Overview

• Labour's Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill seeks to standardize pay, working conditions, and curriculum requirements across all state schools, including academies.
• The bill proposes ending academies' ability to hire unqualified teachers and mandates adherence to the national curriculum for the first time.
• Former Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman criticized the reforms, arguing they prioritize union interests, reduce school autonomy, and dismantle key elements of the current system too quickly.
• The National Education Union supports the bill as a step toward equity but advocates for increased funding to address broader challenges in the education system.
• The Conservative Party aligns with Spielman's critiques, claiming the reforms reflect union influence at the expense of school innovation and flexibility.