select Committee for 18 months (March 2020 to September 2021). 
• Most recently served as the Minister for School Standards, announcing further reforms to Initial Teacher Training, and funding for bursaries and scholarships to aid teacher recruitment. 

As the Chair of the Education Select Committee, I would consult with colleagues on inquiries of priority to you and your constituents, delivering on the interests across the House. I will want the Committee to use the knowledge and expertise of Members from across the House, as well as engaging closely with APPGs, to deliver in the national interest.  

I believe education is the key to levelling up life chances. If children and families, especially those who are disadvantaged, are not equipped with the knowledge, skills and support they need, then generations will have been failed.  

It is vital the next Chair of the Committee has the right blend of experience on the ground in both the teaching profession and within Parliament, and I hope the above shows I have what it takes.  

David Simmonds

MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner

Nominated by (own party)

Anthony Browne, Mark Fletcher, Tim Loughton, Tom Randall, Anthony Mangnall, Dr Luke Evans, Mr John Baron, Alicia Kearns, Andy Carter, Gareth Davies, Nickie Aiken, Jerome Mayhew, Simon Fell, Mr Louie French, Alexander Stafford 

Nominated by (other parties or no party)

John McDonnell, Tim Farron 

Interests

None

Candidate statement

We are fortunate in Parliament to have a wealth of talent standing for this committee chair. However, with over twenty years experience leading education and children’s services in local government, parliament and on the international stage, I bring unrivalled insight into the workings of this sector and Government. In my time in local government I led children’s services at the London Borough of Hillingdon, established and chaired the European Federation of Education Employers and chaired the National Employers Organisation for Schoolteachers. In recognition of my work in the sector, I was awarded a CBE in 2016 for national leadership in education and children’s services.  

I want to bring this experience, along with my previous experience on this committee and as a board chair to develop the work of the Education Select Committee. I want to build on the excellent work done by Robert Halfon as well as expanding the scope to provide more effective scrutiny of national performance and key regulators such as Ofsted and the Children’s commissioner while refreshing our approach to overseeing child protection services as recent sad cases demand.

Robin Walker

MP for Worcester

Nominated by (own party)

Mr David Davis, Siobhan Baillie, Andrew Jones, Richard Graham, Mark Pawsey, Philip Dunne, Sir Paul Beresford, Dr Caroline Johnson, Julian Knight, Richard Drax, Chris Loder, Harriett Baldwin, Tom Hunt, Gary Sambrook, Julian Smith

Nominated by (other parties or no party)

Paul Blomfield, Sarah Champion, Gavin Robinson, Dame Diana Johnson, Claire Hanna

Interests

None declared

Candidate statement

I made my maiden speech on education and campaigned on skills and schools throughout my time in Parliament. I am informed enough to hit the ground running, but independent enough to hold ministers to account. I’ve always sought to work across the House and respect the Devolved Administrations - I believe we can learn from different parts of the U.K. as well as from international comparators.

Alongside continuing Robert Halfon’s excellent work on skills, SEN, attendance and levelling up, I want the Committee to do more on childcare, safeguarding and the cost pressures facing schools & families.

I would work with all members of the Committee to respect their interests, following an evidence-based approach. I would serve on the Committee even if not elected Chair.

Parliamentary Experience: Six years a backbencher and six a Minister (DEXEU 2016-19, NIO & Scotland Office 2019, NIO 2019-21, DfE Sep 2021- July 22) served on four select committees (Welsh Affairs, BEIS, Administration & NIAC) and as PPS in three departments (NIO, DEFRA & DfE).

Cross party working; Vice-Chair of f40, the cross-party fairer funding campaign, from 2010 to 2014, Member of APPGs on Apprenticeships, Financial Education for Young People, Youth Employment & Outdoor education during first stint on the back benches. Citizens Advice Parliamentarian of the Year 2014 for work to cap payday loans and support financial advice. Recently elected vice Chair of APPG for Students.

Family: I come from the first generation in my family to attend university, both my parents left school at 16 but encouraged their children to love reading. One sister is a SEN Teaching Assistant, another worked for the National Literacy Trust. With two young children (4 and 1) I’m acutely aware of the challenges and costs of childcare.

School’s Minister: Presided over the return to school after the pandemic; co-wrote the White Paper including the levelling up premium & Education Investment Areas; prioritised deprivation in the funding formula & delivered the largest ever cash increase in schools funding; Co-chaired the Attendance Action Alliance bringing together the Childrens’ Commissioner, schools and councils to tackle severe absence; reformed the National Tutoring Programme to be schools-led; supported early delivery of manifesto pledge on £30k starting salaries for teachers; made preparations for the first successful exam series in 3 years.

Environment: Launched the Natural History GCSE; contributed to the Department’s Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy; placed the COP26 Education Minister’s summit on the agenda of the International Summit on the Teaching Profession.

Supporting a rich curriculum: An historian by background, I’ve always supported schools teaching a wide range of subjects including STEM, creativity, outdoor education, RSHE, and the arts. I launched the model history curriculum. I encouraged take up of modern languages and started work to build on the success of the Mandarin Excellence Programme with an Arabic programme for schools. I gave evidence to the APPGs for Oracy, Citizenship and MFL and the Science & Technology Committee’s inquiry on women in STEM.

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