Tristram Hunt MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, responding to the Education Select Committee report ‘Academies and Free Schools’ said:

“The cross-party group of MPs has issued a damning verdict on this government’s school improvement strategy. The report finds that under David Cameron there is no convincing evidence that schools policy has delivered improvements for children in England.

“Progress in our school system has been undone since 2010, restricting the opportunities and life chances of young people.

“Labour is focused on the one thing that, time and time again, has been shown to make the biggest difference in schools: the quality of teaching in the classroom. We will end Cameron’s unqualified teachers policy. With Labour, all teachers will have to become qualified and retrain on an ongoing basis as a condition to remain in the classroom.”