Schools White Paper

I can give my hon. Friend some reassurance on that point. First, the White Paper is also about teaching and learning in our schools. It is about making sure that every child has the best possible education, tailored to their individual needs. When they are falling behind, they will have small group or individual tuition to bring them up to the expected standards in English and maths, and when they are gifted and talented, they will also have extra support. This is freedom for a purpose, not freedom just for freedom’s sake. That freedom can drive up standards not just for one school, as collaboration can be encouraged by the use of that freedom and flexibility. That is exactly what is happening in local authorities such as Knowsley and in other areas such as Sheffield and Manchester. Such schools choose, because of the freedom that they have, to work with others to improve education throughout their locality. Collaboration will be strengthened by strong, autonomous schools rather than the reverse. Those schools that most need help—those in the disadvantaged areas—will be the first to be able to benefit from the new trust model, because that is what the schools commissioner is there to do.