Synopsis
The White Paper (Cm 6677, ISBN 0101667728), published in October 2005, set out the Government's aspirations for improving the school system. This report by the Education and Skills Committee examines whether the proposals, in particular the view that better schools can be achieved through the needs of pupils and by parental preference will, provide a better deal for the education of disadvantaged pupils. The White Paper also set out the idea for the development of Trust schools. The Committee commends policy proposals on behaviour management, and a new statutory right for teachers to discipline pupils. It also commends the idea of the personalization of learning, and that the professional development of teachers and headteachers should be encouraged. The Committee does not see the concept of Trust schools as new, and wants the Government to provide more detail and clarity on the process of establishing such schools.
Further, school admissions should be underpinned by the School Admissions Code of Practice, along with a greater role for local authorities and the Schools Commissioner, and that local authorities and admission forums should have a duty to monitor admissions arrangements. The Committee recommends that the Government develop proposals for providing extra funding for individual pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.