NAHT – Written evidence (EDU0020)

Executive Summary

1. NAHT believes it is the right of those in the profession to have the freedom and autonomy to plan, develop and deliver the curriculum in their schools to meet the needs of their students. The curriculum should support the learning, progress and success of all students and must not be distorted or restricted by external pressures of accountability.
2. However, the 11-16 curriculum is being limited by government policy and external issues including accountability measures, performance tables, the approach of Ofsted, insufficient funding, problems of recruitment and retention, the reform of GCSE qualifications and the lack of parity between academic and vocational routes.
3. Currently, there is an implicit lack of value in what many young people, who are not ‘academic,’ achieve. This is reinforced from an early age with a pass/fail approach to tests and exams which are only ever academic in nature. Broadening the curriculum and valuing all subjects and skills, will help to improve the outcomes for all young people.
4. The current accountability measures demonstrate how little value is attached to vocational and technical (VT) qualifications compared to their academic equivalents sending a clear message to students, teachers and parents that academic qualifications, especially in particular subjects, are those which really matter.
5. The motivation and confidence of young people is clearly linked to their mental health and wellbeing and a key role for schools is to contribute to promoting good mental health and emotional wellbeing amongst pupils of all ages. There is a real urgency to the call for additional resources to support the mental health and wellbeing of pupils and this includes vital early help and support as well as more specialist mental health services.
6. To maintain the motivation and confidence of young people, it is vital that they have the opportunity to access a curriculum and achieve qualifications that enable them to make progress appropriate to their needs and abilities.
7. NAHT believes that the reforms to GCSE qualifications have led to a system which does not meet the needs of all students or all subjects and has little resilience in the face of any challenging circumstances. There should be a more balanced and varied approach to assessment for the purpose of awarding general qualifications which needs to include non-exam assessment and opportunities for modular assessments.
8. The range of needs of students identified as requiring SEN support and those with EHCPs is extensive and it is therefore vital that there is a suitably broad range of accessible qualifications available for these young people.
9. It is clear that the current system of school accountability can narrow, distort and corrupt the curriculum. It can also negatively affect the accurate assessment of pupil progress.
10. School leaders view collaboration as a vital element of school improvement and improving pupil outcomes, but competition driven by accountability frameworks is identified as a key barrier to that collaboration.
11. The current high stakes system of inspection distorts school priorities at the expense of sustained school improvement.  While NAHT welcomed the inspectorate’s reduced focus on school performance data, Ofsted’s new framework has created huge new workload demands as schools have sought to adapt their systems and planning to meet inspectors’ demands. 
12. The publication and use of data for accountability purposes is problematic, including in terms of the potential impact on the curriculum and qualification offer.
13. The latest school workforce data show that wastage rates for teachers and leaders remain extraordinarily high.  What is needed is a compelling proposition for a decades-long career in education with clear career and salary progression points, and flexible, and sustainable career pathways that are underpinned by appropriate opportunities for funded training and development. 
14. School funding remains insufficient overall.  There is a need for significant investment in the school workforce to reverse the real terms losses that have seen the value of teachers’ and leaders’ pay fall by about a fifth since 2010. Additional funding is required to realise the aims of the government’s review of support for pupils with additional needs and huge capital investment is required to replace school buildings that are beyond their intended life and to upgrade the existing estate.

The range and breadth of subjects covered in the 11-16 curriculum

15. NAHT believes it is the right of those in the profession to have the freedom and autonomy to plan, develop and deliver the curriculum in their schools to meet the needs of their students.
16. The curriculum should support the learning, progress and success of all students and must not be distorted or restricted by external pressures of accountability as is currently the case, examples of which are provided within this response.
17. It is vital that the government ensures that the National Curriculum is representative of the diversity within the UK. This should provide an equal entitlement for all pupils, whichever area of the country and whichever type of school they are in. Equally such a framework also gives support and protection to schools and their leaders from those who might challenge them about certain aspects of content.
18. A broad and balanced curriculum should promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of students and prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
19. In experiencing a broad and balanced curriculum all pupils throughout key stages 1 ,2 and 3 should be given opportunities to:

• Develop their skills in English, Maths and Science.
• Develop their knowledge and understanding of the world we live in, the environment, different religions and cultures, a foreign language, technology, computing, music and the creative arts.
• Participate in sport and physical activity.
• Engage in high quality PSHE, including statutory RSHE.
• Develop positive character traits including resilience, communication, teamwork, problem solving and empathy.
• Develop positive attributes including high self-esteem, positive emotional and mental health, tolerance, managing risk, respect and ambition.

20. At key stage 4 students should have the opportunity to make some guided choices about the subjects which they continue to study.
21. At all key stages a broad and balanced curriculum should:
• Encourage high aspirations and expectations for all.
• Enable pupils to become successful, lifelong, autonomous learners and responsible and active citizens.
• Be motivational and engage pupils in both the process and the content of learning.
• Promote an enquiring and creative approach.
• Include learning that takes place both inside and outside of the classroom and the school day.
• Enable pupils to achieve their potential.
• Be able to respond to individual needs and talents and to provide increasing opportunities for choice and responsibility.
• Be planned to reflect local needs in order to ensure it is relevant to the lives of the pupils.
• Build on the pupil’s own experiences, interests and strengths, helping them to develop their sense of identity and their awareness of opportunities to influence and effect change as local, national and global citizens.
• Celebrate individuality and the broad range of pupil success in all areas.
22. However, the 11-16 curriculum is being limited in these ambitions by government policy and external issues including accountability measures, performance tables, the approach of Ofsted, insufficient funding, problems of recruitment and retention, the reform of GCSE qualifications and the lack of parity between academic and vocational routes.

The effectiveness of the 11-16 curriculum in equipping young people with the skills they need to progress into post-16 education and employment in a future digital and green economy

23. A 2019 report from CBI and Pearson[1] provides evidence of the role of education for employment and highlights that wider character, behaviours and attributes are the most important consideration for employers when recruiting school and college leavers.
24. This research found that:

• 74% of employers are satisfied with the academic knowledge of young people who have applied for jobs during the past 12 months.
• being ‘work ready’ remains a priority, with 40% of employers reporting that they are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with wider character, behaviours, and attributes.
• 33% of employers are either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied by the amount of relevant work experience young people have.
• Employers value all forms of qualification with almost a third preferring a mix of academic and vocational or technical. Only 7% of employers responding to the survey said they prefer traditional academic qualifications such as GCSEs and A Levels.

25. Concerns around whether our curriculum equips young people for the modern world and work are not restricted to employers. In 2018 a YouGov survey[2] found that almost 1 in 4 young people aged 17-23 do not feel prepared by their education for the world of work and a Pearson sponsored YouGov survey in 2019 of 2,000 parents with children between the ages of 13 and 19, found that half of parents are worried children aren’t getting the skills they need for future employment.[3]

The availability and attractiveness of technical and vocational options in the 11-16 phase

26. Currently, there is an implicit lack of value in what many young people, who are not ‘academic,’ achieve. This is reinforced from an early age with a pass/fail approach to tests and exams which are only ever academic in nature. Broadening the curriculum and valuing all subjects and skills, will help to improve the outcomes for all young people.
27. Many students would benefit from a blended curriculum offer which includes aspects of both vocational/technical (VT) and academic study and where qualifications from each pathway complement each other to meet student needs and ambitions creating an offer which is truly inclusive.
28. NAHT believes that there should be a parity of esteem for VT education within the wider education system. There remains no true equity between academic and VT options in the 11-16 phase. There is an inherent lack of understanding of the value of VT education, despite the fact that there is a large skills shortage facing the UK, worsened by the effects of the pandemic.
29. Government policy exacerbates the perceived lesser value of VT education, and this is apparent in the increased focus on knowledge-based curricula and academic achievement pre-16. In the early years, the Government is keen to formalise learning and the primary national curriculum has been accompanied by the introduction of tests in reading, maths, GPS, phonics and multiplication.
30. The current accountability measures demonstrate how little value government attaches to VT qualifications compared to their academic equivalents. Although the Progress 8 measure allows limited VT qualifications to count in performance tables, EBacc measures further restrict any flexibility and send a clear message to students, teachers and parents that academic qualifications, especially in particular subjects, are those which really matter.
31. Research from EDSK[4] found that in 2018, only 5% of KS4 exam entries were Technical Awards (TA), demonstrating how GCSEs dominate the 14-16 curriculum and yet TA’s have a significant positive impact on pupils. For pupils in state-funded schools, taking a TA was associated with:
• a 23% reduction in unauthorised absences;
• a 10% reduction in fixed period exclusions and;
• a 62% reduction in permanent exclusions.

The impact of the 11-16 system on the motivation and confidence of pupils of all abilities

32. To maintain the motivation and confidence of young people, it is vital that they have the opportunity to access a curriculum and achieve qualifications that enable them to make progress appropriate to their needs and abilities.
33. Recent Department for Education (DfE) research[5] reported that:

• Although average happiness with school has remained consistent, children in key stages 2 (years 5 and 6) and 5 (years 12 and 13) were on average happier with school than those in the 11-16 age range.
• Data from NHS Digital’s Mental Health of Children and Young People survey (MHCYP) in 2022 suggested that only 65% of children aged 11-16 enjoyed learning at school.
• DfE’s Pupil and Parent Panel in February 2022 found that 69% of secondary-age children and young people reported that they were motivated to learn, while 74% felt that they were managing to concentrate in class.

34. It is critical that young people see themselves reflected across the curriculum; not feeling represented can be disempowering and discouraging. This can negatively affect young people’s wellbeing, preventing them from achieving their full potential at school[6]. We know that many schools are already leading the way, ensuring that that the work of their school reflects their community and wider society. To do this effectively it is vital that schools have access to a wide range of resources and learning activities which reflect the diversity of people and experiences of the UK population.
35. At key stage 4 students have traditionally been able to exercise meaningful choices in the selection of their subjects and this generally was seen to have a positive impact on students’ motivation to learn. However, with high stakes accountability drivers, students now have very limited choices over their key stage 4 curriculum offer. There is some evidence that compelling students to take a subject can have a negative impact on their motivation to succeed.
36. Ongoing post-doctoral research reported by TES[7] indicates that a key driver leading students to dislike a subject or drop it at the earliest possible opportunity was the subject being mandatory. Young people did not understand why they were being forced to take a subject they did not enjoy, they were not good at, or that they did not need. Compulsion also has an impact on the breadth of curriculum with opportunities narrowed and free subject choice being reduced.
37. The motivation and confidence of young people is clearly linked to their mental health and wellbeing and a key role for schools is to contribute to promoting good mental health and emotional wellbeing amongst pupils of all ages.
38. Schools play an incredibly important role in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Regular day-to-day contact and the formation of key relationships between school staff, pupils and parents mean that schools are uniquely placed to identify issues, refer concerns and promote the overall wellbeing of their school population.
39. Where any student is identified as having any mental health need, schools seek to support them to the very best of their ability and as appropriate to the role of education professionals. Where schools consider that a student’s needs go beyond the school’s experience and expertise, their role is then to refer them on to other professionals, including those in mental health services. Schools then work with those other agencies to ensure the student remains appropriately supported in school and in their learning.
40. It’s crucial that when school staff identify a mental health need with a student, they can get the specialist help that is required but very few school staff find they can access the right support in a timely way. There is a real urgency to the call for additional resources to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people and this includes vital early help and support as well as more specialist mental health services.
41. However, in considering multi-agency working to support children and young people, we cannot ignore the funding and capacity pressures on those services which schools rely upon. School leaders report that one of the key issues they face is the decline in availability and accessibility of mental health services for children and young people. Even pre-pandemic, many of our members were reporting a system in crisis, where unsupported children and young people were at best struggling to learn and at worst at serious risk.
42. The experiences of our members are borne out in the data from a recent Children’s Commissioner report[8] which found that:

• 6% of children in England were referred to CYPMHS, up from 4% in the last two years. The number of children referred has increased by 47% from last year and 84% from 2018/19
• The percentage of children who had their referrals closed before treatment has increased for the first time in years. In 2021-22, 32% of children who were referred did not receive treatment. This was 24% in 2021/21 and 27% in 2019/20. 91% of CCGs had an increase in the proportion of referrals closed before treatment, however this ranged from 5% of referrals in NHS East Sussex to 50% in NHS North West Cumbria.
• Over half of CYP with a mental health disorder did not receive treatment in 2022. Of the 1.4 million children estimated to have a mental health disorder, less than half (48%) received at least 1 contact with CYPMHS and 34% received at least 2 contacts with CYPMHS.
• The average waiting time between referral and starting treatment has increased for the first time in years. Wait time was 40 days in 2021/22, an increase from 32 days 2020/21 and just 19% of children entered treatment within four weeks. Again, this varies between CCG from 13 days in NHS Leicester City to 80 days in NHS Sunderland.

43. The access to and quality of children’s mental health services across the country must be consistent. All children and young people deserve timely and high-quality support when they need it; this should not be a postcode lottery.
44. To achieve this, government must commit to invest further in specialist services that support the mental health needs of children and young people, to increase the capacity to meet the growing demand from schools and students and to reduce waiting times for this support.
45. There is also a need to further increase the capacity of mental health services available to schools to provide support for their pupils. The government should additionally invest in a fully funded universal rollout for school-based counselling in all schools in England, building on the success of the implementation of this policy in Wales and Northern Ireland.

The effectiveness of GCSEs as a means of assessing the achievements of all pupils at the end of the 11-16 phase

46. In 2013, reforms made exams the ‘default mode of assessment’ with non-exam assessment (NEA) to only be used ‘where exams cannot validly assess the skills and knowledge required’[9]. In addition to this, all GCSEs and A levels became linear qualifications, with exams to be sat only during the summer series except for English and Maths resits.
47. Criticisms have been levelled at the current system of content heavy, linear, terminal exam-based assessment with its emphasis on short-term knowledge retention, the high stakes nature of those exams and the potential impact on student wellbeing.  This mode of assessment works well for some students but disadvantages others. And as demonstrated by the pandemic, this system is not robust in times of crisis if exams cannot be sat for whatever reason.
48. When choosing a qualification, providers will consider the mode of assessment to ensure it suits the needs of their students. Any reduction in qualifications that enable students to capture their learning through non-exam assessment rather than terminal exams, limits opportunities for success for some students. The retention of knowledge is important, but it is not the only key characteristic of good quality learning; for many students illustrating progress over time is more significant.
49. NAHT believes that the reforms to GCSE qualifications have led to a system which does not meet the needs of all students or all subjects and has little resilience in the face of any challenging circumstances. There should be a more balanced and varied approach to assessment for the purpose of awarding general qualifications which needs to include non-exam assessment and opportunities for modular assessments.
50. In addition, the government’s identification of GCSE grade 4 as a “standard pass” and grade 5 as a “strong pass” at GCSE level undermines the value of grades 1-3, effectively labelling them a fail, and, as a result, devaluing the achievements of a wide range of students. NAHT does not support this approach; all grades, whether expressed in numbers or letters, are qualification passes recognising different levels of attainment for students with the purpose of enabling them to take their next steps in education, training or employment.
51. The current policy on GCSE Maths and English forces young people into a round of re-sits which is demotivating and can result in disengagement with learning. The most important outcome is that students have the necessary numeracy and literacy skills to continue their education or training, and for many students, alternative level 2 qualifications may be a more appropriate means of achieving this. Schools should be able to decide which qualification is most appropriate and in the best interests of the student, without this having a detrimental impact on any related performance measures.
52. The range of needs of students identified as requiring SEN support and those with EHCPs is extensive and it is therefore vital that there is a suitably broad range of accessible qualifications available for these young people.
53. The experience for students with SEND must be in line with their mainstream peers in terms of the rigour and external moderation of a qualification, to enable the same level of external recognition of achievement. The implication otherwise is that we value their learning, progress and achievements less. A wide range of qualifications at level 2 and below must continue to exist; there is great value for some students in being able to access a qualification that enables them to succeed and engage with education.
54. Qualifications at level 1 and below enable learners to achieve tangible outcomes which may include accessing the voluntary sector, independent or semi-independent living, having the skills to participate in social settings and living a full life with family and friends. Although perhaps not directly contributing to the economy, these qualifications are valuable, have identifiable outcomes and add value to the lives of all within a community.
55. Study at level 1 and below can be vital for students to attain personal, social and employability skills, and can also play a wider role in motivating students and improving wellbeing. This is particularly true for pupils with SEND who are over-represented in entries to level 1 Technical Awards (53% of entries), and entry level and level 1 qualifications not included in performance tables (66% and 29% of entries respectively).
56. It is important to recognise that a much wider range of qualifications than GCSE’s is necessary to assess the achievements of all pupils at the end of key stage 4. Ignoring, or restricting, those other qualifications may appear to have a minimal impact when looking at the wider population of students, but this could have a disproportionately negative impact on groups of students such as those with SEND and other vulnerable students, for example those who may have had a period out of education for a range of reasons. Such detrimental impacts may include: a deterioration in mental health; low self-esteem; increase in representation of these groups of students in the criminal justice system; isolation; and unemployment.
57. Alternative Provision (AP) is an integral part of supporting and delivering education for some young people aged 11-16 and it is vital that their role is recognised and integrated.  However, the current place commissioning and funding model for AP creates year-on-year uncertainty, with AP provision on a perpetual cycle of being depleted then subsequently re-established as numbers of pupils fall and rise. The availability and capacity of AP across differing local authority areas varies hugely, and whilst schools may wish to utilise outreach or combined mainstream / AP provision for students, not all currently have that full option. As a matter of urgency, government need to prioritise solving the current funding and commissioning issues facing AP, as well as ensuring consistent access to this support for schools and for the students who need it.
58. It is vital that all students have the opportunity to access and achieve qualifications that are right for them and that they are enabled make progress appropriate to their needs and abilities.

How the school accountability system affects the 11-16 curriculum

59. The current system of school accountability can narrow, distort and corrupt the curriculum. It can also negatively affect the accurate assessment of pupil progress.
60. NAHT published a suite of reports between 2018 and 2020 from our school accountability and school improvement commissions[10].  Together these argued that there was an urgent need to rebalance the current system for holding schools to account with one that would better help the nation’s schools to unleash their potential.  The commissioners found that too many incentives and sanctions worked against school improvement, that Ofsted should be refocused on providing stronger diagnostic insight to schools, and that school leaders themselves should be empowered to engage in robust peer to peer review and establishing a new way of identifying excellence.  Our work recognised that schools are only as good as the people that work in them, and that sustainable school improvement is a collaborative, collective endeavour and a continuous journey.
61. The current high stakes system of inspection distorts school priorities at the expense of sustained school improvement.  While NAHT welcomed the inspectorate’s reduced focus on school performance data, Ofsted’s new framework has created huge new workload demands as schools have sought to adapt their systems and planning to meet inspectors’ demands. 
62. Perversely, Ofsted’s mechanistic focus on curriculum has failed to facilitate greater breadth or drive innovation.  Instead, the inspectorate’s narrow and prescriptive approach to both pedagogy and content has reinforced schools’ perception of the need to be ‘Ofsted ready’ – itself a major driver of stress and anxiety. 
63. Moreover, fear of inspection stifles professional judgement, subject and curriculum development and innovative practice.  Far from refreshing and broadening the school curriculum and making it more relevant to the needs of children and young people, Ofsted’s approach has undermined professional autonomy, agency and independence, with the result being that many good people continue to be driven from the profession.
64. School leaders view collaboration as a vital element of school improvement and improving pupil outcomes, but competition driven by accountability frameworks is identified as a key barrier to that collaboration in research published by the DfE[11].
65. NAHT is committed to the importance of transparency and supporting parents and students when choosing schools and believes schools should provide clear and reliable data on progress, attainment and attendance for parents. However, beyond this, the publication and use of data for accountability purposes is problematic, including in terms of the potential impact on the curriculum and qualification offer.
66. Progress has been made across the sector around the use and importance of data, specifically that data is only ever a starting point and is not, on its own, a proxy for school effectiveness. However, there remains much to improve regarding using data effectively and intelligently for both accountability and school improvement as well as discouraging the drawing of conclusions based on simplistic comparisons.
67. The “all schools and colleges comparison tables” on the performance data website have damaging consequences, encouraging the public to compare institutions in ‘league tables’. When considering what information parents and carers need when choosing a school or college, there is no benefit to them in comparing all schools and colleges across the country.
68. The sheer quantity of data and performance measures published on the performance data website has become excessive and complex. This must be reviewed and reduced to provide information which useful and meaningful for its intended users. 
69. The performance measures related to the EBacc must be ended, including the link to EBacc subjects in the Progress 8 measure. The rigid and prescriptive set of GCSEs which form the EBacc is limiting and unrealistic not only does the EBacc have the effect of narrowing the curriculum at key stage 4, but the effects can be seen at key stage 5 too.

How the 11-16 system could be adapted to improve the attractiveness of the teaching profession, and the recruitment, training and retention of teachers

70. The latest school workforce data show that wastage rates for teachers remain extraordinarily high.  The number of teachers leaving the profession within one year of qualifying has continued to increase since 2011.  In 2021, 12.5% of teachers left during their first year in the profession. This has increased from 11.7% in 2020, indicating a return to the unsustainable and continuous worsening of early career teacher retention.[12]
71. Wastage rates for school leaders are just as worrying.  In all school leadership categories wastage rates have increased when comparing the period 2011-2016, to the period 2015 – 2020. 

• more than one in three assistant, deputy and head teachers in secondary schools leave their role within five years.
• approaching half of middle leaders across the primary and secondary phases leave their role within five years.[13]

72. NAHT analysis finds that a majority of assistant and deputy heads, and head teachers, who left their post within five years of appointment are no longer employed in state-funded schools that serve 93% of England’s pupils.  Moreover, approaching half of middle leaders who left their post are also recorded as having left the profession.[14] [15] Overall, about a third (31%) of primary and secondary senior leaders left their post within five years,[16] more than half (53%) of whom quit teaching in state funded schools that serve 93% of England’s pupils.[17]
73. What is needed is a compelling proposition for a decades-long career in education with clear career and salary progression points, and flexible, and sustainable career pathways that are underpinned by appropriate opportunities for funded training and development.  Although the Early Career Framework (ECF) and national professional qualifications offer a step in the right direction, their narrow, prescriptive and centralised nature do not speak to the professional autonomy and independence required for teachers and leaders to thrive.  Furthermore, there is little clear evidence to suggest that the national qualifications contribute significantly to retention rates.
74. There is an urgent need to reduce workload associated with the ECF for new teachers and their mentors.  The DfE should review providers’ practices to ensure that programmes can be delivered and managed within the time made available for the programme during working hours. 
75. Moreover, the ECF was originally conceived as a programme of support for newly qualified teachers rather than an early career curriculum.  The DfE should return to this original intention by securing much greater flexibility for schools in the delivery of providers’ programmes, and prioritise professional agency, autonomy and independence.
76. Alongside this, if teaching is to be regarded in the same terms as other professions, it is clear that reform of the pay structure, consideration of pay progression and establishment of appropriate pay differentials for leadership responsibility are essential components of a compelling proposition for a decades-long career in teaching.  This must include:
• an appropriate starting salary
• clear career and salary progression points
• opportunities to develop different career pathways underpinned by appropriate funded training, development and reward.
77. Consideration must also be given to addressing disparities in representation. The government itself recognises the important role a diverse workforce can play in the outcomes for young people yet there continues to be a limited focus on improving diversity. Too often approaches are piecemeal or overlooked in the core strands of work already underway, such as the Early Career Framework. If the Department for Education is serious about improving recruitment and retention of educational professionals from a diverse range of backgrounds, then it is vital that this work is embedded across all facets of its work.

How spending for this phase of education should be prioritised, in the context of the current fiscal climate

78. The recent announcement of an additional £2bn in funding for schools in 2023-24 and 2024-25 while welcome, will mean that in real terms school funding will be a 2010 level (from 2024-25), underling more than a decade of sustained underinvestment in children’s and young people’s education.
79. School funding remains insufficient overall.  There is a need for significant investment in the school workforce to reverse the real terms losses that have seen the value of teachers’ and leaders’ pay fall by about a fifth since 2010. There is also a pressing need to restore the competitiveness of pay against other graduate occupations and to protect pay against further erosion against current inflation.
80. Significant investment is required to realise the aims of the government’s review of support for pupils with additional needs, which require the recruitment and training of existing and additional teachers and classroom assistants to provide sufficient capacity to properly support pupils, along with investment in the health and social care services that are needed to underpin the work of educators.
81. Huge capital investment is required to replace school buildings that are beyond their intended life, including some that are dangerous (including those constructed using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and those containing asbestos); and to upgrade the existing estate to meet the demands of climate change, efficient energy use and suitability for the 21st century.
82. Investment in the school workforce cannot be delayed, given that there is already a full-blown recruitment and retention crisis which directly affects the quality of provision for pupils.  If government is serious about what it calls ‘global Britain’, there must be investment in education to support it.

26 April 2023

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