Primary School Improvement Plan

4 December 2009

Commenting on today's announcement by Ed Balls of an improvement plan for primary schools, Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Europe's largest teaching union said:

"More funding for education is always welcome, but Ed Balls seems determined to replicate the mistake he made with his National Challenge for secondary schools - that of setting arbitrary floor targets. Schools in the toughest areas may add enormous value to their pupils' achievement but if they don't hit these targets, their success will be turned into Government-deemed failure.

"I welcome the targeting of additional resources for one-to-one tuition which must of course be carried out by qualified teachers. It will make a real difference to children who experience difficulties in learning. I also welcome the fact that he has learnt one lesson from the previous National Challenge debacle; that of not threatening schools with sanctions. He would have done better to give primary schools with the greatest needs targeted resources, without implying that his action was against a background of failure."