General election 2024

23rd May 2024

CST continues to believe all parties must place the needs of children, families and schools at the heart of their vision for this country.

Excellence exists in England’s schools but the system is fragile and requires a strategic plan and investment to ensure schools and trusts have the resources they need to deliver sustainable quality. The next government must rebuild the resilience of the school system.

But there are deeper and broader challenges facing children and families too, including the worrying growth of child poverty and the need to rebuild services around our most vulnerable children.

We call on all parties and whichever party forms the next government, to set out plans for:

• A cross-government national strategy to address child poverty.
• Wider public services reform to alleviate the crisis of vulnerable children, including SEND, mental health services, and surrounding issues such as youth violence.
• An evidenced-led strategy for the whole of the schools’ workforce, including the recruitment and retention of teachers and a plan to address shortage subjects.
• Fair per-pupil funding that is sufficient and sustainable, and equitable and includes weighting for disadvantage; and a capital framework ensuring we have enough school places and schools are safe and good places of learning.
• Proportionate and intelligent frameworks of public accountability, inspection and regulation.

We stand ready to work with all parties, and the government, to build together the bright future children entrust us to deliver for them. In the words of the late Kofi Annan: "There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children.”

• Read more on CST's policy priorities for the general election