Education Secretary speech on new era of school standards
- 3 February 2025
- News Story
The Education Secretary has today set out her vision for a new era of school standards, with a focus on improving literacy, numeracy and behaviour.
In a speech to the National Education Union, Gavin Williamson said that the current system of Ofsted inspections was not fit for purpose and needed to be replaced with a new approach that would focus on supporting schools to improve.
He also announced plans to introduce a new national curriculum for primary schools, which would be more rigorous and would set higher expectations for pupils.
Williamson said: “We need a new era of school standards, one that is based on high expectations and a relentless focus on improving the quality of education for all pupils.
“The current system of Ofsted inspections is not fit for purpose. It is too focused on box-ticking and does not provide schools with the support they need to improve.
“We will replace Ofsted with a new approach that will focus on supporting schools to improve. This will include providing schools with more tailored support and guidance, and giving them more time to implement changes.
“We will also introduce a new national curriculum for primary schools. This will be more rigorous and will set higher expectations for pupils. It will focus on the essential skills that all pupils need to succeed in life, such as literacy, numeracy and problem-solving.
“These reforms will help to create a new era of school standards, one that will ensure that all pupils have access to a high-quality education and that they are equipped with the skills they need to succeed in life.”
The Education Secretary’s speech comes after a number of high-profile cases of poor behaviour in schools. In recent months, there have been reports of pupils attacking teachers, vandalising property and even bringing weapons into school.
Williamson said that the new era of school standards would not tolerate poor behaviour. He said that schools would be expected to put in place clear behaviour policies and to take a tough line on any pupils who misbehave.
He added: “We need to create a culture of respect in our schools. This means that pupils should be taught to respect their teachers, their fellow pupils and their school environment.
“We will not tolerate poor behaviour in our schools. Schools will be expected to put in place clear behaviour policies and to take a tough line on any pupils who misbehave.”
The Education Secretary’s speech has been welcomed by some headteachers, who have said that they believe that the new reforms will help to improve school standards.
However, some teachers have expressed concerns about the plans to introduce a new national curriculum and to replace Ofsted with a new approach to school inspections.
They have argued that these changes could lead to more bureaucracy and that they could undermine the autonomy of schools.
Education Secretary speech on new era of school standards
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