Education Secretary speech at National Parent Survey launch
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-17)

A speech delivered by the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, at an event hosted by The Times and ParentKind to launch the charity's annual report.

Hello, good evening, everyone. It’s great to be here and thank you so much for having me.

And thank you Alex for introducing me.

I’m so pleased to see parents being championed today.

They must be at the centre of any conversation we have about education and our children.

Because parents are the single biggest influence on their lives.

Their first friend. Their first teacher. Their first source of meaning.

Parents live it and breathe it, every day.

Dealing with everything a screaming toddler can throw at you.

Dealing with everything an angsty teenager can throw at you.

The love, the worry, the joy, the sleepless nights, the homework, all the time spent standing beside a frozen pitch in the middle of winter cheering them on.

Parenting is challenging and rewarding and maddening and inspiring and a million more things besides.

But what it all comes down to in the end, is the desire to see our children do well, and be happy.

That’s the magic of parents. No vested interests, no ulterior motives.

Just well and happy. And as a government we need to listen to that wisdom.

Because as the historian R. H. Tawney said, what a wise parent would wish for their children, so the state must wish for all its children.

But over the last decade, I believe that parents have been underrepresented in our national conversation.

So I want to thank Parentkind for everything they’ve done to champion parents and parenting.

And I want to thank Jason for his amazing leadership.

The survey we’re here to launch is a deep well of wisdom.

So congratulations to Parentkind and The Times on an excellent piece of work.

And thanks to all of the parents who answered the call.

There are more than 130,000 different pieces of parent data to pick over. But overall, the report tells me two things.

It tells me we need change. And it tells me that parents must be partners in that change.

As parents we make our children a promise.

That if they do their homework, if they work hard at school, then success will be theirs, and they’ll live happily ever after.

But sadly for too many children, that’s been a false fairy tale.

Because too many children are still held back because of their background.

Where they’re born, how much their parents earn.

The disadvantage gap still hangs over any conversation about opportunity.

But I am determined to change that. And we are.

But that change can’t come in isolation.

A tweak here, or a tinker there.

That just won’t do.

And it’s not just about nurseries or schools or children’s social care.

It’s all those things. But together it’s bigger.

It’s about childhood.

It’s asking the question – what does it mean to grow up in Britain today?

We all have a responsibility to the children of this country.

To give them happy and healthy childhoods. To set them up for success.

Parenting is one of the greatest joys in life. But that doesn’t mean living up to our responsibilities as parents is always easy.

It can be hard, there’s no two ways about it.

And I think one of the most important findings from this survey is that 2 million mams say being a parent has a negative impact on their mental health.

It’s a reminder that for all the happiness children bring, the daily pressures of parenting are all too real for too many parents across this country.

And I know that the cost-of-living crisis is forcing families into impossible decisions.

Buying a school uniform or a birthday present.

Fixing the washing machine or the boiler.

Putting money on the meter or food in the fridge.

These are the heart breaking choices that face far too many families.

The everyday reality for the 4.5 million children who grow up in poverty.

So our support for families starts with removing the stain of child poverty from our society.

That is my moral mission. That is why I get up in the morning.

And that is why I’ve delivered the biggest expansion in free school meals eligibility in a generation.

A down payment on the brighter future our children deserve. Proof that a promise made is a promise kept.

With more to come from our Child Poverty Strategy.

I know parents need more and better support.

I know many want to work more hours but can’t because childcare is too expensive.

I know every parent wants what’s best for their child, but too many don’t get the advice, support and guidance they need.

That’s our responsibility as government. To back families. To set parents free to focus on the things that matter to them and to their children.

That’s why we’re investing £500 million to roll out a new wave of up to a thousand Best Start Family Hubs.

The best of Sure Start, reimagined for this country’s future.

The support parents need – health, education, financial advice. All in one place – with a space to come together as a community with other parents.

And this month our childcare revolution reached new heights. Working parents can now access 30 hours of government-funded childcare every week – from the end of parental leave right up until their child starting school.

Free breakfast clubs too, already rolling out across our primary schools. A new limit on the number of branded items of school uniform.

This is real, tangible change. The type people can really feel.

This government is putting children first, with parents as partners. And that includes early learning.

Because the evidence shows just how important parental involvement in early learning is for understanding a child’s long-term outcomes.

More important than family income. More important than whether or not mam or dad went to university. More important than a whole host of things.

But it’s also about freeing families to spend quality time together in the way they want.

A trip to the beach. A morning at the museum. An ice cream in the park.

By supporting families, we build the foundations of success in early childhood.

So that, thanks to our Plan for Change, a record proportion of children will arrive at school ready to learn.

And I said a moment ago that parents are children’s first teachers.

We need a step change in how we recognise that. How we treat parents as genuine partners.

And the hallmarks of a good partnership are trust, support and responsibility.

That matters more than ever. Because our schools have come a long way. And they work well for many children.

But there are still groups of children for whom school just isn’t working. Like white working-class children.

Just one in five achieves a strong pass in their English and maths GCSEs.

It’s not good enough. We’re failing in our collective responsibility to give a good education to every child.

And it’s up to all of us – parents, schools, and government too – to turn this around and rebuild the bonds of trust.

Our upcoming white paper on schools will chart our path forward. And at the centre will be parents – and their engagement in their child’s learning.

Because when parents are engaged in school life, their children make 4 months of extra progress on average, every single year.

Whether it’s in early years or in school, parental engagement isn’t just a nice-to-have.

It must be front and centre of our mission to raise standards and cut the link between background and success.

So high expectations of children must mean high expectations of parents too.

To live up to our responsibilities. To play an active role in our children’s learning.

To send our children to school. To reinforce good behaviour. And to engage with our children’s school.

But engagement is a two-way street of course. And schools must do their bit.

It’s why our schools white paper will set out plans to establish, for the first time, clear expectations of schools for parental engagement.

So that families can be clear on what they should expect from schools. And schools can be clear on what they should expect from parents.

We’ll co-create these expectations together with schools and parents.

But they’ll cover how the school will deliver a universal offer for all parents.

Things like: How and when they’ll be in touch. How and when they’ll share data. Support with home learning. Involvement in school life.

How parents can work with the school to support children moving from one stage of learning to another.

I know from speaking to parents that many schools already do this well.

And I want to congratulate Parentkind for their brilliant work to recognise excellence, developing their Parent-Friendly Schools accreditation.

I’m keen to continue tapping into the insight and expertise you’ve built up.

We need high-quality parent partnerships across all schools, and sometimes support will need to go further.

All parents want to support their children, but we know that not all know how. And not all parents had a good experience at school themselves when they were children.

So schools need to offer targeted engagement for families who need more support.

For families who have lost faith in the school system to deliver success for their child. For families who have different or additional needs.

With support from government, schools will build trusting relationships with parents to address challenges like behaviour and attendance.

I know many already do just that.

But when it doesn’t work, parents need an effective route to make their voices heard.

And I know the current complaints system isn’t working as well as it could for either parents – or for schools.

So the new white paper will improve how school complaints are made and resolved.

To make our system more robust and more respectful. More supportive and reassuring.

Clarifying roles and responsibilities – so that the complaints schools can’t resolve themselves are dealt with promptly elsewhere.

But make no mistake, we will continue to guard against any mistreatment of our hard-working school staff. Because there can never be any place for abuse.

This is about finding resolutions quickly, respectfully and in the best interests of children.

By resetting relationships and rebuilding trust, we can resolve issues before they become complaints.

And I know Parentkind is doing exciting work to develop some shared principles that will support mutual understanding between parents and schools around complaints.

We’re keen to support this work, and I’m sure you’ll be hearing more from Parentkind on this in the coming weeks.

It all comes back to responsibility, trust and partnership. The best schools build bonds with the children in their classrooms and the parents in their communities.

And that can make such a difference for children.

The difference between identifying needs early… or not noticing until it’s too late.

Between harmonised learning… or an accidental tug-of-war.

Opportunity… or missed chances.

The best schools see parents as partners. And just as we are doing on vital areas like attendance and attainment, now I want to spread that excellence to all schools.

That’s how we will build a school system that works for every child. A system that works for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

But today’s report is more evidence that we’re falling short.

1.6 million children with special educational needs are not having all their needs met at school.

A statistic that is shaming but by now not surprising. Because outcomes for children with SEND have stagnated.

They’re more likely to be suspended. And when they leave school, they’re more likely to end up not in employment, education or training.

It’s just not good enough.

And I see what it’s doing to parents. I’ve spoken to parents up and down the country and they tell me how hard they’ve had to battle.

Day in, day out.

To live up to their responsibilities as parents and get the right support for their child.

The anxiety, the worry, the fear, as the years slip by, as their child grows up without the education and support they need and deserve.

Because once a year of learning is lost, it’s not coming back. Once children fall behind, it’s that much harder to catch up.

Every parent wants the best for their child, and seeing their needs not met is just so painful for too many.

So I take incredibly seriously the survey finding that almost a million parents have experienced mental health difficulties as a result of having a child with special educational needs.

And I take seriously, too, the anxiety I know many parents are feeling about the change ahead.

But of course parents are anxious, trying to do what’s best for their children in a system that just feels so broken, every scrap of support has to be fought over.

I hear those concerns.

So I want to be as clear as possible. Yes, I am bringing change.

Because nobody – no parent, no politician, no child, no teacher, no leader – nobody can look at the system that we have right now and conclude that we should continue on as we are.

But I want every parent to know that the change I’ll deliver is about improving support, not removing support.

Change based on the needs of children and on the views of experts.

And a new system, a better system, must have strong relationships between schools and parents right at the centre.

That must become the new normal everywhere.

Because I see that happening in some schools already. I see it working well. And I see the difference it makes.

Earlier this month I visited All Saints Catholic Primary School in the north west.

I spoke to parents of children with SEND. And they told me about the strong relationship they have with the school.

That’s how the school gets to know the children in their classrooms. Parents as partners. That’s the secret to understanding every child’s needs.

As government we’re going further: Investing £740 million in schools to create 10,000 new places for pupils with SEND.

The right support for parents from the right professionals in our Best Start Family Hubs.

In schools, boosting SEND content for initial teacher training and throughout career progression.

There’s a long road of reform ahead.

But by partnering with parents, by drawing on experts, by empowering teachers,

I know we can end the burden on parents who have to fight tooth and nail for the right support.

And deliver, instead, a system of support as standard – in every school, and for every child.

That’s what genuine partnership looks like.

That’s what responsibility looks like.

Doing what’s hard but what’s right.

Doing what needs to be done, together.

Because the children of this country have waited long enough for a system that works for each and every one of them.

Children with SEND.

White working-class children.

Any child who’s held back by their background.

With parents as partners, I know we can turn this around,

And build the Britain our children deserve.

Thank you.