Last week, the government announced that it would be accepting, in full, the recommendations of the independent pay review body that called for a 6.5% increase in teacher pay. At the same time, the government also confirmed that they would be delivering on the promise to increase the starting salary of teachers to £30,000 per year. Teachers and school leaders are some of the most important public sector workers in our society, and they play a vital role in shaping our children’s lives. The Government has been between a ‘rock and a hard place’ with these negotiations, but I am glad that they have managed to agree on an equitable solution with the teaching unions which won’t raise inflation further. The recent teacher strikes have had a very disruptive impact on children’s education, so I am pleased that these have now been called off.
A child’s education is one of the most important aspects of their life. Here in Camborne, Redruth, and Hayle, we are fortunate to have some fantastic local schools delivering an outstanding quality of education. When I am visiting them, I always find that there is a sense of pride from students and teachers alike. It is clear for everyone to see just how hard the staff are working to deliver the highest levels of education for our children. But it is important that we do everything that we can to support our schools so that they can continue to deliver an outstanding education.
That is why it is particularly welcome that with the recent announcement of the national funding formulas for 2024-25, school funding will rise to the highest level in history, totalling almost £60 billion and per-pupil funding rising to around £6000. For Camborne Redruth, this will mean that our schools will be receiving record funding of over £66 million for the next year.
More broadly, under this Conservative government there has been a marked overall improvement in our schools and, as a result, the quality of education our children receive. Today, 88% of our schools are ranked good or outstanding, up from 68% under the last Labour government and there are 27,000 more teachers compared to 2010, with better results in English and Maths across all age groups.
The last few years were exceptionally challenging for young people. Each lockdown hit the youngest in society the hardest, with schools closed many at-risk students didn’t get the attention they needed, and many others struggled from the separation from their friends. We humans are social creatures. Friendships and the company of others are important. Forming those bonds and friendships is a really important part of growing up, whether it is in the formative early years as children start their first years as infants at primary school, or whether it is in those tricky teenage years as young people wrestle with all the insecurities and concerns that accompany that stage of life.
I am pleased that with this new allocation of funding and pay agreement, the government is delivering on its commitments to parents, teachers, and our children to give them the best possible start in life.
