MP Catherine McKinnell spoke on the main stage at the School and Academies Show 2024 at the NEC, outlining what education is shaping up to look like under a Labour government.
As promised in our previous blog summarising the SAAShow, we will break down the key points Catherine McKinnell made in her speech and what they mean for your provision.
One of the main hurdles Labour have planned to overcome is how to bridge the gap in opportunities between disadvantaged and SEND children with privileged children from a wealthier background.
Since 2010, there has been a rise of 700,000 children falling into poverty, with four million children in the UK now living in low-income families.
Speaking at the School and Academies Show, Catherine McKinnell said Labour’s “key mission is to break down the barriers to opportunity, so that every child can have the best start in life.”
With this key mission set, Labour have outlined how they aim to achieve this.
As part of the Labour Party’s manifesto and first days in government, they set a series of ambitious targets, budget increases and schemes to help “give every child the best possible education”.
The first steps to achieving those promises have been laid out, including:
As part of McKinnell’s speech, she announced the launch of the ‘Plan Technology for Your School’ service. This new digital service is designed to help schools and academies make strategic decisions about where and how to improve their technology.
The service aims to ensure that any rapid expansions of technology in schools does not create a two-tier system of schools who struggle and schools that benefit. It endeavours to do this by supporting schools to harness opportunities that tech advancement brings, so that no child is at a disadvantage.
Building on the back of the National Plan for Music Education from 2022, the ‘Music Opportunities Pilot’ is set to widen access to music lessons for children with SEND and children from poorer backgrounds.
Delivered in partnership with Young Sounds UK, this pilot scheme will attempt to foster young people’s musical talents in twelve areas around England by providing free lessons and the chance to learn to play an instrument.
The investment will build on the existing Connect programme, supporting up to 1,000 young people from low-income families over 4 years.
To get a “much clearer and broader picture of school performance”, Labour’s reforms are set to implement an accountability system that drives rising standards and does away with “single headline grades”.
A new report card for school performance is set to outline a school’s strengths and weaknesses, with inclusion being a key aspect.
With the introduction of Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams, struggling schools can get the support they need to improve.
Whether absence is an issue (1 in 5 school children in the UK were persistently absent in the last academic year), or a school needs to drive more inclusivity, RISE teams will support all children to achieve and thrive at school.
The breakfast clubs promised in the Labour manifesto are beginning to be applied. Created to extend the school community and welcome children in, these clubs allow school children to start the day by eating with their colleagues and teachers in a social space, placing them in a calm mindset that is ready for a day of learning.
In August, Labour announced a ‘AI Tools for Education’ funding competition, inviting innovators to develop AI tools that focussed on reducing the workload associated with feedback and marking.
Recently, an AI-powered lesson planning tool developed by Oak National Academy was launched. Called ‘Aila’, the tool automatically creates personalised lesson plans and resources within minutes, saving teachers hours each week. This simple-to-use AI lesson assistant is free for teachers to access. You can try it yourself at the Oak National Academy website.
