We’re making progress towards a system that works for everyone

YESTERDAY 600,000 16-yearolds collected their GCSE results with the fruits of years of hard work translating into qualifications that are the gateway to the next stage of their education.

Since 2010 we have engaged in serious and far-reaching reform of our education system; ensuring children are taught to read more effectively; improving the teaching of maths in primary schools; and raising standards of behaviour in our schools.

We have increased the rigour of school inspections, demanding ever higher standards. Ofsted, the school inspectorate, now reports that there are over 1.4 million more children attending schools rated as good or outstanding than there were in 2010.

During this period of reform we have sought to eradicate year-on-year grade inflation in both GCSEs and A-levels so parents and employers can have confidence that the grades truly reflect the work and ability of students. Next year we will introduce new world-class GCSEs that will stretch the brightest pupils.

But we need to go further to make our country a place where there is no limit on what a child can achieve, no matter what their background.

In England today, a person’s future is all too often determined by their past, their background or where they’re from. That’s why this year’s results are the first set where schools are appraised under our new Progress 8 measure. Previously, schools were measured by the percentage of pupils that achieved five A* to Cs at GCSE.

But this wasn’t necessarily the best way to judge how well schools were teaching their pupils. Too often it meant schools were focused on children on the C/D borderline, putting most effort in to hitting that C grade. Progress 8 is about progress for all children – whether it’s a B to an A* or an F to a D. Getting a better result than you expected is a big achievement and that success should be recognised.

It’s important to remember that Progress 8 is a measure of school performance, not the performance of an individual pupil. We are also ensuring that there are wider options available so that everyone has a chance to succeed. Staying on at school to study A-levels is not for everyone.

High-quality apprenticeships give young people a real opportunity to earn while working with some of Britain’s top companies – in fields from nursing to engineering and accountancy to computing.

We continue to improve technical education so that it provides direct preparation and clear routes into work. We have committed £7 billion this year to fund education and training places for every 16 to 19-yearold who wants one, whether via an apprenticeship, college place or school sixth form. Our education system is improving and young people and their teachers are working harder than ever.

This is good for our children and good for our country. But we must never be complacent and the focus of this government will be to ensure we build an education system that properly serves everyone, regardless of their background, so even more pupils can secure the qualifications that give them the best possible chance for the future.