Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to improve attainment in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

The Department is determined to continue driving up academic standards.

86% of schools are now good or outstanding, compared to 68% in 2010. Since the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measure was first introduced in 2010, the proportion of pupils entering the EBacc has increased from just 22% in 2010 to 40% in 2019. These are subjects which keep pupils’ options open and provide a great basis for future study and employment. Against this background of rising standards, disadvantaged pupils are catching up with their peers. Since 2011, the attainment gap at the end of primary school has narrowed by 13% and the gap at the end of secondary school has narrowed by 9%.

To continue the focus on attainment and standards we are now investing £10 million to establish 'behaviour hubs' so that schools with a track record of effectively managing pupils' behaviour can share what works with schools that need it. The first hubs are planned to launch in September 2020 and will run for an initial period of 3 years.

The Department is also providing funding to ensure that all schools have the right investment to deliver an outstanding education. A total additional investment of £14 billion across three years – the largest funding boost in a decade – will allow for a cash increase of £2.6 billion to core schools funding from April 2020, with increases of £4.8 billion and £7.1 billion in 2021-22 and 2022-23 respectively, compared to 2019- 20.

There a number of initiatives in place to improve attainment in specific subjects in the West Midlands and Coventry. These include the establishment of teaching hubs - two English hubs and three mathematics hubs, with plans for an additional new mathematics hub which will be operational from September 2020 (focusing on Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull). In addition to these hubs, we have established two Science Learning Partnerships in the area.