Head’s warning

Northern Powerhouse sidelined

THE INTERVENTION by Sir Nick Weller, the Bradford headteacher who led the Northern Powerhouse Schools strategy, is disappointing on two counts.

First, his remarks indicate the extent to which Whitehall is paralysed by Brexit, and that it will be even harder to make progress on key issues like skills.

Second, his candour re-enforces the now widely-held view that the Northern Powerhouse, a vision championed by George Osborne, is no longer a top priority for this Government.

Even though Sir Nick said, cuttingly, that “it’s still championed by the editor of the London Evening Standard”, a barbed reference to the former Chancellor’s current role, the regret is that this ambivalence will lead to even more policy drift when the issue of skills has never been more critical.

Though academic attainment is improving slowly, it is doing so from a low base compared to other parts of the country and too many pupils are denied the world-class education to which they should entitled.

One factor is a dearth of inspirational teachers who are prepared to work, and live, in some of this county’s most deprived communities, and Sir Nick would like to see the Government, and its partners, doing more to promote the opportunities that do exist here. Incentive payments is another idea.

After being humbled by the electorate, Theresa May has promised to listen and learn. As a supposedly ‘One Nation’ leader, her response to Sir Nick will reveal if her good intentions are sincere – or whether she’s simply buying time to prop up her premiership.