Number 10 Downing Street

The official site of the British Prime Minister's Office

Education (DfE)

Education - children at school. Photo credit Steve Parsons/PA Archive/Press Association Images

Education: our priorities

Increase the number of high quality schools and introduce fair funding
Learning from the international evidence, provide parents with more choice between high quality schools, give all schools more freedom, and reform funding arrangements to be fairer, more transparent and to deliver value for money

Reform the school curriculum and qualifications
Ensure that all children gain the knowledge they need to prepare them for adult life, through a reformed National Curriculum and more robust academic and vocational qualifications up to the age of 19.

Reduce bureaucracy and improve accountability
Trust those who work in our schools and other services, replacing the current system of Whitehall bureaucracy with autonomy for professionals and more focused accountability

Train and develop the professionals who work with children
Recognising that the quality of the workforce is fundamental to all other reforms, we will reform teacher training, professional standards, and pay and conditions, improve the quality of the Foundation Years workforce and also improve social worker training, capacity and retention

Improve support for children in the Foundation Years
Improve support for children in the Foundation Years by retaining a universal offer while also ensuring that services and opportunities reach those in greatest need

Improve support for children, young people and families, focusing on the most disadvantaged
Help children to fulfil their full potential by supporting families and focusing support on improving the lives of the most vulnerable children