Measures introduced under the Bill to raise standards in Education include:
- Proposals for all types of schools to be considered by local authorities, not just academies.
- All new teachers to hold or be working towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) before they enter a classroom. They will also need to complete an induction period.
- For schools and councils to work together on school admissions, with councils given greater powers to ensure admissions decisions reflect local needs such as the placement of vulnerable children.
- Failing schools run by local authorities will not automatically be forced to become an academy.
Under the Bill, new measures will also be introduced to protect children at risk of abuse and stop vulnerable children ‘falling through the cracks’, including:
- New registers to identify children who are not in school.
- Paving the way for a unique identifier number for children across services, similar to how the National Insurance number works for adults.
- Removing the automatic right parents have to educate their children at home if they are subject to a child protection investigation or under a child protection plan.
The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said it is ‘delighted’ the Government is moving towards children’s unique identifier numbers so services can be more ‘holistic’.
Chief executive Purnima Tanuku explained, ‘Information sharing between professionals is critical to ensure continuous support for children, particularly those who are vulnerable and who have additional needs. This will give them a smoother transition from early years into school and beyond, especially for children with additional needs who, if identified early on in their lives, can make great progress.’
The education secretary Bridget Phillipson said, ‘In recent years, too many children have been failed by their last line of defence: the state.
‘This Bill will be a seminal moment for child protection. No more words, no more lessons learnt. This Government will put children first at every turn.’
