The question is: how do we get there?
Looking at the best schools in the country – in the state and private sector – they tend to have a number of key characteristics in common:
– The highest standards of behaviour are expected in the classroom and around the school.
– They teach a challenging curriculum that stresses the importance of knowledge.
– Children are tested regularly so their progress can be measured and teaching amended accordingly.
– Interesting, stretching and culturally-enriching extra-curricular activities are standard.
The best people to deliver such schools are the headteachers and teachers that run them day-to-day – and the parents that send their children each morning. Politicians in London and locally have a crucial role in setting expectations and operating a framework that ensures high quality, but we need to trust local people to deliver.
Without continued major reforms of the education system, top universities and the most prestigious and highly paid jobs will continue to be dominated by people that attended expensive private schools. Children from state schools will only overtake their private school peers by learning more in class and demonstrating their knowledge in tough exams. Suggesting otherwise to parents and children is simply denying reality.
Parents and Teachers for Excellence works for greater freedom for schools and for them to be able to follow the model of the best schools in the country, and to improve that model wherever they can.
If you would like to learn more about what we are doing, please head to our Projects page.