September marks a fresh start for everyone involved in our education system. Pupils are returning to the classroom with new books, uniforms, timetables and, for many, a new sense of energy and renewed determination.
Teachers and leaders feel it, too: a combination of fresh energy and the potential for impact in the year ahead.
As the new CEO of Teach First, I’ve spent the past few months visiting many of our school partners across the country, from Newcastle to Doncaster, from Bristol to Reading, several led by outstanding heads who began their careers with us.
Many of these schools achieved remarkable results this summer, but what struck me most was the culture of high expectations among teachers in these schools and the resolute belief that every child can succeed, no matter their background.
Regional divides
Contrastingly, the national picture remains worrying. Although the detailed breakdown of how disadvantaged students fared won’t be published until later in the year, this summer’s GCSE and A-level results already tell a troubling story.
Regional inequality remains stark: the North East posted the lowest outcomes in England for both sets of exams, while London continues to pull further ahead by almost 10 percentage points.
I have no doubt that the full data will confirm the trend we’ve seen since the pandemic: the attainment gap between the richest and poorest students is widening at an alarming rate.
September is a moment of renewal not just for schools but for the government, too. This autumn, it will set out some of the key pillars of its education strategy, with the Child Poverty Taskforce strategy, Schools White Paper, the SEND plans and the curriculum review all due to be published.
Above all, more teachers
But it remains clear to me that its top priority must be turning its pledge of 6,500 additional teachers into a reality and getting them to the schools that need them the most.
We already know that schools with higher proportions of disadvantaged pupils tend to  in attracting and retaining high-quality teachers.
Yet it is beyond dispute that high-quality teaching is the we have for improving outcomes for pupils - particularly those from poorer backgrounds. The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.
The importance of teaching was highlighted in the recent . My visits to schools like Yate Academy near Bristol and Astrea Academy Woodfields in Doncaster this summer have shown me what is possible.
Where there are brilliant teachers, pupils thrive even against the odds. In these schools, leaders value their staff and have supported teacher quality, progression and retention.
They do this by creating effective systems to manage pupil behaviour, providing coaching and mentoring opportunities, and supporting wellbeing.
Create a lasting legacy
If these schools can defy the odds, imagine what would be possible if every community had the best teachers, with an education ecosystem supporting them to stay, grow and lead.
The longer-term impact of reducing the attainment gap? A skilled Gen Z talent pipeline leaving our schools, providing a boost to productivity and the economy as well as a renewed sense of purpose for a generation that otherwise felt left behind during the pandemic.
As party conference season approaches, Labour has a chance to turn September’s sense of renewal into a defining legacy.
This will come from putting the very best people into the classrooms that need them most and supporting them to grow into exceptional leaders.
Meaningful action
Additional policies to support those working in the toughest areas will help, but it is teachers who ignite ambition and change lives.
To address the differences that divide pupils by postcode, ministers can take practical steps to make teaching in the poorest areas more attractive, namely raising pay, offering targeted incentives and providing flexible working entitlements where possible.
This is the surest route to narrowing the attainment gap and ensuring that Labour’s opportunity mission can deliver for every child, every family and every community - and in doing so, for the country as a whole.
Our pupils deserve an education system that matches their ambitions. We know that teachers are the engine for change.
As pupils return to classrooms, the question is whether the right teachers will be there to greet them. If Labour wants to deliver on its mission, it must continue its focus to put those teachers where they are needed most and back them to succeed.
James Toop is chief executive of Teach First
You can now get the UK’s most-trusted source of education news in a mobile app. Get Tes magazine on and on
