The Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan

The Secretary of State for Education has introduced herself to everyone working in education and care via the Department for Education blog.

The Secretary of State believes that the Chancellor’s recent autumn statement underlines the government’s commitment to education with additional funding that the Institute of Fiscal Studies said would allow schools to return to at least 2010 levels in real terms.

In the blog, she referenced her own apprenticeship and notes that talent is equally spread across the country but sadly, opportunity is not and believes that no matter where you are from or what stage of life you’re at, you should always be able to get a high-quality education. The following priorities were identified:

• Success starts well before children enter school so the dedication and skill of our early years sector is critical in supporting children for life
• A full and knowledge-rich curriculum, with high standards in reading, writing and maths
• Pupils do not miss out because their lessons are disrupted by poor behaviour
• Children should not fall behind because their needs have not been spotted or supported
• Tutoring is no longer the preserve of the well off and is available to any child who needs it
• Half a million teacher training opportunities will be available during this Parliament so that every teacher in the country will have access to free, high-quality, ongoing training
• A full response to the SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper will be published to make sure that every child gets the support they deserve
• Children’s social care to be improved, rolling out family hubs and putting more money into the Supporting Families Programme
• Further education and skills to support our fast-moving economy with a workforce with world-class skills
• Lifelong Loan Entitlement to be available from 2025, to mark a profound shift in the way students of all ages can obtain funding for further and higher education.