In recent months we have seen some green shoots emerge in education policy, signs that the new government is listening, learning and moving in the right direction.
There is a renewed focus on curriculum reform, growing attention to inclusion and, crucially, a willingness to engage with the profession.
As education secretary , we must “fix...the crumbling foundations” of our education system. That honesty matters. Her passion and determination to understand the challenges and pursue meaningful solutions are both evident and encouraging.
They resonate strongly with what the Foundation for Education Development (FED) has heard time and again in thousands of conversations across the sector.
Sustained investment in education
However, green shoots alone will not sustain a thriving system. Early progress is welcome, but growth can stall unless we have the right conditions and timely action. launched this week, makes one thing clear: while the direction of reform enjoys broad support, there is growing concern that the pace and depth of change risk falling short of what is needed to match the scale and complexity of the system’s challenges.
Without sustained investment, coherent strategy and total urgency, there is a real risk that today’s momentum will wither before it takes hold.
These conclusions are not speculative - they reflect the voices of thousands of stakeholders, gathered through the most extensive cross-sector consultation in UK education. Our latest national survey shows that:
- 88 per cent of stakeholders do not believe school and college funding will improve in the next year.
- 85 per cent lack confidence that workforce recruitment and retention will be effectively addressed.
- Only 10 per cent feel that their voice is actually heard in shaping education policy.
These figures may not come as a surprise. We are still early in a new government’s term, and the challenges facing education result from years of strategic neglect. It would be easy to say they are not of Labour’s making.
But behind these numbers lies not only a sense of urgency but also momentum. Over the past five years, the FED has created a unique platform for long-term thinking in education: a shared space where educators, leaders, employers, parents and learners come together to shape solutions.
The power of collaboraton and inclusion
This first report sets out three interconnected priorities for long-term system renewal: inclusion, the education workforce and partnerships across multi-academy trusts, schools and local systems. These are not abstract ambitions. They are the root system that will determine whether today’s green shoots flourish or fade.
Across the country, we see clear evidence of what’s possible when inclusion and collaboration are built in. In Greater Manchester, the Relational Inclusion project has reduced exclusions and improved attendance across 13 schools through trauma-informed practice.
At Surrey Square Primary School in London, an identity-rich curriculum helps every child to feel seen, safe and supported. And Empower Multi-Academy Trust in Shropshire has secured more than £1.2 million in additional special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) funding by embedding early intervention and person-centred planning. These successes are not anomalies. But too often they remain isolated, unable to influence the wider system.
That’s why FED is launching the National Education Assembly later this year - a fully stakeholder-led platform designed to connect, scale and sustain practical solutions across the country. Long-term reform requires deliberate, coordinated action that endures beyond any single initiative or political cycle.
Supporting the government in this effort is important. After all, we share a common goal: a world-class education system that serves children, learners, communities, society and the economy well.
The answer may lie in modernising to transform, especially when resources are limited and expectations are high.
Ambitious plans for education
The government has more allies than it may realise. The sector is ready and the appetite is real. But the time to move is now.
This week’s announcement of a 10-year industrial strategy is a welcome and long-overdue commitment to long-term economic renewal. But no strategy for growth can succeed without an equally ambitious plan for education.
If we are serious about closing skills gaps in areas like AI, green energy and advanced manufacturing, education policy must be reconnected to economic purpose - starting in the classroom and extending through lifelong learning.
We have seen the green shoots. If we want deep-rooted change, we must plant purposefully and grow together.
The government has an opportunity to lead, but it must do so in partnership with the profession, learners and communities. Long-term transformation will only happen if we align vision with action and ambition with delivery.
Carl Ward is chair of the Foundation for Education Development
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