ENGLISH SPEECH | THERESA MAY: Britain, the Great Meritocracy (English Subtitles)

0:11 When I stood in Downing Street as Prime Minister for the first time this summer,

0:15 I set out my mission to build a country that works for everyone.

0:20 Today I want to talk a little more about what that means and lay

0:24 out my vision for a truly meritocratic

0:26 Britain that puts the interests of ordinary, working class people first.

0:31 We are facing a moment of great change as a nation.

0:36 As we leave the European Union,

0:38 we must define an ambitious new role for ourselves in the world.

0:42 That involves asking ourselves what kind of country we want to be: a confident,

0:48 global trading nation that continues to play its full part on the world stage.

0:53 But at the same time,

0:55 I believe we have a precious opportunity to step back and ask some searching

1:00 questions about what kind of country we want to be here at home too.

1:05 In fact, it’s not just an opportunity, but a duty.

1:10 Because one thing is clear.

1:12 When the British people voted in the referendum,

1:15 they did not just choose to leave the European Union.

1:19 They were also expressing a far more

1:22 profound sense of frustration about aspects of life

1:26 in Britain and the way in which politics

1:29 and politicians have failed to respond to their concerns.

1:33 Some voted for the first time in more than 30 years.

1:36 Some for the first time ever.

1:38 And they were inspired to do so because they saw a chance

1:41 to reject the politics of ‘business

1:43 as usual’ and to demand real, profound change.

1:47 Fed up with being ignored or told that their priorities were somehow invalid,

1:52 based on ignorance and misunderstanding,

1:53 or even on occasion that they were simply

1:56 wrong to voice the concerns that they did,

1:59 they took their opportunity to send a very clear message:

2:02 they will not be ignored anymore.

2:04 They want to take back control of the things that matter in their lives.

2:09 They want a government that listens, understands and is on their side.

2:15 They want change.

2:16 And this government is going to deliver it.

2:20 Everything we do will be driven, not by the interests of the privileged few.

2:24 Not by those with the loudest voices, the special interests,

2:26 the greatest wealth or the access to influence.

2:30 This government’s priorities are those of ordinary, working class people.

2:34 People for whom life sometimes can be a struggle,

2:38 but who get on with things without complaint.

2:41 They get on with their jobs– sometimes 2 or even

2:44 3 of them– because they have families to feed and support,

2:47 bills to pay and because to work for a fair reward is the right thing to do.

2:53 They get on with their lives quietly, going about their business,

2:56 going out to work, raising families,

2:58 helping neighbours, making their communities what they are.

3:01 They don’t ask for much, but they want to know that the people that make

3:06 the big decisions are on their side, working for them.

3:10 They want to believe that everyone plays by the same rules and things are fair.

3:15 And above all they want to believe that if they uphold

3:18 their end of the deal– they do the right thing, they work hard,

3:22 they pay their taxes– then tomorrow will be better than

3:25 today and their children will have a fair chance in life,

3:28 the chance to go as far as their talents will take them.

3:34 These are not outrageous demands or ridiculous desires,

3:36 but for too many of these people today life does not seem fair.

3:41 They are the people who made real sacrifices after the financial crash in 2008,

3:48 though they were in no way responsible.

3:50 They wonder if others– some of whom really

3:52 do bear responsibility for the crash– did the same.

3:55 More than anything else, they worry– truly worry– that the changing

4:00 world around them means that their children

4:02 and grandchildren won’t have the same opportunities they have enjoyed in life.

4:08 They deserve a better deal.

4:11 And to give them that, we should take

4:13 this opportunity to step back and pose a fundamental question:

4:16 what kind of country– what kind of society- do we want to be?

4:21 I am clear about the answer.

4:24 I want Britain to be the world’s great meritocracy– a country where everyone has

4:29 a fair chance to go as far as their talent and their hard work will allow.

4:35 I want us to be a country where

4:37 everyone plays by the same rules; where ordinary,

4:39 working class people have more control over their lives

4:41 and the chance to share fairly in the prosperity of the nation.

4:45 And I want Britain to be a place

4:48 where advantage is based on merit not privilege;

4:51 where it’s your talent and hard work that matter, not where you were born,

4:55 who your parents are or what your accent sounds like.

4:59 Let us not underestimate what it will take to create that great meritocracy.

5:07 It means taking on some big challenges, tackling some vested interests.

5:12 Overcoming barriers that have been constructed over many years.

5:17 It means not being afraid to think differently about what disadvantage means,

5:20 who we want to help and how we can help them.

5:23 Because where once we reached for simple ways of labelling people

5:26 disadvantaged and were quick to pose simple– and often fairly blunt– solutions,

5:31 in these modern times disadvantage is much more complex.

5:35 It’s often hidden and less easy to identify.

5:37 It’s caused by factors that are more

5:41 indirect and tougher to tackle than ever before.

5:44 But tackle it we must if we are to give ordinary,

5:46 working class people the better deal they deserve.

5:50 It means marking a significant shift

5:52 in the way that government works in Britain too.

5:55 Because government and politicians have for years

5:57 talked the language of social justice– where we

5:59 help the very poorest– and social mobility–

6:02 where we help the brightest among the poor.

6:05 But to make Britain a great meritocracy,

6:08 we must move beyond this agenda and deliver real social reform across

6:12 every layer of society so that those whom the system would currently miss–

6:17 those just above the threshold for help today yet those who are

6:21 by no means rich or well off– are given the help they need.

6:26 It means putting government firmly on the side

6:29 of not only the poorest in our society,

6:32 important though that is and will remain,

6:34 but also of those in Britain who are working hard but just about managing.

6:40 It means helping to make their lives a little easier;

6:43 giving them greater control over the issues they care about the most.

6:48 This is the change we need.

6:50 It will mean changing some of the philosophy

6:53 underpinning how government thinks and acts.

6:55 It will mean recalibrating how we approach policy development

6:58 to ensure that everything we do as government helps to give

7:01 a fair chance to those who are just getting

7:04 by– while still helping those who are even more disadvantaged.

7:08 I don’t pretend this change will be easy–

7:11 change rarely is– but this is the change

7:15 we need if we are to make Britain the great meritocracy I want it to be.

7:20 Over the coming weeks and months the government

7:22 will set out an ambitious programme of economic

7:24 and social reform that will help us make

7:27 this change and build a true meritocracy in our country.

7:31 But there is no more important place to start than education.

7:37 Because if the central concern ordinary working class people have is

7:40 that their children will not enjoy the same opportunities they have had in life,

7:44 we need to ensure that there is a good school place for every child,

7:49 and education provision that caters to the individual

7:52 needs and abilities of every pupil.

7:54 Schools that work for everyone We start from a position of strength.

7:59 This government has a proud record of school reform.

8:02 We have opened up the system, introducing a real diversity of provision.

8:07 We have schools where teachers and headteachers are free

8:09 to make the decisions that are best for them.

8:11 And through successful policies such as a renewed focus

8:14 on learning the basics of reading in primary schools,

8:16 and initiatives to help young people pursue

8:19 a strong academic core of subjects at secondary level,

8:22 we are ensuring that every child has the opportunity

8:25 to develop the core knowledge that underpins everything else.

8:30 We have put control in the hands of parents and headteachers,

8:33 and encouraged people from all walks of life who are passionate about

8:37 education to bring their best ideas and innovations to our school system.

8:41 The Academies and Free Schools movement overseen

8:44 by pioneers such as Andrew Adonis and Michael Gove

8:47 has been a huge success and begun

8:50 to build an education system fit for the future.

8:54 As a result, there are more good or outstanding

8:56 schools today than ever before in our country.

8:59 And there are now more than 1.4 million more

9:02 pupils in schools rated good or outstanding than in 2010.

9:08 Our curriculum reforms mean that the proportion of pupils taking

9:11 core academic subjects at GCSE is up by almost 4-fifths.

9:16 We are driving up school standards to match the best international comparisons,

9:20 with a record number of pupils securing a place

9:24 at one of our world-class universities this summer.

9:27 We can be proud of these achievements but there is still a long way to go.

9:32 Because for too many children, a good school remains out of reach.

9:37 There are still 1.25 million attending primary and secondary schools

9:41 in England which are rated by Ofsted as requiring improvement or inadequate.

9:47 If schools across the north and Midlands had

9:49 the same average standards as those in the south,

9:52 nearly 200,000 more children would be attending good schools.

9:56 Let’s be honest about what these statistics mean.

10:02 They mean that for far too many children in Britain,

10:05 the chance they have in life is determined by where

10:08 they live or how much money their parents have.

10:12 And they mean that for far too many ordinary working class people,

10:16 no matter how hard they work,

10:17 how many hours they put in or how many sacrifices they make,

10:22 they cannot be confident that their children will get the chances they deserve.

10:27 For when you are working 2 jobs and struggling to make ends meet,

10:31 it is no good being told that you can choose a better school

10:34 for your children if you move to a different area or pay to go private.

10:39 Those aren’t choices that you can make.

10:41 And they are not choices that you should have to make.

10:45 So we need to go further,

10:47 building on and extending our reforms so that we can truly

10:50 say that there will be a good school place for every child,

10:52 and one that caters to their individual needs.

10:55 But as we do it, we also need to change our philosophy and approach,

11:00 because at the moment the school system works if you’re well

11:04 off and can buy your way into the school you want,

11:07 and it provides extra help and support if you’re from a disadvantaged family.

11:10 If you’re eligible for free school meals,

11:13 and your parents earn less than £16,000 a year,

11:16 then there is extra help on offer.

11:18 That is good and right– and as long as I am Prime Minister,

11:22 the pupil premium for the poorest children will remain.

11:25 But the free school meals measure only

11:27 captures a relatively small number of pupils,

11:30 whose parents are on income-related benefits.

11:32 If we are going to make the change

11:35 we need and build a great meritocracy in Britain,

11:38 we need to broaden our perspective and do more for the hidden disadvantaged:

11:42 children whose parents are on modest incomes,

11:45 who do not qualify for such benefits but who are,

11:48 nevertheless, still only just getting by.

11:50 If you’re earning 19, 20, 21 thousand pounds a year, you’re not rich.

11:56 You’re not well off.

11:57 And you should know you have our support too.

12:01 At the moment there is no way to differentiate between the school

12:04 experience of children from these families and those from the wealthiest 10%.

12:09 Policy has been skewed by the focus only

12:11 on those in receipt of free school meals, when the reality is that there are

12:16 thousands of children from ordinary working class

12:18 families who are being let down by the lack of available good school places.

12:23 Putting this right means finding a way to identify these children

12:27 and measuring their attainment and progress within the school system.

12:31 That work is underway and is central to my vision

12:34 of a school system that truly works for everyone.

12:38 But we must also deliver a radical increase in the capacity of the school

12:43 system so that these families can be

12:45 sure of their children getting good school places.

12:49 And this is really important.

12:50 Because I don’t just want to see more school places but more good school places.

12:56 And I don’t just want to see more new schools,

13:00 but more good new schools that each in their way contribute to a diversity

13:05 of provision that caters to the needs and abilities of each individual child,

13:10 whoever they are and wherever they are from.

13:14 Every child should be given the opportunity

13:17 to develop the crucial academic core.

13:19 And thanks to our reforms that is increasingly the case.

13:22 But people understand that every child is different too,

13:26 with different talents, different interests, different dreams.

13:30 To help them realise their potential and achieve those dreams we need

13:33 a school system with the capacity and capability to respond to what they need.

13:39 School capacity So as we radically expand

13:41 the number of good school places available

13:43 to all families– not just those who can afford to buy an expensive house,

13:47 pay for an expensive private school, or fund the extra tuition their child needs

13:51 to succeed– I want to encourage more people,

13:55 schools and institutions with something to offer to come forward and help.

14:01 In the last 6 years,

14:02 we have seen individuals and communities put staggering amounts

14:04 of time and effort into setting up good new schools.

14:08 Some of the best state schools, charities, universities,

14:11 private schools, and businesses have stepped forward to get involved.

14:15 And, increasingly, the best state schools are sponsoring the least good.

14:19 This has been a revolution in our schools system.

14:22 But with 1.25 million children still attending schools that are struggling,

14:26 we need to do much more to increase the capacity

14:30 of the system so every child can get the education they deserve.

14:34 So let’s now build on the success of school reform,

14:38 let’s encourage others to play their part,

14:40 and let’s remove the barriers they face so we can do more.

14:44 Let’s sweep away those barriers and encourage more people to join us

14:48 in the task of delivering a good school place for every child.

14:52 Let’s build a truly dynamic school system

14:54 where schools and institutions learn from one another,

14:57 support one another and help one another.

15:00 Let’s offer a diverse range of good schools that ensure

15:04 the individual talents and abilities of every child are catered for.

15:08 That is my ambition.

15:09 And there are 4 specific proposals I want

15:11 to talk about today that I believe will help.

15:14 Universities Firstly,

15:15 I want to build on the success we have already experienced when some

15:20 of our great universities have stepped in to help

15:23 by sponsoring or supporting a local school.

15:26 Universities have a huge amount to offer England’s schools.

15:29 They have been part of the fabric of our education system since

15:32 the 13th century and have had a profound impact on our schools over generations.

15:38 Recently we have seen The University of Cambridge

15:40 establish The University of Cambridge Primary School

15:42 and The University of Birmingham open an impressive new

15:46 free school for secondary school pupils and sixth formers.

15:50 The new specialist Sixth Form, King’s College London Mathematics School,

15:54 is already performing impressively and the University of Brighton is involved

15:58 in sponsoring more than a dozen different primary and secondary schools.

16:03 These are the kinds of innovation I want to encourage.

16:06 This kind of active engagement in building the capacity

16:08 of our school system is in my view far more

16:11 effective than spending huge sums on bursaries and other

16:15 financial support that tackle the symptoms but not the cause.

16:19 The right for a university to charge the higher level of tuition

16:23 fee has always been dependent

16:25 on their ability to fulfil specified access requirements.

16:29 And this year, in fulfilling these requirements,

16:31 they are expected to spend over £400 million

16:34 on bursaries and other forms of financial support for students.

16:38 Yet the evidence is clear: it is the attainment of pupils at school

16:43 that is the over-riding factor in predicting access to university.

16:47 I am not saying there is no place for bursaries.

16:49 But overall, I do think the balance has tilted too far.

16:54 We need to go to the root of the problem, which is that there are not enough

16:58 students from disadvantaged backgrounds and from ordinary

17:00 families fulfilling their potential with the grades

17:03 to get into the best universities.

17:05 So I want our universities to do more to help us to improve

17:09 the quality of schools so that more students of all backgrounds have the grades,

17:14 the subjects, and the confidence, to apply to top universities and to be

17:18 successful in their exams in the first place.

17:21 So the government will reform university fair

17:24 access requirements and say that universities should actively

17:27 strengthen state school attainment– by sponsoring a state

17:30 school or setting up a new free school.

17:33 And over time we will extend this to the sponsorship

17:36 or establishment of more than one school,

17:38 so that in the future we see our universities sponsoring

17:41 thriving school chains in every town and city in the country.

17:44 Faith schools Second,

17:45 I want to remove the obstacles that stop more good faith schools from opening.

17:51 Britain has a long history of faith schools delivering outstanding education.

17:56 They already account for around a third of all mainstream schools in England.

17:59 They are popular with parents and significantly more likely than

18:02 other schools to be rated by Ofsted as good or outstanding.

18:07 I believe we should confidently promote them

18:08 and the role they play in a diverse school system.

18:12 Yet for Catholic schools in particular there are barriers in their way.

18:17 When a faith-designated free school is oversubscribed,

18:19 it must limit the number of pupils it selects on the basis of faith to 50%.

18:25 The intention is to improve the diversity of the school’s

18:28 intake but in practice it has little impact on many Jewish,

18:32 Muslim, Sikh and Hindu schools because they tend

18:34 not to appeal to parents of other faiths.

18:37 So despite the best intentions,

18:39 the rule is failing in its objective to promote integration.

18:43 But it does prevent new Catholic schools opening,

18:46 because the Catholic Church believes it contravenes its own rules

18:49 for a Catholic bishop not to prioritise the admission of Catholic pupils.

18:55 This is especially frustrating because existing Catholic schools

18:58 are more ethnically diverse than other faith schools,

19:01 more likely to be located in deprived communities,

19:04 more likely to be rated good or outstanding by Ofsted,

19:07 and there is growing demand for them.

19:10 So we will remove this 50% rule to allow

19:12 the growth in capacity that Catholic schools can offer.

19:16 Instead we will consult on a new set

19:18 of much more effective requirements to ensure that faith

19:20 schools are properly inclusive and make sure their pupils

19:23 mix with children of other faiths and backgrounds.

19:27 Of course, there must be strict and properly enforced rules to ensure

19:31 that every new faith school operates in a way that supports British values.

19:34 And we should explore new ways of using the school

19:38 system to promote greater integration within our society generally.

19:42 We will encourage the grouping together of mono-racial

19:45 and mono-religious schools within wider multi-racial and multi-religious trusts.

19:50 This will make it easier for children from different

19:53 backgrounds in more divided communities to mix between schools,

19:56 while respecting religious differences.

19:58 We will explore ways in which schools can enter

20:01 into twinning arrangements with other schools not of their faith,

20:04 through sharing lessons or joint extra-curricular activities

20:07 to bring young people from different schools together.

20:10 And we will consult on the idea

20:11 of placing an independent member or director who is

20:14 of a different faith or no faith at all

20:17 on the governing body of new faith schools.

20:20 We will also explore new requirements for new

20:22 faith schools to prove that parents of other

20:24 faiths would be happy to send their children

20:26 to the school through a proper process of consultation.

20:30 But fundamentally I believe it is wrong to deny families the opportunity to send

20:34 their children to a school that reflects

20:36 their religious values if that’s what they choose.

20:39 And it’s right to encourage faith communities–

20:41 especially those with a proven record of success,

20:43 like the Catholics– to play their full

20:45 part in building the capacity of our schools.

20:48 Independent schools Third, I want to encourage some of our biggest

20:51 independent schools to bring their knowledge,

20:54 expertise and resources to bear to help improve the quality

20:58 and capacity of schools for those who cannot afford to pay.

21:02 This is entirely in keeping with the ethos

21:05 that lies at the heart of many of these institutions.

21:09 Most of the major public schools started out

21:10 as the route by which poor boys could reach the professions.

21:14 The nature of their intake may have changed today– indeed

21:17 these schools have become more and more divorced from normal life.

21:21 Between 2010 and 2015 their fees rose

21:24 4 times faster than average earnings growth,

21:26 while the percentage of their pupils who come

21:30 from overseas has gone up by 33% since 2008.

21:33 But I know that their commitment to giving

21:36 something back to the wider community remains.

21:38 These are great schools with a lot to offer and I certainly don’t believe

21:42 you solve the divide between the rich

21:44 and the rest by abolishing or demolishing them.

21:46 You do it by extending their reach and asking them to do

21:50 more as a condition of their privileged position to help all children.

21:55 Through their charitable status,

21:56 private schools collectively reduce their tax bills by millions every year.

22:01 And I want to consult on how we

22:03 can amend Charity Commission guidance for independent schools

22:06 to enact a tougher test on the amount

22:08 of public benefit required to maintain charitable status.

22:12 It’s important to state that this will be proportionate

22:15 to the size and scale of the school in question.

22:19 Not every school is an Eton or a Harrow.

22:22 Many public schools are nowhere near that size.

22:26 Smaller independent schools who do not have the capacity

22:29 to take on full sponsorship of a local

22:31 state school will be asked to provide more

22:34 limited help such as direct school-to-school support where appropriate.

22:37 This could include supporting teaching in minority

22:39 subjects such as further maths or classics,

22:42 which state schools often struggle to make viable.

22:46 It could include ensuring their senior

22:49 leaders become directors of multi-academy trusts;

22:51 providing greater access to their facilities

22:53 and providing sixth-form scholarships

22:55 to a proportion of pupils in year 11 at each local school.

22:59 But for those with the capacity and capability,

23:03 we will ask them to go further and actually sponsor or set up a new

23:09 government-funded school in the state sector and take

23:12 responsibility for running it and ensuring its success.

23:16 Alternatively, we will ask them to fund a number of places at their own

23:20 school themselves for those from modest backgrounds

23:22 who cannot afford to pay the fees.

23:25 We know this can work.

23:26 For example, Westminster School is the key

23:29 partner in sponsoring Harris Westminster Sixth Form,

23:31 where students at the free school share

23:34 the facilities and teaching expertise of Westminster School.

23:37 In my own constituency, Eton College sponsors Holyport College,

23:41 offering Holyport pupils access to its sports facilities

23:45 and the chance to join its educational activities.

23:48 And before it became a state-funded academy,

23:51 Belvedere School in Liverpool worked with the Sutton Trust to create an Open

23:55 Access Scheme where places were awarded purely on the basis of academic merit,

23:59 and parents were then asked to pay on a sliding

24:02 scale of fees fairly tailored according to their means.

24:06 I want all independent schools with the appropriate

24:09 capacity and capability to take these kinds of steps.

24:13 I want them to play a major role in creating

24:15 more good school places for children from ordinary working families;

24:19 because this government is about a Britain

24:21 that works for everyone– not just a privileged few.

24:25 Selective schools There is one final area

24:28 where we have placed obstacles in the way

24:31 of good new schools– obstacles that I believe we need to take away.

24:36 The debate over selective schools has raged for years.

24:40 But the only place it has got us to is a place where selection exists

24:44 if you’re wealthy– if you can afford

24:46 to go private– but doesn’t exist if you’re not.

24:50 We are effectively saying to poorer and some of the most disadvantaged children

24:53 in our country that they can’t have

24:55 the kind of education their richer counterparts can enjoy.

24:59 What is ‘just’ about that?

25:03 Where is the meritocracy in a system

25:05 that advantages the privileged few over the many?

25:08 How can a meritocratic Britain let this situation stand?

25:13 Politicians– many of whom benefited from the very kind

25:16 of education they now seek to deny to others–

25:19 have for years put their own dogma and ideology

25:22 before the interests and concerns of ordinary people.

25:26 For we know that grammar schools are hugely popular with parents.

25:30 We know they are good for the pupils that attend them.

25:32 Indeed, the attainment gap between rich and poor pupils

25:35 is reduced to almost zero for children in selective schools.

25:39 And we know that they want to expand.

25:43 They provide a stretching education for the most academically able,

25:46 regardless of their background, and they deliver outstanding results.

25:50 In fact, 99% of existing selective schools are

25:53 rated good or outstanding– and 80% are outstanding,

25:57 compared with just 20% of state schools overall.

26:01 So we help no one– not least those who

26:03 can’t afford to move house or pay for a private

26:05 education– by saying to parents who want a selective education

26:08 for their child that we won’t let them have it.

26:11 There is nothing meritocratic about standing

26:13 in the way of giving our most academically

26:16 gifted children the specialist and tailored support

26:19 that can enable them to fulfil their potential.

26:23 In a true meritocracy, we should not be apologetic about stretching the most

26:29 academically able to the very highest standards of excellence.

26:33 We already have selection to help achieve

26:36 this in specialist disciplines like music and sport,

26:39 giving exceptionally talented young people access to the facilities

26:43 and training that can help them become world class.

26:46 I think we should have more of this.

26:48 But we should also take the same

26:51 approach to support the most academically gifted too.

26:53 Frankly, it is completely illogical to make it illegal to open good new schools.

27:01 So I want to relax the restrictions that stop selective schools from expanding,

27:05 that deny parents the right to have

27:07 a new selective school opened where they want one,

27:10 and that stop existing non-selective schools to become selective

27:13 in the right circumstances and where there is demand.

27:18 In return, we will ensure that these schools contribute meaningfully

27:22 to raising outcomes for all pupils in every part of the system.

27:27 In practice this could mean taking

27:29 a proportion of pupils from lower income households,

27:32 so that selective education is not reserved for those with the means

27:35 to move into a catchment area or pay for tuition to pass the test.

27:40 They could, as a condition of opening a new selective school,

27:42 be asked to establish a good, new non-selective school.

27:47 Others may be asked to establish a primary feeder school in an area

27:50 with a high density of lower income households to widen access.

27:55 They might even partner with an existing non-selective school within

27:58 a multi-academy trust or sponsor

28:00 a currently underperforming non-selective academy.

28:04 But the principle is clear: selective schools have a part to play

28:08 in helping to expand the capacity of our school

28:11 system and they have the ability to cater

28:13 to the individual needs of every child.

28:16 So the government will make up to £50 million a year

28:19 available to support the expansion of good or outstanding existing grammars.

28:24 Now I know this will be the source

28:26 of much debate in the consultation over the coming months,

28:30 so I want to address very directly some of the key

28:33 arguments made by those who oppose the expansion of grammar schools.

28:37 First, there are those who fear this could

28:39 lead to the return of a binary system,

28:42 as we had in the past with secondary moderns.

28:44 But this fear is unfounded: there will be no return to secondary moderns.

28:48 As I have set out today, far from a binary system we are supporting the most

28:54 diverse school system we have ever had in our country.

28:58 From free schools sponsored by universities and independent schools,

29:01 to faith schools and selective schools,

29:03 the diversity of high quality school provision means we

29:06 will be able to cater properly for the different

29:09 needs of all pupils and give parents real control

29:12 over the kind of school they want for their children.

29:15 We do not want to see whole new parts

29:17 of the country where the choice of schools is binary.

29:20 So we will use the approvals process to prevent that from happening.

29:24 Second, there are those who argue that selective

29:27 schools tend to recruit children from more affluent backgrounds.

29:31 The problem here is not selective schools

29:33 per se but rather the way that wealthier

29:35 families can already dominate access to the schools

29:38 of their choice through selection by house price.

29:41 I want to stop that and new grammars can help.

29:43 We are going to ask new grammars to demonstrate

29:46 that they will attract pupils from different backgrounds, for example as I said,

29:49 by taking a proportion of children from lower income households.

29:54 And existing grammars will be expected to do more too– by working

29:57 with local primary schools to help

29:59 children from more disadvantaged backgrounds to apply.

30:02 Third, there are those who argue that grammars don’t actually select on ability

30:06 because wealthy families can pay tutors

30:08 to help their children get through the tests.

30:11 This might have been the case in the past with the old 11-plus.

30:13 But it does not have to be the case today.

30:15 While there is no such thing as a tutor-proof test,

30:19 many selective schools are already employing much smarter

30:23 tests that assess the true potential of every child.

30:27 So new grammars will be able to select in a fair and meritocratic way,

30:30 not on the ability of parents to pay.

30:32 Fourth, there are those who worry about the cliff-edge of selection at 11.

30:38 Some fear it is too early, some fear it is too late.

30:40 The truth is that it doesn’t have to be a cliff-edge at all.

30:43 This is back in the old mindset of the grammar schools of the past.

30:47 A modern, meritocratic education system needs to be much more

30:52 flexible and agile to respond to the needs of every child.

30:56 So we will demand that new grammars make the most

30:58 of their freedom to be flexible over how students move between schools,

31:02 encouraging this to happen at different ages such as 14 and 16 as well as 11.

31:08 This means that children who are at a non-selective school

31:11 sponsored by a grammar might join the grammar for specific

31:14 subjects or specialisms where they themselves are outstanding– or they

31:19 might move to the grammar full-time later than aged 11,

31:21 based on their performance at their current school.

31:25 Finally, people get lost in the argument about whether the grammars

31:28 schools of the 1950s and 60s improved social mobility or not.

31:33 But I want to focus on the new grammars of the future:

31:37 those that will be just one element

31:39 of a truly diverse system which taken as a whole

31:42 can give every child the support they need

31:44 to go as far as their talents can take them.

31:48 And give every parent access to a good school place for their child.

31:52 This is the true test of schools that work for everyone.

31:56 And the true test of a meritocratic society.

31:59 The great meritocracy There has been a lot of speculation in the last few weeks,

32:05 but as you now know this is not a proposal to go back to a binary

32:10 model of grammars and secondary moderns

32:13 but to build on our increasingly diverse schools system.

32:17 It is not a proposal to go back to the 1950s but to look to the future,

32:22 and that future I believe is an exciting one.

32:25 It is a future in which every child should have access to a good school place.

32:30 And a future in which Britain’s education system

32:33 shifts decisively to support ordinary working class families.

32:36 These families are not asking for the world.

32:40 They just want to know that their children

32:42 and grandchildren will enjoy the opportunities they have

32:45 enjoyed and be given the chance to go as far as their talents will take them.

32:49 Unhindered by background or circumstance.

32:52 And by the artificial barriers some want to put in their way.

32:56 In a country that works for everyone it doesn’t matter where you were born,

33:00 or how much your parents earn.

33:02 If you work hard and do the right thing,

33:05 you will be able to go as far as you can.

33:08 I want this country to be a great meritocracy.

33:12 I want to see more houses built,

33:14 better productivity so we can have more well-paid jobs,

33:16 more economic growth not just in the south-east of England

33:19 but across the whole country to help more people get on.

33:24 But more than anything else, I want to see children from ordinary,

33:28 working class families given the chances

33:30 their richer contemporaries take for granted.

33:33 That means we need more great schools.

33:37 This is the plan to deliver them and to set Britain

33:41 on the path to being the great meritocracy of the world.