This has been a short, but high-quality, debate, with excellent contributions from Members on both sides of the House.
The Bill is the next step in this Government’s drive to change our education system so that every child, from whatever background and in every part of the country, receives the standard of education they need to succeed in a demanding and competitive world, and where every local school is a good school. The Bill builds on the sponsored academies programme, designed to tackle underperformance through new leadership and governance. It builds on the converter academy programme, designed to liberate highly successful state schools to allow them to flourish and spread their proven formula to other schools. It builds on the free schools programme, designed to encourage innovation and provide a break with failed education orthodoxies.
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The Bill also builds on our reforms to the curriculum, pushing up academic standards in English, maths and science in primary schools, our reforms to the teaching of reading and our reforms to GCSEs and A-levels, putting those qualifications on a par with the best in the world. It builds on the measures we have introduced to improve school attendance, to raise the standard of behaviour and to improve the quality of teacher training. All these reforms have been designed to change our schools system so that every child can benefit from a great education. In short, the Bill is about social justice. That is why it now addresses not only failing schools but coasting schools.