Education and Skills Reform

Connor Naismith Excerpts

Wednesday 9th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I thank my hon. Friend for all the championing she has done on those issues in the time that she has been here—I am sure that her results day was not as long ago as mine was. She is right that there are huge job opportunities in the creative subjects, the creative industries, fashion—of which she is a particular champion—and textiles. Frankly, our curriculum and the system as it has been designed recently have not allowed those sectors to flourish as much as they could. My hon. Friend can rest assured that that is top of my mind when looking at our reforms.

[Connor Naismith (Crewe and Nantwich) (Lab)]

The Secretary of State is already well aware of the excellent work being undertaken by providers, such as Crewe Engineering and Design UTC and Cheshire College South and West, in equipping young people with the technical skills that local employers need. But what steps is she taking to build on successful examples of colleges and UTCs with proven industry partnerships, and will she visit Crewe and Nantwich to see that work in action?

[Lucy Powell]

I recently met and made a video with a student at Alstom who had attended Crewe UTC. UTCs have provided a pathway for some young people to start apprenticeships, to go on to other studies, or to have great opportunities such as those that that student had had at Alstom. But it has not been at the scale that we need, which is why we need more technical and vocational pathways and qualifications available to all children, not just those who can get into one of the UTCs.

Oral Answers to Questions

Connor Naismith Excerpts

Monday 1st December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Olivia Bailey]

I thank the hon. Lady for her question, but I encourage her to read the documents from the Treasury and the OBR. I am glad to have the opportunity to clarify the matter, given the wilful misrepresentation of the situation by the Conservative party. Those deficits are council deficits—they will not be coming from the schools’ budgets. In fact, over the course of this Parliament, this Government will be investing more into SEND. It is irresponsible for Opposition Members to cause such concern to families when they know full well that what they are saying is wrong.

[Connor Naismith (Crewe and Nantwich) (Lab)]

9. What steps she is taking to help increase levels of attainment in schools.

[The Minister for School Standards (Georgia Gould)]

The Government’s mission is to open up opportunity for every child and we are working with schools across the country to strengthen attainment. That includes regional improvement for excellence and standards teams, recruiting 6,500 teachers, a refreshed high-quality curriculum and tackling barriers to attainment, including child poverty.

[Connor Naismith]

I am concerned about attainment levels across secondary schools in Crewe, where, on average, only about 46% of pupils achieve a grade 4 in English and maths. Will the Minister meet me to discuss what further support we can provide to our hard-working school leaders and teaching staff to help raise outcomes and ensure that every child in Crewe gets the opportunities that they deserve?

[Georgia Gould]

I know how hard the leaders, teachers and support staff in Crewe will be working, and we want to get behind them to deliver outcomes for students. We will support schools to use formative assessments in writing and maths, and introduce a new statutory reading test for all year 8 pupils, to prevent children slipping through the net. Of course, I will be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this further.