The key lessson Education needs 10-year plan

EVEN THOUGH Dame Rachel de Souza faces a formidable challenge as the new Children’s Commissioner in succession to the much respected Anne Longfield, she has already made a forthright start.

She has reiterated calls by Robert Halfon, chair of the Education Select Committee, for a 10-year plan for the sector that is comparable to the country’s ambition when the welfare state was created. And Dame Rachel wants the Prime Minister and Chancellor to include children in every speech to ensure that their needs are placed “right at the top” of the Government’s agenda.

She is right to do so. Our young people have, on the whole, responded magnificently to Covid and embraced home schooling with maturity. Equally, there are youngsters who were already struggling before the pandemic struck and who will find it even harder to catch-up without intensive support.

But the fact that Dame Rachel feels the need to put down such a strong marker, as new figures on school exclusions are published is, regrettably, a sorry reflection of the Department for Education’s haphazard leadership under Gavin Williamson and his top team.

Rather than being integral to plans to tackle regional inequalities, the DfE has lurched from one crisis to another and finds itself bereft of confidence. Education is fundamental to the country’s future success. Today’s students are tomorrow’s wealth-creators, innovators and scientists. Now Boris Johnson must recognise this by giving the DfE the fresh start that it needs – starting with a 10year plan to properly invest in the next generation.

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ANALYST CHRIS Spearing at Liberum said that despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic, Harworth delivered strong results for 2020, with value gains in the second half more than reversing the decline in the first half.

“Growth was principally driven by progress on major development sites and rising industrial values,” he said.

“We believe the focus on the attractive ‘beds and sheds’ property sectors makes the business well placed to deliver attractive returns over the medium term.”

Mr Spearing said Harworth’s shares are now trading at a 21 per cent discount to their net asset value per share.