We look forward to developing our relationship working behalf of school trusts with the new Secretary of State and minister Waugh, and renewing our existing positive engagement with ministers Gould, Smith, and MacAlister.
As the sector body and membership organisation for school trusts, CST has an important role in helping ensure policy decisions take place in a full understanding of the realities on the ground. School trusts are the biggest providers of state schooling in England, educating more than four million children. Trusts are also major employers, bringing together 600,000 colleagues in service of our children; they are often significant employers in their local areas.
We continue to believe that trusts are our best bet for an education system that keeps improving, benefitting children and the wider society they grow up into. Trusts make it easier for schools to work together to do this, because they are organisations with just one purpose: education. Unlike other organisations that run state schools, there are no competing interests for leaders' attention, allowing them to focus exclusively on making their schools the best they can be. This does not mean trusts are inward-looking: by contrast, it helps make them confident partners to other public services, community groups, and businesses that share their passion for improving the lives of young people.
In working with the new administration, we will continue to follow our five principles for advocacy: purpose, partnership, evidence, stewardship, and optimism.
The new DfE ministerial team is:
- The Rt Hon Lucy Powell MP, Secretary of State for Education
- Georgia Gould OBE MP, Minister of State
- The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, Minister of State
- Josh MacAlister OBE MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
- Paul Waugh MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
