Schools Bill aims to level up education across the country

The Schools Bill is set to be announced in the Queen’s Speech today, providing the legislation to enable the government’s key education reforms, and support its mission to spread opportunity and level up the country, driving future economic growth.

Through the Bill, the government aims to raise education standards across the country via a range of measures including supporting schools to join multi-academy trusts, introducing registers for children not in school and giving Ofsted more powers to crack down on unregistered schools operating illegally.

It will help to deliver the government’s Levelling Up mission for education - for 90% of children leaving primary school to achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and maths by 2030, providing them with the foundation they need to secure well-paid jobs in the future.

To support this, last month the government announced its new pledge to parents: if your child falls behind in English or maths, they will get the support they need from their school to help them get back on track.

The measures in the Bill will support more schools to become part of a strong, multi-academy trust, as well as strengthen the regulatory framework for academy trusts, underpinned by powers to intervene where they are failing.

It will also introduce a direct National Funding Formula, so that every school is allocated funding on a fair and consistent basis, wherever it is in the country.

The Bill also requires schools to publish an attendance policy, establish compulsory registers for children not in school, and place a duty on local authorities to provide support to home-schooling families, so that no child falls through the cracks.

It will also give Ofsted more powers to crack down on ‘unregistered schools’ operating illegally, and give the Teaching Regulation Agency increased powers to investigate misconduct.