Investment in our schools and colleges

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my role as Member of Parliament for Colchester is visiting local schools and speaking with pupils about Parliament and my role as their representative. By visiting schools and colleges, I became acutely aware of the pressures on their budgets and the need for additional funding to enable them to continue providing a world-class education to our children. I have been working with local schools and colleges to campaign for additional funding from the Government. I am a firm believer in equality of opportunity and the power of education as a driver of social mobility. I worked with local headteachers, governors, teachers and parents on a petition to the Department for Education and the Treasury. I also spoke in several debates on Education funding and met with both the Schools Minister and Secretary of State for Education. 

It is my fundamental belief that every child should receive an excellent education which allows them to achieve their full potential. School standards are rising. As in March 2019, 85 per cent of schools have been judged good or outstanding, compared to just 68 per cent in August 2010.
 
A good education can be the single greatest transformer of lives. That is why I am so pleased England achieved its highest ever reading score in 2016, moving from joint 10th to joint 8th in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. This follows a greater focus on reading in the primary curriculum, and a particular focus on phonics. Thanks to the hard work of teachers across the country, in 2018 there were 163,000 additional six-year-olds are on track to be fluent readers, compared to 2012 when the light touch phonics screening check was introduced. This will go a long way to helping every child reach their full potential. This means that more children in Colchester are getting the skills they need to excel later in life.
 
Following the submission of my local schools petition to the Government, I was particularly excited to hear the Prime Minister's announcement of a funding boost to increase per pupil funding to the same level across the country. Per pupil funding will reach at least £4,000 in primary schools by 2021/22 and £5,000 in secondary schools from next year. The Pupil Premium scheme is also providing support to disadvantaged pupils, ensuring that everyone will get a good quality of education wherever they live in our nation.