Schools call on PM to act on joint manifesto

Schools North East said challenges were not unique to the region but were "acute"

Headteachers have urged the new government to urgently address a region's educational challenges.

A letter sent on behalf of 1,150 schools in the north-east of England to Sir Keir Starmer called on him to act on their concerns.

The Schools North East (SNE) network said a failure to act risked turning a "growing disadvantage gap in educational attainment into a disadvantage chasm".

It called on the government to "establish a period of stability" for schools and remove unnecessary workload from staff.

The letter also urged the prime minister to support Wearside MP and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson's ambition to "reset" the relationship between government and the education sector.

The school-led regional network said: "Schools North East wrote to the new prime minister to draw his attention to the range of contextual challenges facing schools in our region, especially the impact of long-term deprivation.

"We called on the government to establish a period of stability for schools, removing unnecessary workload from staff and de-pressurise the education system."

The network welcomed the government's plans to recruit 6,500 new teachers but said policy proposals from all parties had not sufficiently reflected the concerns of school leaders and "staff at the chalk face".

Signed by SNE director Chris Zarraga, the letter asked the PM to consider the network's 2024 Manifesto for North East Education.

Sense of urgency

Challenges highlighted in the manifesto included:

• The impact of long-term deprivation in the North East, which has the highest rate of students eligible for free school meals

• High rates of children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs)

• Persistent pupil absences

In its manifesto, SNE, which is led by headteachers, acknowledged that such challenges were not unique to the North East, but said they were "particularly acute" in the region.

It also called on the government to devolve more resources and decision-making powers to regional government bodies and supporting agencies.

The letter added: "There needs to be a genuine sense of urgency to put in place and begin comprehensive efforts to address these issues within the next parliament."

The BBC has contacted the government for comment.