Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Davies Excerpts

Monday 25th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Alan Mak (Havant) (Con)]

4. What steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools in every part of the country have access to high-performing teachers.

[Chris Davies (Brecon and Radnorshire) (Con)]

13. What steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools in every part of the country have access to high-performing teachers.

[Chris Green (Bolton West) (Con)]

16. What steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools in every part of the country have access to high-performing teachers.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Gibb]

I am delighted to congratulate Roxanne Vines on taking up her post as headteacher at Hill Mill Primary School and wish her all the very best. High-quality headteachers are vital if we are to achieve our ambition of excellence everywhere. We are currently funding a range of prestigious development and leadership programmes and qualifications for headteachers and senior teachers through the hugely effective and successful Teaching Leaders and Future Leaders organisations.

[Chris Davies]

My local authority has declared its intention to close a number of schools in Brecon and Radnorshire, including Nantmel, Dolau and Llanbister Primary Schools and Gwernyfed and Brecon High Schools. Does my hon. Friend agree that the best way for pupils to have access to great and talented teachers is to keep excellent local schools open and not allow Powys County Council and the Labour-run Welsh Assembly to close the door on our children’s education?

[Mr Gibb]

My hon. Friend is of course right that high-quality teaching is the single most important influence on academic standards. In England, we have more and better qualified teachers than ever before, with the proportion of graduates entering the profession holding a first or a 2:1 rising from 63% to 74% since 2010. I am sure that parents in his constituency will come to their own view about whether Powys County Council’s decision to close schools is an effective or ineffective way of improving the education of their children.