When the current government and education secretary took office, they carried with them a sense of hope – for stability, clarity and a bold vision to address the growing pressures in our education system. So far, they have fallen short.
There has been a lot of action, as Bridget Phillipson was keen to point out on social media yesterday as she signed off for the holidays. But it’s hard to see coherent strategy tying all that action together. If we want to stabilise the system and provide assurance to all stakeholders – teachers, leaders, parents and, most importantly, pupils – then this is what we need.
The government’s claim to be “agnostic about structure” is a revealing example of what I’m talking about. This isn’t neutrality; it’s a lack of direction. Without a clear commitment to any approach, this agnosticism risks perpetuating fragmentation and inequality.
The new Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill reinforces this concern. It appears to prioritise appeasing unions and a nostalgic return to an idealised era of highly effective local authorities (which, let’s be honest, never existed) over building on the tangible successes of the academies programme.
We can’t afford to overlook what academies have achieved over the past two decades. They have driven innovation, raised standards and empowered schools to meet the diverse needs of their communities.
Autonomy has allowed multi-academy trusts (MATs) to set competitive pay scales and tailor professional development to attract and retain talent. These freedoms have helped address teacher shortages and stabilise leadership in challenging contexts.
This progress is at risk without a broader vision. If the government truly believes in structure-agnosticism, it must ensure a level playing field for all schools.
For example, the government’s assessment appears to be that many local-authority (LA) schools feel disadvantaged when competing with MATs, particularly in attracting teachers and leaders, because MATs can offer more advantageous salaries and flexible benefits.
Why level down when you can level up?
But why level down when you can level up? Instead of taking the risk of lowering salaries as the provisions on this bill do, we should extend similar freedoms to LA schools, empowering them to compete and innovate.
This isn’t about pitting sides against each other; it’s about fostering a system where all schools regardless of structure are equipped to thrive.
Up and down the country, there are academies and LA schools delivering excellent outcomes, but the lack of a clear national strategy fails to build on their shared strengths. The government is missing an opportunity to harness the best of both.
Leadership, vision and courage are needed now more than ever. It’s not enough to be agnostic. Policymaking should focus on evidence of what works and ensure that all children benefit.
The strengths of academies – autonomy and innovation – should be celebrated, but these cannot exist in isolation. Equally, the collaborative capacity of LAs to deliver services for vulnerable pupils should be valued and integrated into a cohesive national framework.
The current failure to articulate a direction risks demoralising the profession. Teachers face stagnant pay, unsustainable workloads and a sense of uncertainty about the future. MATs offer some solutions, but systemic challenges require coordinated national leadership.
Without it, we risk losing more talented teachers to burnout or other careers, further destabilising the system.
The opportunity to create a shared vision for education remains. What we need is to prioritise collaboration, seek alignment, learn from the successes of academies, empower LA schools with greater autonomy and address systemic challenges like retention and wellbeing.
Instead, the government’s current stance is neither vision nor neutrality; it is a void of leadership that leaves schools, teachers and pupils to navigate an increasingly fragmented and under-supported system.
It’s time for the government to articulate a clear direction, invest in what works and work with all stakeholders to secure the best outcomes for every child.
