:00:11. > :00:17.Thank you very much, Francis. Good morning everyone. It is a pleasure
:00:18. > :00:22.to be able to join the here today. I would like to start by thanking the
:00:23. > :00:26.University of Saint relays for welcoming us. When we looked at
:00:27. > :00:31.where we wanted to do this speech, it seemed like a great place to
:00:32. > :00:36.come. -- sent me these. You are teaching the -- training the
:00:37. > :00:39.teachers of the future, and doing brilliantly, but also doing research
:00:40. > :00:43.that looks at the education outcomes of young people in schools.
:00:44. > :00:47.Especially those young people who are coming from families that are
:00:48. > :00:53.struggling to make ends meet. This is one of the things I wanted to
:00:54. > :00:58.talk about today. The backdrop to all of this is that this is a
:00:59. > :01:04.Government that it responding to a fundamental truth. But our people
:01:05. > :01:10.have voted for change. They voted for a fairer society, one that works
:01:11. > :01:15.for everyone. I think too many of us felt that the link between the work
:01:16. > :01:21.that we put in and the awards that we receive, was somehow weakening.
:01:22. > :01:26.Too many people felt that this country, the country was not working
:01:27. > :01:31.for them. That feeling did not happen overnight. I do believe that
:01:32. > :01:37.the referendum was a catalyst, a moment of clarity for our country.
:01:38. > :01:42.And whatever you might think yourself, the bottom line is that
:01:43. > :01:47.the old status quo did not work for enough people. And it was not
:01:48. > :01:53.sustainable. That is why we needed changing. Following that referendum,
:01:54. > :01:58.we are months into a period of national change as Britain leaves at
:01:59. > :02:04.the European Union and we will build a United Kingdom that rises to that
:02:05. > :02:09.challenge. Most importantly, one that that grasps the opportunity for
:02:10. > :02:15.our new future rings true. I believe we can be successful, I believe we
:02:16. > :02:21.will be successful but it won't happen. We need to have the plan and
:02:22. > :02:27.we need to have the means. And the Prime Minister has set out our plan
:02:28. > :02:38.for Britain. A strong economy. The foundation on which everything
:02:39. > :02:44.depends. Providing the tax receipts that our public services rely upon.
:02:45. > :02:50.It is a strong economy. Our unemployment rate is less than half
:02:51. > :02:54.of the euro zone area. We want to be a global Britain, playing powerful
:02:55. > :02:58.role on the international stage. Being a voice to the values that
:02:59. > :03:05.British people have fought and died for, even on our own soil as the
:03:06. > :03:11.tragically saw a few weeks ago. The values of democracy, equality, the
:03:12. > :03:18.rule of law. And at home we want a united nation. We are a unique team
:03:19. > :03:25.with no match anywhere in the world. Saw as I have travelled all over the
:03:26. > :03:27.world in the last four years as International Development Secretary.
:03:28. > :03:32.The unique combination of a United Kingdom. The way that has led our
:03:33. > :03:37.country and democracy the way that together we have had to adapt to
:03:38. > :03:42.change, to become greater than the sum of our parts. That is why we
:03:43. > :03:48.have succeeded and this is part of library will succeed in the future.
:03:49. > :03:53.The final part for the plan for Britain is a fairer society, a
:03:54. > :03:58.society based on merit. And delivering a fairer society must
:03:59. > :04:02.start with education and other schools. Making sure that our
:04:03. > :04:05.children and young people can do their very best and reach their
:04:06. > :04:13.potential wherever they are growing up. That is the means by which we
:04:14. > :04:19.build a better country. It is how we deliver the plan for Britain. In
:04:20. > :04:24.short, we are the means, the people of the country, each and everyone of
:04:25. > :04:29.us. Some of the most vivid memories I have in my life are about
:04:30. > :04:34.opportunities. There is one of the Andy Reid telephone box in Devon. It
:04:35. > :04:39.is still there, it looks pretty normal, but it matters to me, that
:04:40. > :04:44.phone box, because it is the phone box I rang from to get my A-level
:04:45. > :04:49.results. I remember screaming with delight when hearing I had got the
:04:50. > :04:54.results I needed to to go to university. I was the first in my
:04:55. > :04:58.family to go to university. We went across the road to the public House
:04:59. > :05:05.and had a drink. As he sat as a family, nobody knew what the next
:05:06. > :05:09.stage of my life would be like. We knew it would be important. I knew
:05:10. > :05:16.it would open up the world to me and it would transform my chances in the
:05:17. > :05:20.future. I believe that we can build our education system in Britain but
:05:21. > :05:27.in the end, it falls around opportunity. Opportunity is about
:05:28. > :05:34.how we translate hopes and aspirations into something real.
:05:35. > :05:37.Something concrete. For me, opportunity is the most precious
:05:38. > :05:43.commodity in this world. Our strong economy is vital because it is the
:05:44. > :05:48.opportunity engine of our country. We know truly need to make it a
:05:49. > :05:54.country where everyone has an equal short of taking advantage of those
:05:55. > :05:58.opportunities being created. This is a Government that wants more
:05:59. > :06:04.opportunity for more people, and more equality of opportunity. That
:06:05. > :06:08.means unlocking our children's potential. I think back to those
:06:09. > :06:14.countries that I spent so much time visiting over recent years. The
:06:15. > :06:20.people that I met, the talent that I saw unlocked by education. No single
:06:21. > :06:26.country had it right. It is not one country that has found the formula
:06:27. > :06:33.to unlock every talent of every person. If the country could do
:06:34. > :06:37.that, if it really could build an education system to realise the
:06:38. > :06:42.potential of every one of its people, if it had an economy and the
:06:43. > :06:48.businesses that could fully harness that potential, then what a country
:06:49. > :06:54.it would be. It would be unbeatable. That is what this country wants for
:06:55. > :06:59.our country. In doing so in creating that country, we would be a country
:07:00. > :07:03.that reflects the values of the British people. And I hope to be a
:07:04. > :07:08.beacon to the rest of the world. And I believe we can build that
:07:09. > :07:14.education system that unlocks the talents of other people here in
:07:15. > :07:17.Britain. We have got the right ingredients, expert teachers
:07:18. > :07:21.determined to unlock every young person's potential. I have spent so
:07:22. > :07:28.much time with them over recent months. A society that believes in
:07:29. > :07:34.fairness and businesses that no more than ever understand how education
:07:35. > :07:40.and skills drive growth. We can unleash a wealth of latent talent
:07:41. > :07:43.that we have on this island and become a powerful, modern, confident
:07:44. > :07:50.country. A country that works for everyone. Our country has been on
:07:51. > :07:53.the long journey on education, not just on improving the quality of
:07:54. > :07:59.schools but giving parents real choice when before there was none.
:08:00. > :08:04.When I was growing up, there was no real choice at all. You got what you
:08:05. > :08:08.were given. I went to my local comprehensive school in Rotherham
:08:09. > :08:13.because everybody did. I went to Junior school and then another
:08:14. > :08:22.school. That is what children in my area dead. Some people got a good
:08:23. > :08:26.education and I was lucky with great teachers who taught me. They
:08:27. > :08:32.encouraged me and inspired me. They were the people who got me to that
:08:33. > :08:35.red phone box in Devon years later. And people never forget great
:08:36. > :08:44.teachers because of the impact of the hammer on our lives. -- the
:08:45. > :08:52.impact that they have on our lives. But some people in some places have
:08:53. > :08:59.been left behind. And the schools that some children have been too and
:09:00. > :09:07.are going to are not good enough. We can never accept the randomness of a
:09:08. > :09:12.postcode lottery in education. That is why we are going to keep pursuing
:09:13. > :09:17.our ambitious reform on what children are being taught. On making
:09:18. > :09:25.sure that we know how to teach it well. On how schools are making sure
:09:26. > :09:29.that they provide our young people with the knowledge and skills that
:09:30. > :09:33.are me and the businesses need for success in a modern Britain. That is
:09:34. > :09:38.why we are pursuing a new gold standard in the curriculum and in
:09:39. > :09:44.assessment, together with an expectation that the vast majority
:09:45. > :09:53.of young people will study the EVAC Oost objects. We are steadily
:09:54. > :09:59.strengthening the teaching profession. The high quality
:10:00. > :10:03.qualifications and standards. An increased focus on continued
:10:04. > :10:07.professional development of teachers. Supported by a new
:10:08. > :10:13.professional body, the chartered College of teaching, to bring the
:10:14. > :10:16.profession together. We want all of our children taught in good and
:10:17. > :10:21.outstanding school so we have and academies programme that hones in on
:10:22. > :10:28.inadequate and coasting schools to make sure they improve. It is
:10:29. > :10:33.working. 1.8 million more than outstanding school places for
:10:34. > :10:37.children since 2010. 1.8 million more children getting a better start
:10:38. > :10:44.and a better chance to realise their potential. Treated all over the
:10:45. > :10:48.country to benefit children from all backgrounds. We are also continuing
:10:49. > :10:53.to introduce different and better options for parents as well.
:10:54. > :10:58.Overwhelmingly, we believe it is parents who are best placed to make
:10:59. > :11:02.the right decisions for their child. We also believe that parents are
:11:03. > :11:07.better able to get the right schools for their children. It is part of
:11:08. > :11:12.how we improve the system as an entirety. We want schools that work
:11:13. > :11:16.for everyone. That is what we are already delivering. Yesterday's
:11:17. > :11:24.announcement of our latest wave of new free schools, they will be built
:11:25. > :11:29.across our country creating extra school places that children will
:11:30. > :11:33.need. And beyond that, it is real choice and diversity of schools. In
:11:34. > :11:38.the future we will have comprehensive schools and grammar
:11:39. > :11:41.schools, schools that focus on mathematics, music and other
:11:42. > :11:45.specialisms. Schools for young people that want to develop the
:11:46. > :11:50.technical talents. This free schools programme is vital to make sure that
:11:51. > :11:55.parents continue to have the education choices that they want for
:11:56. > :12:01.their children. We do know that there's more to do. And alongside
:12:02. > :12:04.creating a real diversity of schools, we rightly have focused on
:12:05. > :12:09.the most disadvantaged children and young people. I believe that all of
:12:10. > :12:14.them have got talent that potentially they could succeed and a
:12:15. > :12:19.great career. Look at the gap in attainment. Less well off children
:12:20. > :12:23.into school behind the wealthier peers already. Once they get to
:12:24. > :12:28.school the fall further behind because they are less likely to go
:12:29. > :12:34.to a good school. They are less likely to go to university as well.
:12:35. > :12:38.Even if they get to university, they are not than the advantage peers,
:12:39. > :12:44.even if they are in the same top jobs. Yet they are more likely to do
:12:45. > :12:45.further education which we believe has been neglected and underfunded
:12:46. > :12:53.for decades. We should never accept an education
:12:54. > :12:58.system that is so tilted against the disadvantaged. So we remain
:12:59. > :13:03.absolutely committed to supporting these children and young people, not
:13:04. > :13:09.least with transformational, long-term policies like the pupil
:13:10. > :13:13.premium and opportunity areas to increase and drive social mobility.
:13:14. > :13:16.But we believe it's not just disadvantaged children and young
:13:17. > :13:22.people that our education system can deliver much more for. Because this
:13:23. > :13:25.Government will not lose sight of other children, from ordinary
:13:26. > :13:29.working families. This Government believes we've not done enough to
:13:30. > :13:36.support them. Partly because they don't qualify under our existing
:13:37. > :13:39.measures of disadvantage. The danger is they've ended up off the radar.
:13:40. > :13:44.We are determined to also have them at the heart of our thinking and at
:13:45. > :13:48.the heart of our plan for Britain. The Prime Minister's been clear - if
:13:49. > :13:54.we're to build a country that works for everyone, we need to do more for
:13:55. > :13:58.young people from these families, families on modest incomes, who are
:13:59. > :14:04.being let down by a shortage of good schools. Statistically, they're
:14:05. > :14:08.families who tend to live outside the inner cities, of course it's
:14:09. > :14:12.been the inner cities that have been the focus of many of our education
:14:13. > :14:18.initiatives. They live in the suburbs, in the coastal areas,
:14:19. > :14:22.mostly outside Greater London. Man why are in towns in say the north of
:14:23. > :14:27.England, but if these young people can do better, then our whole
:14:28. > :14:32.country does better too. If these children receive the same grades as
:14:33. > :14:35.their wealthier peers at the end of secondary school, we'd have
:14:36. > :14:40.thousands more pupils better equipped to do well in later life.
:14:41. > :14:44.At primary school, we'd have thousands more reaching the expected
:14:45. > :14:50.standard in reading, writing and maths, gaining the knowledge and
:14:51. > :14:58.skills that privileged groups take for granted. If the schools were as
:14:59. > :15:02.good as their wealthier peers, we'd have more than 100,000 outstanding
:15:03. > :15:06.school places for them. As well as disadvantaged young people, those
:15:07. > :15:09.furthest away from the level playing field of opportunity, we need to
:15:10. > :15:14.help these children achieve their potential too. When I was growing
:15:15. > :15:19.up, there was a phrase I often heard, "make do". I absolutely hated
:15:20. > :15:26.that. Because I didn't want to just make do. I wanted much, much more
:15:27. > :15:30.than that. This is a Government that believes that every day ordinary
:15:31. > :15:36.working families shouldn't have to make do. We believe that they
:15:37. > :15:40.deserve better than that because ordinary working families are the
:15:41. > :15:46.back bone of our economy and our country. They so often embody our
:15:47. > :15:50.national trait and values, hugely generous, fair by nature, passionate
:15:51. > :15:57.about family, community and country, and as I know from my own family, in
:15:58. > :16:02.Rotherham, hard working. Not working hard for recognition but because of
:16:03. > :16:06.instinctive pride in having independence, for the means to take
:16:07. > :16:11.care of your nearest and dearest and a cast iron commitment to do
:16:12. > :16:15.whatever you can, whatever it takes to make sure that the prospects for
:16:16. > :16:21.your own future generations are brighter than your own. That's what
:16:22. > :16:27.matters. These families work hard and sometimes, as I know from own
:16:28. > :16:33.childhood, there's so much stuff day to day that needs to be done that
:16:34. > :16:36.they don't have time to ask why there isn't more help. There isn't
:16:37. > :16:42.time to have a say about what should be better or write an e-mail to your
:16:43. > :16:46.local MP. My earliest memories of politics are of my dad shouting at
:16:47. > :16:53.the TV, when the news was on. That was him having his say. But you know
:16:54. > :16:56.what, these families shouldn't have to grow sharp elbows to get the
:16:57. > :17:01.public service that's they deserve. From the country that they support
:17:02. > :17:04.and serve day to day. This Government knows that. This
:17:05. > :17:09.Government knows that we need to repair the link between the hard
:17:10. > :17:14.work that these families put in and the rewards that they receive. We
:17:15. > :17:19.want to build a fairer society for them. That's the national change
:17:20. > :17:23.that we will pursue as Britain leaves the European Union. That's
:17:24. > :17:28.part of the plan for Britain. But when it does come to their children,
:17:29. > :17:33.we currently don't have a good way to identify them within our
:17:34. > :17:38.education system and to track whether they have access to good
:17:39. > :17:41.school places or whether they have good educational outcomes. We don't
:17:42. > :17:45.have the nuts and bolts, the information that we need to make
:17:46. > :17:51.sure that we can be a Government for these families. And there's an old
:17:52. > :17:56.adage, what gets measured gets done. This Government is focussed on
:17:57. > :18:01.getting things done. So yesterday, my department launched a technical
:18:02. > :18:06.consultation about how we can systematically understand a wider
:18:07. > :18:11.but still battling group of people, where they are, how they do. To be
:18:12. > :18:16.clear, this isn't about creative brand new labels for our families
:18:17. > :18:20.and children. It's not about singling out some for support whilst
:18:21. > :18:23.leaving others alone. We know that families are different. Not just
:18:24. > :18:28.materially and financially, but in the way they identify themselves and
:18:29. > :18:35.their own perceptions. We do want to start to provide a clearer analysis
:18:36. > :18:40.of the situation of how these children of ordinary working
:18:41. > :18:44.families are faring in our education system and for measuring how wider
:18:45. > :18:50.reforms can do better for these families and so better for the
:18:51. > :18:53.country. These families face day-to-day challenges, all the
:18:54. > :18:59.children, though, in these families, will have talent. I believe that
:19:00. > :19:03.talent is spread evenly across our country, no one area or group has a
:19:04. > :19:08.monopoly on this country's talent. But you wouldn't know that from
:19:09. > :19:13.looking at our education results. Nearly a million young people still
:19:14. > :19:17.attend inadequate schools or schools that require improvement. This
:19:18. > :19:23.represents a million young people who still don't have the same
:19:24. > :19:27.opportunity to find their talent as well as their counterparts in better
:19:28. > :19:34.schools. Children from ordinary working families are more likely to
:19:35. > :19:37.be amongst this million children. Fundamentally, these children need
:19:38. > :19:40.more good school places. That will be at the heart of the forth coming
:19:41. > :19:45.white paper, schools that work for everyone. For the first time, we
:19:46. > :19:50.want to properly knit together the different parts of our education
:19:51. > :19:57.system so that its constituent parts can work together to raise
:19:58. > :20:01.attainment as a whole, collectively. We believe that universities,
:20:02. > :20:07.independent schools, faith schools can have a real role in creating
:20:08. > :20:11.better options for parents. I believe that selection in new 21st
:20:12. > :20:15.century state grammar schools will add to the options available to
:20:16. > :20:22.young people to truly help make the most of their talents. I don't
:20:23. > :20:28.accept the arguments from those who critique gram oars on selection and
:20:29. > :20:32.simultaneously ignoring the views of parents. On the one hand calling for
:20:33. > :20:36.no new grammar schools, but nothing to say about the grammars that we do
:20:37. > :20:40.have. They certainly aren't listening to the choices of parents
:20:41. > :20:45.when we know how oversubscribed grammars are. We are listening. Many
:20:46. > :20:49.parents are ordinary backgrounds believe in the chance to send their
:20:50. > :20:54.children to a grammar school. It's the kind of school they think suits
:20:55. > :21:00.their child. So they get a great start. And you don't make this
:21:01. > :21:04.country better by taking away opportunities from children that
:21:05. > :21:08.deserve them. You do the opposite. You level up. You extend
:21:09. > :21:14.opportunities to those who haven't got them. That's why this Government
:21:15. > :21:18.believes it must be parents and communities who have the final say
:21:19. > :21:22.on whether to have a grammar school in their area. Grammar schools
:21:23. > :21:28.should not just be for one better-off group in society to
:21:29. > :21:32.attend. We want to see more children from disadvantaged families getting
:21:33. > :21:37.into grammars. That is absolutely vital. I welcome that many grammar
:21:38. > :21:42.schools are now changing their admissions codes to give a priority
:21:43. > :21:47.of places to these children. I want all of them to follow this example.
:21:48. > :21:50.We certainly will not lose sight of the fact that we want grammars to
:21:51. > :21:57.achieve more for disadvantaged children. But we also shouldn't lose
:21:58. > :22:00.sight of the fact that many young people from an ordinary,
:22:01. > :22:05.working-class background already attend our existing grammar schools.
:22:06. > :22:09.In fact, as our technical consultation shows it's already the
:22:10. > :22:14.same proportion of them that attend non-selective schools. It reinforces
:22:15. > :22:19.the ordinary working families do value this choice of education for
:22:20. > :22:24.their children. Grammars do work for other groups in our society, not
:22:25. > :22:28.just the wealthy. So the new schools that we will create will support
:22:29. > :22:34.young people from every background, not the privileged few. Young people
:22:35. > :22:38.on free school meals, those eligible for pupil premium, young people from
:22:39. > :22:43.ordinary working families struggling to get by, I want these new schools
:22:44. > :22:49.to work for everyone. This will be a new model of grammars truly open to
:22:50. > :22:54.all. We will insist on that. It will reflect the choices of local parents
:22:55. > :22:58.and communities and we will ensure that they support and partner with
:22:59. > :23:03.other schools in their communities reaching out and playing a role in
:23:04. > :23:08.lifting standards well beyond their own school gates. Just as we want
:23:09. > :23:12.our universities, our independent schools to provide even greater
:23:13. > :23:16.support and partnership in the communities that they're part ever
:23:17. > :23:21.too. That's -- part of too. That's how we will build capacity through
:23:22. > :23:29.the school system. We should never accept that education is a zero-sum
:23:30. > :23:33.game. Great heads, great teachers, great schools can and are raising
:23:34. > :23:38.performance for the whole community not just for their own schools. And
:23:39. > :23:43.they do it by sharing expertise by providing support so that young
:23:44. > :23:47.people in all schools can benefit from a stronger, closer knit
:23:48. > :23:52.education system. Young people from all schools can have a good
:23:53. > :23:57.education with an academic core to unlock their talents. There is then
:23:58. > :24:03.space for everyone to succeed in this system and this is not a whole
:24:04. > :24:08.education approach by any means. We're reforming education post 16,
:24:09. > :24:14.lifting the cap on university places with the help of top employers,
:24:15. > :24:16.we're reforming our technical education approach, injecting
:24:17. > :24:20.investment, standards and quality, so that young people who are
:24:21. > :24:27.technically gifted have a world-class route it a great career.
:24:28. > :24:31.That's why the CBI called our March Budget a breakthrough Budget for
:24:32. > :24:37.skills. In Britain there will always be room for talent. Unlocking talent
:24:38. > :24:42.is how we build all of our futures. We will build an education system
:24:43. > :24:48.that unlocks that talent in every one of our young people. This is a
:24:49. > :24:54.bold plan. A transforming education in Britain. Everyone needs to play
:24:55. > :24:58.their part. Not just our education sector, our teachers, school
:24:59. > :25:02.leaders, lecturers, our schools, universities, but also our
:25:03. > :25:09.employers, top businesses, this Government. This is not an easy
:25:10. > :25:14.mission. But the potential gains are huge for young people and for
:25:15. > :25:19.Britain. If we unlock the talent of every young person, it would have a
:25:20. > :25:24.huge impact on productivity and the economy. That's why education is
:25:25. > :25:29.such a crucial part of our industrial strategy. It's why
:25:30. > :25:36.education is at the heart of our plan for Britain, a true
:25:37. > :25:40.meritocracy, opportunity as the glue that brings our country together, a
:25:41. > :25:46.strong, modern country, facing out to the world, a global Britain that
:25:47. > :25:52.leaves up to its values, and when we recognise that the potential of
:25:53. > :25:58.every person is there we recognise the potential of our country. When
:25:59. > :26:00.we can finally capitalise on every talent, Britain really will be a
:26:01. > :26:03.country that works for everyone. Thank you.