Blog

Senior Education Lead and Head of our Primary Network, Laura Burton, explores what is emerging on the political landscape around early years education and childcare as we head towards the General Election and what more is needed to ensure every child has the strong start they deserve.

I have lost count of the times that I have driven along the ‘D-Day route’ in Normandy and visited the American war cemetery at Omaha beach.

Hearing that I had failed to secure a place for the twins at my first choice was a hard blow. My Mum said that in her day, parents accepted where children were offered a place.

An important job for any parent is choosing their child’s primary school. It is the start of their schooling journey and one in which you want them to develop a love of learning.

In my first blog on National Service, I described my late husband’s personal experience, and this has undoubtedly influenced me.

I was interested to read that the Conservative Party are planning to introduce national service if re-elected. John, my late husband, participated in the original scheme.

The next government needs to fight for deep social justice for all children and young people; and prepare young people, whatever their ability or context, to leave school fully equipped to lead fulfilled and purposeful lives.

More people in schools, whatever the setting or phase, should take up SSAT’s Lead Practitioner accreditation to benefit themselves and their school in equal measure.

What comes to mind when we think of an exceptional leader, or an exceptional school? There are many ways in which a leader or a school might be exceptional, but a characteristic they often share is that they do not consider themselves to be anything special.

I have begun tracking Ofsted reports: ‘What does the school need to do to improve?’ I’ve identified 3,858 specific areas from inspections since January 2024.