Today (Wed 26 May), NAHT, the union which represents leaders in the majority of schools, publishes ‘A blueprint for a stronger and fairer system for all’ which sets out seven recommendations for the government to include in its own, as yet unpublished, ‘recovery report’.

The report is published alongside concerns from school leaders that the government will not fund this recovery work sufficiently, and a warning that this risks harming the life chances of pupils at a critical time.

NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said: “Schools have gone to incredible lengths in order to protect and care for pupils in the most unimaginably challenging of times. There is no doubt that this vital work helped to shield large numbers of children from the worst effects of the pandemic.

“While the government has been deliberating, school staff have already been quietly, but determinedly, getting on with the crucial task of supporting pupils. In fact, this work never stopped. It is essential that the recovery effort of the next few years recognises and builds on the excellent work that has already been done. Simplistic ‘bolt-on’ measures will not work and should be avoided.

“The government has promised that the recovery effort will see ‘no child will be left behind’. That is the right approach. But it is also a big promise. The only way the government keeps that promise is by fully backing the recovery effort with ambitious funding too.

“It is not an exaggeration to say that in today’s unsettled world this country’s long term future depends on the young people in school and college now. We have to give them everything we can to help them make a better fist of it than we have. A failure to invest in education is a failure to invest in the nation’s future.”

NAHT’s recovery ‘blueprint’ features seven recommendations for the government:

• Prioritise the early years
• Improve support for mental health and wellbeing
• Invest in the teaching profession
• Provide targeted academic support for pupils who need it
• Expand extra-curricular provision and invest in extra-curricular providers
• Invest in school technology
• Remove unnecessary burdens and distractions

Mr Whiteman concluded: “The government has an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of young people, both in the short and long term. But this will only come true if there is significant new investment from the Treasury to support the good work of schools. NAHT is being deliberately ambitious. The UK government cannot let other countries steal a march on us with their investment when we throw crumbs at our own version. The question we have posed in this report is – ‘just how ambitious are the government prepared to be?’”

Press and Media contacts:

Steven George
NAHT Head of Press and Media
01444 472886
07970 907730

Rose Tremlett 
Senior Press Officer 
07545 354363

Email : press.office@naht.org.uk