Bridget Phillipson is confirmed as the new Secretary of State for Education – Sector Reaction
Keir Starmer, the new Prime Minister has begun to announce his cabinet after the Labour Party’s Landslide General Election victory last night. The strap line for the Labour Party during the election campaign was Change. On hearing the news that the Labour Party had won the election, the next Prime Minister, Keir Starmer says “change begins now”. So the new PM has moved fast.
Bridget Phillipson was appointed Education Secretary today (Friday 5th July 2024) and was previously Shadow Education secretary from November 2021 until July 2024.
Background:
· Born: 19 December 1983, Gateshead
· Education: Modern History and French, Oxford University
o Grew up in a council house in Washington
o Mother founded a domestic violence charity
o Worked in local government and at her mother’s charity
Political Career:
· Joined Labour at 15
· Elected MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in 2010
· Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury (2020-2021) and Shadow Education Secretary from November 2021 to July 2024 (when then appointed Education Secretary after the General Election win).
Phillipson’s Key Education Policies as Shadow Secretary:
- Childcare and Schools:
o Funded breakfast clubs for all primary school children in England
o Reform of Ofsted, moving away from one-word judgements
o VAT on private schools to fund more teachers
o Full curriculum review, emphasising speaking and listening skills
o Teacher retention incentives
o Compulsory two-week work experience for all students - Higher Education and Skills:
o No plans to abolish tuition fees
o Creation of ‘Skills England‘ body
o Devolution of skills and adult education budgets
o Reform of Apprenticeship Levy for more flexibility into the Skills and Growth Levy. - Additional Focus:
o Improved mental health support in schools
o Enhanced careers guidance
o Comprehensive childcare system from end of parental leave to end of primary school
Sector Reaction to Bridget Phillipson being announced as Education Secretary
Commenting on the appointment of Bridget Phillipson as the new Secretary of State for Education, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders’ union, NAHT said:
“I offer a warm welcome, and congratulations to Bridget Phillipson on her appointment as the Secretary of State for Education. We hope that she is able to bring about the stability, and reset that the education sector desperately needs. There is no more important job in government than ensuring children and young people receive the world class education they deserve.
“Over the last 14 years the crises in education have grown out of control; the patchy state of SEND provision, the worst recruitment and retention crisis in living memory, the dilapidated state of school buildings, and the broken accountability system. Being Education Secretary is a fantastic job – we should not underestimate the scale of the task the new government will now face. NAHT stand ready to work with the new government and we look forward to working with Bridget, and her team in years ahead.”
Responses