What are the government's plans for schools in England and how will they affect education?

ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana sits down with Nadhim Zahawi and asks if the government is doing enough for children

Pupils in England who are falling behind in English and maths will be offered targeted support in its plans for education over the next decade, the government has said.

On Monday, the government published it's white paper for education in England, setting out its plans to improve education over the next 10 years.

Education is a devolved matter, meaning the governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are in charge of what happens in their schools.

What is a white paper?

The government has set out its education plans for the next 10 years in its Schools White Paper.

A white paper is a policy document produced by the government that sets out their proposals for future legislation. It may include a draft version of a bill that is being planned, providing a basis for further consultation and discussion with interested and affected groups before it is formally presented to parliament.

How does the government say it will raise grades?

The government says it intends to build on plans set out in the Levelling Up White Paper for 90% of pupils leaving primary school to meet expected standards in reading, writing and maths by 2030. In 2019, 65% of pupils leaving Year 6 met this standard.

At GCSE level, the government is aiming for the national average grade achieved in English and maths to rise from 4.5 in 2019 to five by 2030, equivalent to a B - C grade under the old system.

Schools will identify pupils at risk of falling behind, offering them a range of support, including tutoring sessions in small groups, and parents will be kept informed of their child’s progress.

The new plans will also see a minimum standard length set for the school week of at least 32.5 hours by September 2023.

And by 2025, Ofsted will inspect every school, including a backlog of schools previously rated 'outstanding', some of which have not been inspected for years.

What about academy trusts?

Under the government's plans, all schools should have joined, or be in the process of joining, a “strong” multi-academy trust by 2030.

Under the plans, councils will be able to set up and run their own academy trusts, which it is hoped will encourage more primary schools to become academies. Councils will also legally be able to request for their non-academy schools to join a trust.

And where schools have received two consecutive Ofsted judgements of below 'good', the government plans to help them to join strong trusts – with an initial focus on schools in the 55 education “cold spots” identified in the Levelling Up paper.

What has Boris Johnson said about the plans for schools?

On the plans to improve grades in English and Maths, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We are making a pledge to every parent, if your child falls behind at school in either of these key subjects, their school will help them get back on track.

“By making sure every child receives excellent teaching which helps them reach their full potential, we will spread opportunity and futureproof our mission to level up the country".

Robert Halfon, chair of the Commons’ Education Select Committee added that the 'parent pledge' would help to break down long-standing barriers to help increase attendance, "especially in relation to the 124,000 ‘ghost children’ who have dropped out of the school system following the outbreak of the pandemic".

What has Labour said about the plans?

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government was “distracting from the business of teaching with yet more tinkering with school structures whilst offering nothing to change children’s day to day experience in the classroom”.

She added the plans to help every child develop good reading, writing and maths skills should not be "an add on that any parent should have to ask for".

ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana provides analysis on the White Paper.

How are school leaders reacting to the proposals?

Headteachers have said the White Paper “falls short” on policies likely to make a difference to pupils’ progress.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: “Commitment to adequate funding, access to support services or detail on how these bold ambitions will be achieved is sadly missing".

He said the decision to change school structures was likely to be “controversial”, and could even prove a “distraction” unless the government presented a “compelling case” for the changes.

He added the policy would become "destructive" if the government resorted to forcing schools to join trusts.

And Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the paper's intense focus on English and maths was "a very narrow view of education".

He went on to say there was little recognition of the societal factors which affect outcomes in these subjects, such as the fact that almost a third of children in the UK live in poverty.

"It is hard to learn when you are hungry, cold, poorly clothed and live in inadequate housing,” he said.