1 December 2016

Commenting on the report, Amanda Brown, Assistant General Secretary at the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union, said:

“At a time of austerity and school funding cuts on a scale not seen for decades, teachers should be congratulated for the hard work they have put in, against the odds, to provide a high quality education for children in England.

“Parents and carers will be shocked to hear that the recorded rate of vacancies and unfilled positions in schools has doubled since 2011, while 19 out of 30 secondary subjects are being taught by teachers without the relevant qualifications. Government needs to step up to the plate to provide the additional investment in schools in those parts of the country where difficulties in the recruitment and retention of teachers and heads is an obstacle to the high quality education we want for all children, wherever they live. Government must also accept its responsibilities to invest in local economies and ensure all secondary children have the ability to transition into a decent job or high quality training.

“EBacc’s narrow and prescriptive nature, and the marginalisation of creative, artistic and technical learning, must also be addressed if we are to ensure the continuation of high quality opportunities for young people in technical and vocational education. In addition, the Government must provide more resources to ensure that schools can provide the support that children with SEND need.

“Sir Michael Wilshaw is correct - schools are great forces for cohesion but they cannot do it alone. It is an absolute disgrace that cuts to local authority budgets have been at their most severe in areas with the highest levels of child poverty. These cuts have reduced the funding available to local authorities to sustain and develop vital child and family services. Restoring that funding would relieve the burden on schools, allowing them to focus more effectively on teaching and learning. The Government has a duty to tackle the scourge of child poverty which blights childhoods and holds back children’s educational and life chances.

“Sir Michael Wilshaw is right to say that the Government’s focus must shift away from school structures to the real issues facing education. The Government has the wrong priorities. Expanding selective education will set back decades of advances made by comprehensive education to secure the high quality education to which all our children are entitled. Children with SEND will be disproportionately disadvantaged under a selective system.

“Government should focus on supporting all schools, through adequate funding, investing in teachers’ professional development, and ensuring that teaching remains an attractive profession which can recruit and retain experienced professionals.

“The NUT has not always agreed with Sir Michael Wilshaw but we recognise that he has always been driven by his high ambitions for children in England. We wish him well for a long and happy retirement.”