Posted on Wednesday 10th Jan 2018
Damian Hinds has become the new Education Secretary, replacing Justine Greening. What are the questions waiting at the top of his in-tray? And what should he do differently to avoid the sudden exit of his predecessor?
1) How to get back the political initiative?
Damian Hinds will have to re-energise the Conservatives' vision for education, finding something positive that will connect with the public.
From the perspective of 10 Downing Street, it must have seemed as though Labour was making much of the weather over schools and universities.
Parents were worried about being asked to bail out cash-starved schools. And Jeremy Corbyn's promise to scrap tuition fees had seen Labour's student vote reaching record levels.
Justine Greening seemed unenthusiastic about the prime minister's Tory heartlands view of education, characterised by the push for more grammar schools.
Latest News
29/06/20Distancing could be scrapped and classes doubled to 30 in bid to get kids back in school
Schools will be asked to focus on implementing hygiene regimes and limiting the extent to which children mix with other pupils outside of their class or year group
22/06/20Coronavirus: All children in England 'back to school in September'
All pupils in all year groups in England will go back to school full-time in September, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced.
19/06/20Coronavirus: £1bn catch-up tutoring fund for England's pupils
A £1bn fund to help England's children catch up on what they have missed while schools have been closed has been announced by the prime minister.
15/06/20Secondary schools bring pre-exam pupils in for face time
Some secondary pupils in England facing exams next year are heading into school from Monday for face-to-face time with their teachers.
03/06/20Back in the office!
Kent Teaching Solutions are back in the office - Ready for September!