Speeches by Phillipson.

“On the latter point, the picture is slightly mixed and a bit nuanced in some of the evidence. I have some good examples where collaboration between local authorities on fostering has been more effective in providing a clear one-stop shop for those who wish to become foster carers to know where to go rather than having …”

“I understand the arguments and the case that is made for it. I have discussed it directly with the Children’s Commissioner and others. It is an area that we will continue to keep under review. I want to look at the evidence that emerges from Wales and Scotland, but we have to be absolutely clear that children must be k…”

“We want a solid floor for all teachers working across the profession, with clear expectations about what it means to be a teacher so that every school has the freedom to innovate and go beyond. It has become clear to me that there has been some confusion and some worry about what I have said in this area, so today I wa…”

“I agree with my hon. Friend that, across the board, there are big challenges in the university sector. That is why I took the difficult but necessary decision last year to increase the fees that they are able to charge. This year, we will engage in reform right across the sector to provide the long-term financial susta…”

“On the timescale, this is a complex area, but in a little over six months we have consulted a wide range of stakeholders and considered all views, which is why I am able to return to the House today to update Members. The hon. Lady is right to say that we have decided not to commence provisions that will impose new dut…”

“I am confident that the OfS, as the regulator, and its director for freedom of speech will seek to engage with a range of views, including those of Jewish students and community organisations, as they take forward this important work. That is certainly something that I have done to understand the concerns and the poten…”

“No, all this has been considered as part of the measures that we have set out. What I would add is that I do recognise that some parents will make choices around a private school if that is what they feel is in their child’s best interests. It demonstrates the urgency of the change that we need to drive across the syst…”

“As part of the process through the Budget around the changes that we are setting out, we have looked at all the potential impacts, including on the schools themselves, and on the potential for movement for children, but I am afraid we do have to be clear that where that is through an identified need, where it has been …”

“I will come on to the point on excellence because that is at the core of what I believe. We have had to make some very difficult decisions about what we can and cannot continue to fund. That was sadly because of the legacy of the previous Government. To give a further example, we did seek to prioritise, for example, a …”

“Again, I do have to return to the point that I made at the start around the tough choices that we have had to make that we do not want to make, but I am afraid that was the inheritance from the last Government. To return to the point around what excellence and consistency means in that context, this is about innovation…”

“I want all parents to make choices about what is right for their children. As you will know, the vast majority of parents elect to send their children to a state school. That is a decision but it is also a conscious decision. I think our state schools do amazing work but it is also a reflection of the fact that for lot…”

“The intention of moving away from the single headline grades and moving to a report card system has two purposes. First, to ensure that we have a much clearer sense as to what is going on within a school, what is working and what is not, with a sharp focus on the change that is required to drive up standards. Alongside…”

“In part it depends on what that safeguarding review would consider and how big in school it would be. Those conversations are under way at the moment as to the shape of that and what is required. I do think it is important that we more regularly have a sense of these important issues around, for example, attendance, of…”

“I want to start by paying tribute to Ruth’s family for the work in this area. I have met with Julia Waters on many occasions to discuss the family’s awful, traumatic, devastating experience and the impact it has had on the wider community as well. What that identified is that there are changes that are required through…”

“This is a complex area in terms of whether there were to be any change and how you get that right. The funding that we have allocated this year to schools was based on the previous funding formula. That was necessary to ensure that money got out the door to schools. I hear from colleagues across the House who present d…”

“We want to ensure that we have a fair and consistent formula that delivers for all communities, with a focus on making sure that we target often quite scarce resource where it will make the biggest difference.”

“At the Budget, even when you take account of the very constrained fiscal environment, the Chancellor did seek to protect key education priorities. That is why we did invest an additional £2.3 billion into schools, of which £1 billion was support for children with SEND. I do recognise the pressures that schools are unde…”

“I agree that there remain big and long-standing challenges in the schools estate overall. We more recently had the crisis around RAAC and I will bring in the Permanent Secretary in a moment on that, given that this is an issue that covers both Administrations. RAAC, however, shone a light on what is clearly a wider cha…”

“We will consider every area where we believe we can bear down on the number of children living in poverty, and that does extend to questions around the shape and nature of the social security system, absolutely, notwithstanding that there are real and serious challenges across the public finances. We intend to report i…”

“It is a profound challenge. We do see growing evidence about the disadvantage gap that is opening up at a range of levels during a child’s education. There is action that is required in the here and now for children who are currently going through the school system. Much of that is around workforce. It is about the wor…”