← Back to House of Commons Debates
School Accountability and Intervention 2025-02-03
03 February 2025
Lead MP
The Minister for School Standards Catherine McKinnell
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
No tags
Other Contributors: 33
At a Glance
The Minister for School Standards Catherine McKinnell raised concerns about school accountability and intervention 2025-02-03 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
Government Statement
Today I am making a statement on the Government’s plans to reform school accountability, including over £20 million funding for new RISE teams to facilitate faster improvement in schools and a diagnostic approach to inspections. The statement highlights the need for high standards in education and outlines reforms such as moving worst-performing schools to strong trusts, fostering self-improvement among schools, and seeking consultations with teachers, school leaders, and parents on future inspection frameworks. The minister emphasises breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child and ensuring that educational success is not determined by background.
Laura Trott
Con
Sevenoaks
Question
We are promised today a better and faster approach to school improvement, but what we have in front of us is a proposed system that is slower and weaker. The Education Secretary said that the Bill did not cut pay. It did. The Government said that the Bill would not reduce school choice, yet their own impact assessment says it does.
Minister reply
Not provided in transcript.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Question
In the context of SEND system crisis and teacher recruitment problems, how does the Department safeguard children with SEND to ensure accountability pressures do not lead to exclusionary practices?
Minister reply
The government is committed to inclusive mainstream education. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill includes measures for local authorities on admissions, with Ofsted emphasising inclusion as part of inspection criteria.
Twickenham
Question
How confident are you that moving from single-word to multiple-word judgments will foster a culture shift where inspectors are seen as partners rather than adversaries, and should there be a dedicated assessment of SEND provision?
Minister reply
Following the end of single-word judgments in September, Ofsted has been reviewing its inspection format. The new system is designed to promote partnerships between Ofsted, teachers, school leaders, and parents. While the report card will consider inclusivity broadly, there is no dedicated assessment for SEND provision at this stage.
Rachael Maskell
Lab/Co-op
York Central
Question
Will my hon. Friend ensure that mechanisms are available to allow far more robust scrutiny of multi-academy trusts, as well as the option to return those schools to the local authority?
Minister reply
We are legislating for all schools to have a duty to co-operate with local authorities on place planning and admissions to ensure we have a whole school system that works together. We encourage collaboration by outstanding, excellent, exemplary schools—trusts in particular—that can share their expertise across the board.
Edward Leigh
Con
Gainsborough
Question
There seems to be a danger of creating a tick-box culture if we create highly complex Ofsted reports with league tables. Should we not give headteachers more freedom instead?
Minister reply
Parents want more information about their child’s school, and the Ofsted proposal is to report on nine different areas. This will enable schools that perform well on some measures to share best practice while laser-focusing on areas needing improvement.
Hitchin
Question
How will our changes to accountability ensure that every school is held to the highest possible standards on inclusion?
Minister reply
The report card system will look at a range of practice across a school, and inclusion is part of the proposals. We need to see a more inclusive mainstream system with better co-operation and collaboration at a local level.
Damian Hinds
Con
East Hampshire
Question
Will she excise from the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill those large elements of part 2 that undermine the freedoms and flexibilities for academies and academy trusts?
Minister reply
Our Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is a whole package of measures that will deliver landmark reforms to child safeguarding, unleash the ability of all schools to collaborate under this new accountability system, and ensure high and rising standards in every school.
Chris Vince
Lab/Co-op
Harlow
Question
Does she recognise that under the previous Government there was far too much focus on stick rather than carrot when it came to supporting teachers?
Minister reply
We want an accountability system that recognises good practice and identifies improvements, but also diagnoses how such improvements can be made. It is about supporting schools to create those improvements.
South Devon
Question
Can the Minister assure the House that details of how inclusion will be measured will be made available while there is still time for meaningful consultation?
Minister reply
We want to hear from schools about how issues like inclusion can be successfully measured and incentivised. We urge those in her constituency who are making representations to take a look at the documents produced by Ofsted.
Helena Dollimore
Lab/Co-op
Hastings and Rye
Question
Will my hon. Friend urgently meet me to discuss these issues and how we can drive up school standards in Hastings and Rye?
Minister reply
I will happily meet my hon. Friend. We are making reforms so that we can go further to make improvement better and faster, adding tools to our box to help schools improve.
Caroline Johnson
Con
Sleaford and North Hykeham
Question
How many structural interventions does the Minister expect schools to get each year?
Minister reply
We will continue to intervene where schools are causing concern or significant improvements are required, but we will see a doubling of the number of schools needing improvement through the RISE system.
Shaun Davies
Lab
Telford
Question
Can my hon. Friend assure me that the money coming to Telford schools will also be accompanied by peer support and tapping into excellence and expertise?
Minister reply
The rise in investment means up to £470,000 of extra investment for Telford schools. We want the money to come with the necessary peer support and tapping into excellence and expertise.
Maidenhead
Question
I have spoken to a number of headteachers who are concerned about the complexity and fairness of Ofsted's proposed reforms. Will you meet me and Maidenhead heads to discuss?
Minister reply
I encourage headteachers to feed back to Ofsted during the consultation process, which determines how the new inspections will be undertaken. I would be happy to meet with the hon. Gentleman to discuss these matters further.
Alice Macdonald
Lab/Co-op
Norwich North
Question
Will you join me in paying tribute to Mile Cross primary school and how can we ensure that lessons from good practices are shared across the country?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is right to celebrate excellent schools like Mile Cross. Report cards will highlight exemplary practices, encouraging other schools to adopt them.
Andrew Murrison
Con
South West Wiltshire
Question
How will the selection of performance areas on report cards be determined by parents' views? How do these exceptional schools differ from beacon schools created in 1998?
Minister reply
The determination is within Ofsted’s remit, and we welcome feedback during their consultation process. We are designing reforms that target where improvements are needed to support every child.
Smethwick
Question
Will the new school report cards balance information for parents with requirements for improvement and staff wellbeing? Will you listen to parents and the whole education sector?
Minister reply
The Minister thanks hon. Friend for his service as a governor, highlighting the importance of governors' roles in schools. The reforms aim to intervene earlier by using diagnostic reports from Ofsted.
Vikki Slade
LD
Mid Dorset and North Poole
Question
Why are full accountability and judgments at multi-academy trust level not included, leaving parents with nowhere to go when complaining about failures?
Minister reply
We are looking at multi-academy trust level accountability and ensuring proper lines of communication for parent engagement. This will be kept under review.
Joe Morris
Lab
Hexham
Question
Will the new measures allow sufficient room for subtlety in school evaluations, as parents feel one-word judgments are too simplistic?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is correct; these reforms are a first step to improving schools and ensuring every child has the best start in life.
Sammy Wilson
DUP
East Antrim
Question
Why is the academy system being jettisoned despite its role in disseminating changes for improvement? How will parents understand complex report cards?
Minister reply
Parents are capable of understanding detailed reports. We want to spread innovations pioneered by academies across our school system, improving standards and disseminating best practices.
Yuan Yang
Lab
Earley and Woodley
Question
How will the new accountability framework put safeguards in place against failing multi-academy trusts like Anthem schools trust?
Minister reply
A school judged by Ofsted to require special measures will receive structural intervention. From September 2026, schools requiring significant improvement will receive mandatory targeted intervention from RISE teams.
Nicola Richards
Con
Esher and Walton
Question
My teachers in Esher and Walton have greeted today’s announcement with a degree of cynicism, which is to be expected after feeling ignored for the last 10 years. Might the Minister expand on the levels of collaboration that she talked of?
Minister reply
I encourage teachers to feed into the consultation. Although how Ofsted conducts its consultations and reports on inspections is their responsibility, as a Department we are focused on creating a self-improving system of collaboration using new report cards to identify exemplary practice and share it more widely. RISE teams will bolster this targeted approach for stuck schools.
Andrew Cooper
Lab
Mid Cheshire
Question
The laser focus on stuck schools is important, but can the Minister say more about how RISE teams can work with MATs to improve support?
Minister reply
RISE teams will support schools to work together and drive improvement. Academisation has been successful in many places, but not all schools have matched up with strong trusts, so we are using RISE teams for faster school improvement.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
Could the Minister clarify what help and support will be offered to struggling schools to ensure accountability brings about improvements? Has she had any discussions with her counterparts in Northern Ireland?
Minister reply
We are strengthening tools for faster school improvement with RISE teams. We also have a greater transparency and diagnostic approach of Ofsted reports to identify great practice and areas needing improvement. I will take away his question regarding the impact on other parts of the UK.
Alex McIntyre
Lab
Gloucester
Question
Will the Minister confirm that measures set out by this Labour Government will drive up standards for all children in Gloucester and meet with parents and teachers?
Minister reply
We wish to see a change towards an inclusive mainstream as part of our new Ofsted accountability system, supported by changes in Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bills. The curriculum and assessment review will look at removing barriers to inclusion and ensuring high standards for all children, including those with special educational needs.
Warinder Juss
Lab
Wolverhampton West
Question
Does the Minister agree that these reforms will help in recruitment and retention of teachers? Will full engagement with parents and teachers be part of plan development?
Minister reply
Absolutely. High-quality teaching is crucial for improving outcomes for children. We need to drive recruitment, but our greatest tool is retention—holding onto fantastic teachers. A holistic picture of schools will shine a light on great practice and context in which schools operate.
Sarah Smith
Lab
Hyndburn
Question
I have seen academy trust after trust fail to turn around schools in challenging circumstances, leaving behind disadvantaged learners. Does the £100,000 commitment show Labour's focus on turning around failing schools compared with Tories?
Minister reply
We need to be laser-focused on consistently underperforming schools that haven't received support they need. We will provide them the support to achieve desired outcomes.
Peter Swallow
Lab
Bracknell
Question
Will the Minister commit to listening, through consultation, to parents and carers of SEND kids to ensure they are at heart of reforms?
Minister reply
Changes proposed by Ofsted and Department aim to create a more inclusive and effective schools system for all children. We will continue to listen to their voices as we plan our reforms.
Josh Dean
Lab
Hertford and Stortford
Question
How will the Government’s reforms start remedying challenges such as SEND, recruitment and retention, persistent absence in my constituency? Does she agree these reforms are an important step in fixing damage inflicted on our education system by Tories over 14 years?
Minister reply
Many schools face similar challenges. The report card system will be a reflection of a whole school’s experience, focusing on attendance and inclusion, creating toolkits for standards and enabling schools to work together collaboratively.
Sam Rushworth
Lab
Bishop Auckland
Question
What will the Government do to ensure more children come to school prepared and that we have higher PISA rankings like previous generation who had Sure Start?
Minister reply
We are investing in early years, speech and language therapy, and nursery provision. We want to improve early learning development goal outcomes for every child to give them the best start in life.
Knowsley
Question
What message does the Minister have for children, parents and teachers about plans to drive high standards and provide more opportunities in my constituency with low GCSE results and persistent absence?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend is a powerful advocate for her area. We know that journey towards better grades starts at the earliest stage, which is why we are investing in early years. The Ofsted report cards will shine a light on attendance issues but also support schools to achieve better figures by diagnosing challenges and putting self-supporting systems in place.
Luke Charters
Lab
York Outer
Question
The Harris Federation has revealed its chief executive's pay is over half a million pounds a year. Does my hon. Friend agree we need more transparency and accountability regarding excessive pay of some multi-academy trust leaders?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend makes an important point, and I will take it away to look at.
Question
Reform of the inspection system is needed and is welcome, but does the Minister agree that the key to children doing well and good outcomes being measured is investment and support for the families of children from pre-birth onwards, as well as fair funding for all our schools?
Shadow Comment
Laura Trott
Shadow Comment
The shadow Secretary of State criticises the proposed system as slower and weaker than necessary, accusing it of being a new era of regression and confusion. Laura Trott points out inconsistencies in previous government statements regarding the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, including claims about pay reduction and school choice limitation, and expresses concern over the Government's stance on academisation.
▸
Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About House of Commons Debates
House of Commons debates take place in the main chamber of the House of Commons. These debates cover a wide range of topics including government policy, legislation, and current affairs. MPs from all parties can participate, question ministers, and hold the government accountable for its decisions.