Research and policy
Summary of key points from election manifestos
15 Apr 2010
The Conservative Party Manifesto
Raise standards in schools
- Promotion of systematic synthetic phonics and the introduction of a simple reading test at the age of six to ensure that every child who is capable of reading can do so after two years in primary school.
- Key Stage 2 tests and league tables would be retained but reformed so that they are more rigorous.
- Every parent would have access to a good school – achieved through the creation of a new generation of good small schools with smaller class sizes and high standards of discipline.
- Extra funding would be provided for children from disadvantaged backgrounds as a major part of an anti-poverty strategy.
- A move towards the inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream schools.
- Existing schools would have the chance to achieve academy status and these would have more freedom.
- Failing schools would be inspected more often with the best achieving schools visited less frequently.
The Labour Party Manifesto
Excellence in education: every child the chance to fulfil their potential
- Increase of spending on frontline Sure Start services, free childcare and schools, including funding for an additional 41,000 teachers and 120,000 teaching assistants.
- A guarantee that every child falling behind in the basics would receive one-to-one and small group tuition.
- A guarantee that every young person would have education or training up to the age of 18, with 75% going on to higher education, advanced apprenticeships or technician-level training.
- Ensure that there is a choice of good schools in every area. Where parents are not satisfied, new school leadership teams would be implemented through mergers and takeovers.
- The Teach First scheme would be extended to attract the best graduates into teaching.
- Pupils and parents would have, set out in law, guarantees of the personal support and standards expected in education.
- More power and responsibility would be given to strong school leaders in up to 1,000 schools to form part of an accredited school group by 2015. Another 200 academies would be created.
- The introduction of school report cards providing parents with clear information.
- A review of the qualifications system in 2013, with any changes taking place in the Parliament after next.
The Liberal Democrat Party Manifesto
A fair chance for every child
- An investment of 2.5 billion to fund the most disadvantaged pupils – additional money would go into the school's budget and headteachers would have the freedom to spend it in the children’s interests. This extra money could be used to cut class sizes – allowing the average primary school to cut class sizes to 20 – as well as offering one-to-one tuition and providing extra after-school and holiday support.
- Improving teacher training and attracting more graduates into teaching through supporting the expansion of the Teach First scheme.
- Establishing an independent Educational Standards Authority, which would have the power to stand up to ministers. The ESA would oversee the examinations system, the school inspection process and the detail of the curriculum.
- Replace the National Curriculum with a "Minimum Curriculum Entitlement" scheme in every state-funded school.
- Create a General Diploma which would encompass aspects of GCSEs, A-levels and high quality vocational qualifications together, enabling pupils to mix vocational and academic learning.
- Implement an education system that would give individual schools freedom to innovate. This would incorporate an Education Freedom Act, banning politicians from getting involved in the day-to-day running of schools. Local Authorities would not run schools but would have responsibility to oversee school performance and a fair admission process.
- Academies would be replaced with the "Sponsor-Managed Schools" model, commissioned by and accountable to local authorities.
- Introduction of a trial scheme in which high-achieving students from low-achieving schools would be guaranteed a place in Higher Education.
- A change in spending on adult skills, which would include an end to the Train to Gain scheme in large companies. Instead support would be given to small and medium sized firms.
